Opening Day in Seattle:
Not All Gumdrops and Lollipops

Jason Michael Barker

Is it too late for me to change my predictions?

I know, I know, it's only been one day of the 1998 season. But something I saw Tuesday night made me radically change my outlook on the season. The signs were certainly there last season. It's not as if I didn't see them, I just thought that this year would be different. I think we all did.  "Law of averages," we said. "Things have to be better than last season."

The Seattle Mariners will never win the World Series with Lou Piniella at the helm.

In case you missed it, the Cleveland Indians beat the Mariners 10-9. Sportscenter, the newspapers, and the fans who were there, will all tell you that the bullpen blew another one. "Just like last year," they'll say. And sure, if you simply look at the box score, that's the natural conclusion. Randy Johnson, who admittedly didn't pitch up to normal Big Unit standards, left the game with two outs in the sixth inning, Omar Vizquel on second, and a 9 to 6 lead.

Bobby Ayala, booed even before he had thrown a pitch, struck out pinch-hitter Dave Justice to end the inning, and those fans who had booed just moments earlier now stood and applauded the much-maligned reliever. When Ayala retired the side in the seventh, it appeared that the M's were on their way to their first victory of 1998. Not so fast.

With 1B Jeff Manto due to lead-off the Cleveland eighth, it should have been obvious to Piniella that Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove would pinch-hit left-handed slugger Jim Thome (given the night off against Johnson). Thome would be followed by switch-hitter Enrique Wilson, lefty Kenny Lofton, switch-hitter Vizquel, and lefty Justice. It seemed, to me at least, the perfect time to replace Ayala with a left-handed pitcher. Both Paul Spoljaric and Tony Fossas were available in the Seattle pen. Instead, Piniella stuck with Ayala, who normally doesn't pitch a third inning.

A walk, a triple, and another walk later, it became clear that the hinges were about to come off. By the time Piniella finally did go to Fossas, it was too late. He walked Justice to load the bases, and then was replaced by Mike Timlin, who surrendered a double to Manny Ramirez followed by two walks, the latter of which forced in a run. Mercifully for Mariner fans, the inning ended with a double play. By the time the smoke had cleared, the Indians had taken a 10-9 lead.

Believe me, the problem is NOT the guys in the bullpen. Spoljaric, Ayala, Timlin, Slocumb, and company are all talented major-league caliber pitchers (if you don't believe that, look at their stats for the last several years). No, the problem is Lou Piniella. It should be painfully obvious after last season (and especially Tuesday) that he has NO IDEA how to handle a pitching staff. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Zip. You get the idea.

The whole eighth inning debacle could easily have been avoided if either Fossas or Spoljaric (both serviceable lefties) had started the inning on the mound. Interestingly, Spoljaric started the ninth on the hill, facing the exact same spot in the line-up (Jim Thome) that he should have faced in the eighth. And guess what? He retired the side on 15 pitches, allowing only a bloop single to Kenny Lofton.

I'm telling you right now that the M's will never win the World Series with Lou Piniella at the helm, no matter how much offense they have. It has nothing to do with his refusal to bunt, steal bases, play young players, or manufacture runs. Until the M's hire a manager who knows how to run a pitching staff (and more importantly, a bullpen), all they'll ever be is the AL version of the Colorado Rockies. You have to know when and in what situations to use your pitchers. Lou does not. If Davey Johnson, Bobby Cox, Mike Hargrove, or Jim Leyland (or a number of other guys - it wouldn't have to be one of the big names) managed the M's, they'd win 110 games and the world series. This team is THAT good.

This is not just a knee jerk reaction to Tuesday's game; I've felt this way since last season. Tuesday is just a perfect illustration of Lou's ineptitude. Most M's fans will be calling for my head over this next statement, to which I say open your eyes. It would be in the M's best interest to fire Lou Piniella and replace him with a manager who has a clue how to run a pitching staff. Davey Johnson is currently unemployed. I'm sure he'd love the job and a shot at the World Series title which eluded him in Baltimore.

Jason Michael Barker has officially used up his quota of hometown team rants with this column, and must now speak angrily of George Steinbrenner to put the universe back into balance. Send him your Yankee Stadium parking garage stories at jmb@strikethree.com.

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