Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Gearing Up For 2020 (And Beyond)

Episode Date: July 13, 2020

With intrasquad games beginning last Friday, D.C. takes a brief look at a certain outfielder who scarcely missed a beat and already appears to be in mid-season form. He also talks about the 2020 regular season schedule, as well as the newly-released 2021 schedule. 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. Lunburn. Hey, gang, hope you had a good week. I spent most of it in bed with the flu. I'm almost back to myself as the weekend winds down and back with you on Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on podcast network brought to you by Rock Auto. Please remember to download rate and subscribe to Lockdown Mariner's on Google Podcast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, or whichever podcasting app that you personally care to use. Ask your smart device to play Locked-on Mariners podcast or Locked-on-N-N-N-N-N-R-G for those

anything podcast. Follow this show on Twitter at L-O-U-U-U-N-Skourners, and follow me personally on Twitter at D-C-U-N-D-B-E-R-G for those scoring at home. One question that I had was answered late last week. How are the Mariners going to prepare for the regular C-R-R-G for the regular season without playing any games against other teams. The answer should have been obvious, but hey, I'll blame it on the flu that I had. They and every other team will partake in a series of Intrasquod games, of course.

The first game was last Friday, July 10th at Pink Cell Phone Company Park, beginning at 2.30 p.m. It was broadcast by Dave Sims on the Mariners YouTube channel and was not on television. I caught bits and pieces of it because I left work early sick. By all reports from this game and subsequent games, Kyle Lewis is playing like there was no layoff whatsoever. He looks like he is in mid-season form now, and the home run power he displayed in his cup of coffee last September has remained. In the first game, Lewis hit two home runs.

In his second game, after an off day, he hit another. And to boot, he's been playing center field and been playing center field pretty well. He did come up. through the farm system as a center fielder, but he was viewed as more of a major league corner option because the organization feels his range maybe a bit short for center field. However, he has reportedly been looking very good in center, which is important since Malick's Smith is not in camp yet. The Mariners did announce that three people associated with the team, one player and two staff

members, if I recall, did test positive for COVID-19. to medical confidentiality laws, the team and league are not allowed to say who tested positive. That's not to say Malix was the player with the positive test. His absence may have nothing to do with COVID-19. However, it is worth noting that a player need not be diagnosed with COVID-19 to be forced away from the team. Exposure to someone with COVID-19 is enough to be disallowed from team activities and to be placed on the COVID-19 DL. Malick Smith is a part of the Mariners 60-man player pool, but Mitch Hanager is not. Manninger underwent course surgery in January with an then-unknown recovery time.

They're not rushing him, and he may miss the entire condensed season, which honestly is not a bad thing. Give the man all the time he needs to be ready for a full season next year. I am all for not rushing Manninger back, only to have him injure his back once again. Mariner's trivia question for the day is this. Who led the M's in batting average two years ago? Answer following this from Rock Otto. With the ever-increasing numbers of makes and models, it is now impossible to stock all the parts you need in a traditional chain storefront.

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Go to rockado.com right now to see all the parts available for your car or truck. Right locked on in their how did you hear about us box so they know that we sent you. Amazing selection. Reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Rockado.com. Answer to the trivia question, two years ago, 2018, Gene Seguera led the M's with a 304 batting average. Gene Gene the hitting machine.

Second was Robinson Canoa 303, but we know he had some outside help with that, so just throw his numbers out the window. Mitch Hanager hit 285 that season, and Dynard Span hit 272 as a mariner in 2018. More Locked-on Mariners after this. Welcome to the second half of Locked-on Mariners. Here once again is your host, D.C. Lundberg.

Thank you very much, J.M. Locked on Mariner's back with you, talking about the beginning of the, upcoming season. Also going to talk a little bit about 2021. The Mariners 2020 regular season schedule has been released, as has the 2021 schedule, although it's kind of a tentative schedule at this point. It'll probably look really similar to what was released a few days ago. This season, the Mariners will begin on Friday, July 24th in Houston against the trash can bangers. They'll play four games against the Apple Watch enthusiasts before heading home to Barbie's Dream Park, for the home opener on July 31st versus the Oakland Athletics.

That kicks off a 10-game homestand. Overall, the Mariners will play 40 games against American League West opponents, 10 games apiece, and 20 games against National League West opponents, four games against four of the teams, and six games against the natural rival, which of course is the San Diego Padres. Three of the four teams in the AAL West really do not have a natural rivalry, with an N.L. West counterpart.

Oakland versus San Francisco is an easy one, as is L.A. versus L.A. But as Taylor Blake Ward noted on this very program earlier in the week, Anaheim and Los Angeles really are not that close to each other. They're in different counties and are connected by a single freeway. The distance between Dodgers Stadium and Angel Stadium is akin to the distance between Pink Cell Phone Company Park and Everett Memorial Stadium, where the Aqua Sox play, to put that into some local perspective,

about the same distance, connected by a freeway, different counties. For my neighbors in the Lilac City, the distance between Dodgers Stadium and Angel Stadium is pretty much the exact same distance between Spokane and Cordillane. Anyways, I digress.

The Padres have been the Mariners natural rival since interleague play began in 1997, most likely because they share a spring training facility in Arizona. Which is honestly, a better reason than no reason at all. The Astros and Rangers get either the Diamondbacks or Rockies,

so who gets which team is pretty arbitrary. It does help the M's that their natural rival is not expected to be very good this year, although it is just two more games, but in a short season, two extra games versus a weak opponent

is a much bigger advantage than it would be ordinarily. The opening day starter has been named, and it's no surprise, that it's Gonzaga alum Marco Gonzalez. Last year in Houston, he didn't fare very well in three starts, going 0 and 2 with a 646 ERA. He has only one more career game in Houston,

and for his career, he hasn't handled the Astros that well. In seven games, six starts, his ERA is 736, and his whip is 1.977. Hopefully, he puts all that aside, and spins a gem to open things up. 2021's schedule will feature the normal slate of 162 games. Some anomalies in the schedule are worth noting, however. The Mariners will open the season at home,

which they haven't ordinarily done since leaving the kingdom. April 1st will be opening day, no fooling. And to boot, the Ms begin with an interleague series, a three-game set versus the San Francisco Giants. and off day follows, then three home games against the White Sox. After that series concludes, the M's play one game in Minnesota the following day, then have another off day before finishing the three-game series. The M's will also host the Dodgers for a two-game series later in April.

The All-Star game will take place on July 13th, which is a little later than usual, in Truist Park, which used to be SunTrust Park. Oh, who cares? It's the Brave Stadium in Atlanta. They last hosted the All-Star game in 2000 at Turner Field when Derek Jeter was the first Yankee to win All-Star MVP honors. There's a little trivia for you.

The season winds down with a six-game home stand. Usually when the Mariners open at home, they'll end on the road and vice versa. But not this time. Three versus the A's on September 27th, 28th, and 29th is the penultimate series. then the season will conclude with three home games versus the Angels on October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Next time on Lockdown Mariners, gang, I will be joined by guest panelists, Sergeant Joe Friday, Brandon the Wonder Dog, and a toothbrush.

You will not want to miss that one, gang. So do remember to download, rate, and subscribe to Lockdown Mariner's on Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, or whichever podcasting if you can think of, so you never miss an episode. Follow the show on Twitter at L.O. underscore Mariners, and follow me on Twitter as well, at D.C. underscore Lundberg. As the regular season is fast approaching, we will be going back to five shows a week at that time. Also, hopefully next week will be another edition of Diamond Quiz. I hope you had a great weekend, ladies and gentlemen, and I hope the week ahead treats you well.

This is Joey Martin speaking for Locked On Mariners, part of the Locked On podcast network. Ask your smart device to play locked-on fantasy baseball upon the conclusion of this program.