How Suite It Is

Dave Paisley

It’s been a fine baseball week in the Paisley household. A week ago, we finally got digital cable installed so that we could get the MLB Extra Innings package. Finally, wall to wall baseball. While the package could use a little pizzazz, having up to seven simultaneous games from across the country is a very nice feature indeed. And for $130 and change, it’s pretty cheap at less than $1 a day. Of course, there are the glitches, like ESPN blackouts even when they’re only showing the hockey playoffs, but I’m not really complaining.

The first weekend featured Yankees-Red Sox games, something us West coasters hardly ever get to see, and never with the local broadcasters. Of course, right after that we almost had to suffer through Orioles-Devil Rays games, but fortunately there was the Indians-Twins series to watch. So far no Braves to worry about, either.

As if that wasn’t enough, we were fortunate enough to have friends who "won" a suite for Sunday’s Mariners-Rangers game at Safeco in a local fundraising auction. While we had to chip in on the cost, it was well worth it to see how the other 2.5% lives (that’s the rough percentage of Safeco attendees in suites if they’re all full.)

The view from the suites is good, but it’s really not any better than from the front row of the upper deck, as the suites are only about 12 feet below them, and set a little further back. But those upper deck seats don’t come with roast beef sandwiches, salad, ritzy nachos, buffalo wings, Chinese hors d’oeuvres, hot dogs (in a nice little chafing dish), beer, wine and soda. We almost got a personal visit from the Mariner Moose, but fortunately we dodged that bullet.

The three rows of seats come with nice padded rocking and rolling chairs, perfect for swiveling around to talk to your friends. Big TV monitors help you keep track of the close plays, just in case you were too busy grabbing another cold one from the fridge as Ichiro hit another triple (and yes, it happened…)

All in all, well worth the effort, and in true Strikethree.com fashion, and without going into any details, I managed to add to our hallowed tradition by smuggling beer out of the stadium.

Sunday’s game wrapped up the Mariners-Rangers series, and left the Mariners sitting pretty atop the major leagues with a 15-4 record, while Texas had slumped to almost Tiger-esque futility at 5-13, second lowest winning percentage in the majors.

Texas’ demise is really a mirror image of Seattle’s success. The Mariners formula last season was good starting pitching, superb bullpen, good defense and a solid but unspectacular offense that can hurt you in every possible way.

Despite massive pitching problems last year, the Rangers focused at least as much attention on offense again this offseason as on pitching, and skimped heavily on the bullpen. Injuries have hurt the offense a bit so far, and the pitching has been poor but not awful. Kenny Rogers, in fact, has been downright brilliant, but is only 1-0 to show for it.

Based on their runs scored and allowed (85-94) they should be around 8-10. Unfortunately, the awful bullpen has blown several games for them, resulting in the aforementioned 5-13 record, three games worse.

Speaking of Seattle’ success, they outperformed expectations last year by a healthy margin, and they’re doing it again this year. Based on their 119-86 runs scored and allowed, they should be around 12-7. Still pretty good, but their actual record after 19 games of 15-4 is three games better.

So by luck or design, Texas is already 10 games back instead of 4, and Jerry Narron’s career as the Rangers manager is in serious jeopardy. If (or when) he goes, it will be interesting to see who Hicks chooses to replace him. By rights it ought to either be an orthopedic surgeon or a psychiatrist.

While Seattle is off to the hottest start record-wise, one other team has been more dominating in the run differential category — the Red Sox. At 101-65, it’s no wonder the Red Sox are leading the Yankees in the AL East.

Honorable mentions for hot starts also got to the Twins, White Sox and Indians, despite beating up on each other the first few weeks.

Over in the National League, the big surprises are the Pirates (12-5, 69-54 runs) and Expos (11-8, 113-90 runs). They’ve taken completely different approaches, too. The Pirates have the second-best pitching in the NL (surprise!), but only the eleventh-ranked offense (no surprise!) The Expos, however, have the top offense, featuring their new weapon, on-base percentage, but only the twelfth-best pitching.

Of the two teams, I expect the Expos to be able to sustain this longer, as their offense is really quite good, and the newfound patience at the plate is a durable skill. Their pitching should improve a little with maturity and confidence.

On the other hand, the Pirates offense has very little reason to show any improvement, and their pitching, while decent, is unlikely to remain among the league leaders.

All in all, it’s been a good week…

about the author

Got the MLB Extra Innings package? If so, why not nominate your all-time worst game available *. Send the details to Dave Paisley with the reason why, at drdjp@strikethree.com.

* Kansas City games not eligible.