Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Four Minor Moves and a Familiar Face (Plus Bonus Email)

Episode Date: January 11, 2021

The Mariners have recently signed four players to minor league contracts. Two of them have Major League experience, one has played at the Big League level in Seattle, and a third pitched in the M's minor league system. D.C. talks about all four players and breaks down some of their Major & Minor League career numbers. In the second half, he reads a few listener emails with subjects ranging from frequent guests Jason Hernandez & Jon Miller, astronomy, and bowing. (Yes, bowling again.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Here's your host, D.C. Lundberg. Thank you, J.M. and thank you out there in Podcast, Land, for joining us here on Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Please remember to download, rate, and subscribe to this program using whichever podcasting app that you personally care to use. Ask your smart device to play Locked-on Mariners podcast or any program here on the Locked-on Podcast Network. At the end of the previous episode, I said that this one would feature Jason Hernandez talking with me about the late Tommy LaSorda. However, something came up the day that we were going to record and he had to postpone.

We are going to do that hopefully later this week. Jason, as I said, had met Mr. LaSorda on a few occasions, and we've never talked about it either on the air off, so I'm looking forward to that. Plus, LaSorda does have ties to the Northwest. He managed the Pacific Coast League, and he's one of four permanent members. of the Spokane Indians Rim of Honor. But today we're going to do a little catching up on the hot stove. The Mariners have made four transactions since the last time I talked transactions. All four of them are minor league free agent signings,

but there is one name in there that should be familiar to Amos fans. We'll begin on January 5th, and on that date, the Mariners signed to a minor league contract, right-handed pitcher Kevin Munson. Kevin was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamond, Diamondbacks in the fourth round of the 2010 Re-Agent draft, as it were. He began his pro career in 2010

and pitched in the Diamondbacks system through 2015. He began 2016 with the Lancaster Jet Hawks of the Atlantic League. It's an independent league. And then a few months later, he was signed by the Seattle Mariners Organization and pitched 19 games at AAA Tacoma that year, accumulating a 4-4-4-earned run average

with a rather high. whip at 1.633. 2017, he went back to the Atlantic League, pitching again for Lancaster and also in 2018 as well. In 2019, he pitched for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabbs, also of the Atlantic League, 34 games of the Blue Crabbs that year, 260 earned run average and a whip of 1.333.

Overall, in 10 professional seasons, this is 473 games, all relief appearances, 519 and 2 thirds innings, an ERA of 358, a whip of 1.351. Wocks per nine innings is on the high side, 4.4, although he can strike out some guys, 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings, and a semi-alarming 7.8 hits per nine innings. He is 32 years old, as a matter of fact, he just turned 32 on January 3rd, so he, like me, is a January baby.

The next three transactions all took place on January 8. and two of these men have major league experience. We'll begin with the one who does not have major league experience, and that is infielder Jansen Witt, or Witty. It's WITTE. I'm not exactly sure how to pronounce that. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox originally in the 24th round of the 2013 draft out of Texas Christian University and began his pro career in the Red Sox system that season.

He was in the Red Sox system just up until the 2019 season, Well, I don't know where he was in 2020 since there were no minded leagues that year. So he may have been in the Red Sox system, I don't know. His professional totals, nine seasons worth, 846 games, 3,400, pardon me, 3,046 at bats. He's got a slash line of 280, 354, 414. At AAA, the highest level of Balvities reached, he's played 321 games there, so he's got a lot of AAA experience. 1,097 at bats and a slash line of 261, 333, 370.

He's got 27, pardon me, 67 doubles, and 15 home runs in those 1097 at bats amongst his 286 hits. So he appears to be a decent contact hitter, and he doesn't strike out very much either. That's pretty good. 107 walks in 1227 plate appearances versus 224 strikeouts. So he's a pretty decent contact hitter. and looks like he can take a walk as well. So that's, of course, those are minor league numbers.

Do with those what you will, but let's see if that translates into major league success, if he makes the roster, that is. He is 31 years old. He's also a January baby. As a matter of fact, his birthday is one day after Kevin Munson's. January 4th, 1990 is his birth date. The other two are pitchers,

and they both have major league experience. The first one will talk about Paul Sewell, who is in the Mets organization, most recently. He is a 30-year-old right-handed pitcher. He'll turn 31 on May 26th. He has, let's see, 125 games at the Major League level, 147 and a third innings. These are all relief appearances.

Aggregate 5-50 earned run average, whip of 1.364. Walks per nine innings looks okay. It's 3.1 per nine innings. That's just a tad on the high side. That could get a little better, but, you know, I guess you'll take that. 9.2 strikeouts per 9 innings for those of you who are into strikeouts.

He's getting hit, though. 9.2 hits per 9 innings, definitely on the high side. He made his Major League debut in 2017, and in fact, pitched in 57 games at the Major League level that year with the Mets, with a 455 ERA and a whip of 1.209. Those are pretty good numbers. In 2019 and 17 games played 458 ERA and a whip even lower, 1.068.

Last year he pitched in five games with the Mets to a 13.5 earned run average. Six innings pitched, you know, six innings. He can't judge a pitcher, pardon me, based on that. And he also had a poor 2018 season. Career numbers at AAA, 3-1-1 earned run average in 112 games. All relief appearances, 133 in a third innings. Whips pretty good. 1.253 hits per nine.

on the high side, 8.6. Home runs per 9 also a tad on the high side, 1.1, walks per 9 innings, though that looks good. 2.6 and 12.2 strikeouts per night innings. Remember, those are triple A numbers, ladies and gentlemen, not Major League numbers. Again, he is now a member of the Mariners organization having been signed to a minor league contract. And the last man, Rowena Salyas is back in the organization. This is what is third stint with the Mariners organization, I think, something like that. He made his Major League debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2014, 29 ball games that year, they were all starts, but he's pitching out of the bullpen these days. In that rookie season, 29 starts, 162 and two-thirds innings, 385 earned run

average and a 1.314 whip. His most recent Major League action came in 2019, where he split the season between the Seattle Mariners and the Washington Nationals. The Nationals acquired him at the deadline, but only pitched in four games that year with the Nationals, three innings worth, and did not do well, nine earned run average. However, in 44 games with the Mariners, 47 innings, 364 earned run average and a whip of 1.2.34. Pretty good numbers. 3.3 walks per nine innings, tad on the high side, 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings, for those of you who like that, 7.9 hits per nine innings, a tad on the high side. Gave up too many home runs, though, a home run and a half per nine innings. Let's see what he can do with the Mariners in

2021, if he makes the team, that is. This is a minor league. This is a minor league. contract, but I think he's got a decent shot. You know, to make the big league roster, the Mariners are familiar with him. He was in the organization as recently as 2019, as we just mentioned. Let's see what he can do. He is 32 years old. He'll turn 33 on August 1st. He was originally signed by the Mariners organization as an amateur free agent on May 3rd, 2011.

And have we got all caught up in the first half of the show? So I think I'm going to answer some email questions for you. second half of the show, even though Clive is not around. I'll just read them myself. And I do have quite a few emails again. We're not going to get to all of them. I'll answer one, you know, a few of them. But before we get to that, it's time for the trivia corner, first trivia corner of 2021.

And it's a hall pass. Today's subject enjoyed a 13-year major league career in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. And he was primarily a catcher, in fact, almost exclusively a catcher. Career slash line of 296, 326, 398. He has 205 home runs and 65 home runs, pardon me, 205 doubles and 65 home runs, 57 triples. He is a three-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and placed in the MVP voting four times. Remember, he's a catcher, not many catchers in the Hall of Fame. Would you consider this man for the Hall of Fame?

Yes or no. I'll tell you who this is. as I tell you about betonline.ag. Are you ready for some football? College football is heading into bowl season, and there are some big matchups this weekend, or so I'm told. The NFL regular season is also finishing up,

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Yep, Mani San Guine, the Pirates star from the 70s, two World Series championships, one of them in 1971 against the Baltimore Orioles. The Hoverblower won't have a lot of 1979, also against the Baltimore Orioles. Orioles couldn't catch a break. In any case, if you got a question or comment out there, please do you send it on over to Lockdown Merrers at gmail.com,

and I'll read it and reply to it on a future mailbag episode, or I won't read it. Clyde will probably read it, but he's not here, so I'm reading him today. Questions and comments about any subject are welcome and encouraged. Please do send them to Lockdown Mariners at gmail.com, and please do keep them family appropriate. We will continue this episode of Lockdown Mariners as soon as I tell you about Rock Auto. Gang, they are a family business, and they've been serving customers online for 20 years. Go to rockauto.com to shop for auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers,

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locked on in there, how did you hear about us box? So they know we sent you. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Rock Auto.com. Now back to Lockdown Mariners and your host, D.C. Lundberg. Thank you very much. J.M. D. D.C. Lundberg is back here the second half of Locked-on Mariners, gang 2020 is mercifully over. Thank goodness. It's time for a fresh start and a few more wins. If you're betting this year and want a few more wins, then you've got to listen to the Locked-on Betts podcast with your boy Q and Lee Sterling

of Paramount Sports. They are picking college basketball football at NBA Locks all winter long. Subscribe to Locked-on vets wherever the heck you get your podcasts. And now it's time to interest an email questions here on the second half of Locked-on Mariners. I don't know why I saw fit to emphasize that again, but I did. Anyways, probably time for a few quick ones, and the first of those is going to come from Abigail in Airway Heights out in my neck of the woods.

She asks, did you toast the new year? If so, what kind of bread did you use for your toast? I prefer either rye or sourdough. Well, I'm a rye bread guy myself. For some reason, I can't eat regular wheat bread. It kind of mucks with my stomach a little bit, So definitely a wry guy. Yeah, I was on a conference call with John Miller,

Locked on Manor's contributor John Miller and his wife and his sister-in-law, and we kind of had an over-the-in-the-in-net for two reasons. They're over in the Puget Sound region where most of you listening are, I'm sure, and I'm over here in my little corner of the world in Spokane. We actually had a virtual game night, so we did that over a Skype call, and then we, of course, did the New Year's countdown. and I don't drink alcohol so I use Martinelli's, but yes, I did toast the new year.

Oh, let's see. What do I want to do next? Ah, here's one from somebody from my hometown, actually, or my former hometown. Shoreline, Washington. This comes to us from Blake in Shoreline, Washington. I like to think that's Blake Snell even though it's not. He asks, how did you come to know John Miller and J.D. Hernandez? You guys seem to have good on hair chemistry.

Well, we're all friends, so it doesn't surprise me at all. Basically, the conversations that you hear on the internet, are conversations that we would ordinarily have if we were just off the air, you know, just at one another's house or just talking on the phone or whatever. So that's probably why we have good chemistry because it's just three, it's just friends talking. I've known John for years. I met him actually through his wife. I was friends with his wife first.

And I met her when she was engaged to him. And that's basically the boring story of how I met John Miller. I was friends with his wife and then became very good friends. with both of them. J.D. Hernandez, I met him when we were both involved in another podcast. We met through that podcast. I had been a frequent guest on this show, and a couple years after that, J.D. became a frequent guest on the show. And we just, we hit it off, became very good friends. We have other interests outside of baseball, which are common interests. So we talk about that too. And that's basically how I met Jason. And this was seven years ago, six, seven years ago, I want to say. And I,

Jason and I actually wound up taking over that podcast when the original host and producer passed away. And he was a mutual friend of both of ours. We both miss him very much. So I'll take the opportunity to once again say Jim Williams' name on the air. Jim, we really miss you, buddy. I think we have time for a couple more.

Let's check the time. One more. Let's see. Oh, here's a quick one. So we might actually have time for two more since this is going to be quick. Albert and Kent Washington, do you prefer watching

Mookie bets on the ball field or the bowling lane? Does he have a career after baseball? Yeah, he absolutely does. He's a fine bowler, and he can hold his own out there with the professionals. He just doesn't get a chance to practice like they do, but once his baseball career is done, he will have the time to practice like the others do,

and I think that he would be able to hold his own on the PBA tour and at least make some TV finals. I don't know if he'd be able to win any tournaments. I shouldn't say that because I think that he does. have that capability. If you make ATV finals, then you are capable of winning a tournament. I prefer watching them on the bowling lanes, actually, because at this point, it just doesn't get to happen very often. He's bowled all his life. He's very, very good at it. And he, that was kind of his first sport. Baseball kind of came later from what I understand. He's always loved bowling.

And I have just always loved bowling as well. I think I explained my love of bowling and curling on the previous email episode, I prefer watching mooky bets on the bowling. And don't get me wrong. He's obviously one hell of a baseball player. But that's kind of expected of him. We almost take that for granted. And in terms of bowling, again, that's something that's just kind of different.

And he doesn't have the chance to bowl professionally very often. So when he does, it's very fun to watch. So that's why I prefer watching him on the bowling lane than the baseball lane. We do have time for one more quick one. And this one comes to us from Jane in Athel, Idaho. Who asks, is Pluto a planet? No, Pluto is Mickey Mouse's dog? When I was in school, Pluto was a planet.

Then it got demoted to a dwarf planet. Now it's a planet again. Yeah, Pluto's a planet. I don't care. And that's just about all we have time for. Thanks for those emails, ladies and gentlemen, keep sending them in even the ridiculous ones. You know what?

especially the ridiculous ones. If they make me laugh, it's a good email. So send them into Lockdown Mariners at gmail.com, and that will do it for this episode. Next time is hopefully the one where Jason Hernandez is going to be able to join me to talk about the late Tommy Lissorda. In the interim, please remember to download rate

and subscribe to this program. Look for us on any podcasting app that you may happen to think of. Thanks for tuning in today, ladies and gentlemen. I do hope you enjoyed it, and I'll talk to you next time. This is Joey Martin, Speaking for Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network.