Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Telegram Sam, You're My Main Man

Episode Date: April 26, 2021

Telegram Sam Haggerty sure had himself a great series, so D.C. talks about his exploits throughout the entire episode while referencing the song from which D.C. gave Mr. Haggerty his nickname. (D.C. also is assuming that Mr. Haggerty has never heard this particular song before.) Anyways, the Red Sox took two of three from the Mariners over the weekend, though there were some very good performances by the M's. Most impressive was Chris Flexen on Saturday, who turned in his best start of the season thus far. Along with Telegram Sam, Kyle Seager also had a good series, and nearly hit for the cycle on Saturday. In addition, D.C. noticed something about the fad of catching on one knee that's been implemented across Major League Baseball, and talks about it for a while in B block on the heels of Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki's game in which he allowed three wild pitches and two passed balls. 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.

Today on Locked-on Mariners, I heap praise upon a certain player I've nicknamed based on a song published 22 years prior to his birth. Welcome to Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Here's your host, D.C. Lundberg. Me, I funk. I don't care. I ain't no square with my corkscrew hair. Okay, so I don't have corkscrew hair like Mark Bowlin did, but there will be a funk, will be a lot of telegram Sam discussed on today's episode of Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on podcast network, or T-L-O-P-N, or T-L-O-P-N or T-Lopin for short.

Please remember to download, ready and follow this program on whichever podcasting app that you personally care to use. I'm in a good mood today. Also, remember to, well, ask your smart device to play Locked-on Marriors podcast. I'm in such a good mood. I've forgotten my script. Just ask your smart device. Hey, smart device, play Lockdown Mariner's podcast or any program here on Tloppin. I'm going to talk about the previous three games here on Catch Up Monday, as it were.

The M's had begun a four-game series in Fenway Park against the Red Sox on Thursday with a victory. In game two on Friday, neither starting pitcher was particularly impressive. Yusea Kikichi for the M's and Martine Perez for the Red Sox. They lasted a combined eight and one-third innings, combined for 10 hits, seven runs, and seven walks. Together they threw 177 pitches in those eight-and-one-thirds innings, not exactly a picture of efficiency. No wonder the game lasted almost three and a half hours. Kikichi-san threw four-and-two-thirds of those innings, tossing 94 pitches. Only 55 of them were strikes.

He walked three and gave up five runs. all of them were earned on six hits. It was just not his day. The Red Sox pulled Perez with the bases loaded and two out in the fourth. And the reliever, whose name I have a lot of trouble saying, Hirokazu Sawamara, who I actually did it that time, struck out Mitch Hanigur to end the inning, which would go on to be huge.

The Mariners were down 6 to 2 going into the ninth inning and scored three times that inning. J.P. Crawford led off with a walk, once again doing his job from the bottom of the lineup. Mitch Hanigur did not do his job in this instance, striking out, but Ty France singled, then Kyle Seeger launched a home run to bring the Mariners to back within one run at 6 to 5. But the next two guys make out to end the game.

If Alex Cora had left Perez in for one more hitter in the fourth, rather than turning to the bullpen, the result of the game may have been much different, considering how Perez was pitching. Boston scored two in the first, an unfortunate sign of things to come, one in the third, and then two more in the fifth. One of those runs scoring on a double play with the bases loaded, however. Drew Steckinrider pitched one in a third innings and kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard.

L.J. Newsom came in to pitch the final two innings and allowed one unearned run on a rare miss cue by the ordinarily sure-handed ever. and white. This game was forgettable in pretty much all aspects and honestly boring, at least until the ninth inning where things got interesting. The Mariners did walk six times

but they struck out 12 times. Way too many. Dylan Moore and Sam Haggertie both walked twice and Telegram Sam also checked in with a base hit while Moore collected a stolen base. More on Telegram Sam later in the program, he had himself a fantastic weekend

earning starts in all three games. We'll talk about the remaining games of the Red Sox series over the next two segments, much more to dive into with those two particular games. But now it's time for the trivia corner. And since Telegram Sam Haggurdy had himself such a good series, today's question is this. Off what T-Rex album was the song Telegram Sam? No, no, no, that's not the question.

The real question reads thusly. Sam Hagridi's first Major League hit came in his first game, game as a mariner last year. Off whom did he collect this hit? I'll give you the answer following this word of interest from Blue Nile. This episode is brought to you by 1010, a capsule collection of diamond rings that are responsibly sourced limited edition designs at fair price points. 1010 is an exclusive collection of 10 creative styles of diamond rings designed by 10 of the most distinctive designers working today, rings that are sure to bring joy into her life. Using only diamonds responsibly sourced from Botswana, 10 female design masters have

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And coming out of my golf voice, it's time to wrap up the trivia corner and the answer to the trivia question. Telegram Sam's first big league hit came in his first at bat as a meritor, no less. Last August 19th, a second inning single off the Dodgers, Julio Urias, whom the Meritors just faced a few days ago. The Mariners won that ball game six to four. Taiwan Walker earning the victory in his final game as a Mariner. Coming up, I speak about Saturdays and Sundays games while eating an entire jar of garlic dill pickles. But first this from bettonline.ag, the fastest and easiest way

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your mobile device to sign up today and receive your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit. Bet Online, your online sports book experts promo code, Locked On. Welcome back to Locked-on Mariners. Here once again is your host, D.C. Lundver. you very much, Joey Martin. Hey, gang, this year the Locked-on Podcast Network is partnering, pardon me, with the Draft Network to cover the NFL Draft Live, and I know they mean business, because the word live is in all caps. Get insight and analysis from Locked-on local experts and the Draft Network's national experts. Subscribe to the Locked-on NFL YouTube page to watch three-day coverage of the NFL draft

April 29th through May 1st. Saturday's game, and boy, was this a fun one. The Mariners had pretty much everything working. Offense got out of the shoot, Guns-Ablazin, and Chris Flexen was simply brilliant. Boston did not score a runoff of him until the seventh. He hit the lead-off, man, but then engrus induced, pardon me, a ground ball double play.

Raphael Divers doubled, then was driven home, on a Marwin Gonzalez single. Marwan Gonzalez always seems to hit well against the Mariners, no matter whom he's playing for. Those two hits, by the way, accounted for half of the hits Flexen would allow. He went seven innings, allowed that one run on four hits, only one walk, pardon me, and struck out a career high seven. He threw only 88 pitches in those seven innings. So honestly, I thought it could have gone out for the 8th to really save the bullpen, which might have proven important considering how Sunday's game went. Even though he hit the lead-off man and allowed two hits, he still looked to me as if he had a little bit more left

in the tank. But Keenan Middleton came in to a pitch the 8th, tossed a 1-2-3 inning. Will Vest pitch the 9th and allowed two doubles and a run? Not the typical sharp outing we've gotten used to from Vest, but with an 8 to 1 lead at that point, it hardly mattered. And while Chris was certainly flexing his muscles, ha ha ha, ha, that's horrible. The M's offense was having a good day as well, and this was all against one of the better pitches in the American League, Nathan Avaldi. The M's touched him up for five runs, four of them earned on seven hits and a walk in his five innings.

His ERA for the season went from 304 in his first four starts, to 377 following this one. Overall, the M's scored eight runs on 12 hits. Four men collected two or more hits. Ty France went three for four. Kyle Seeger went three for five. Evan White went two for four. And of course, Telegram Sam went three for five.

And hit his second home run of the season. A solo blast in the eighth over the green monster to give the M's a six to one lead at that point. That was his second home run. of the season, as I said, and now he's got one from each side of the plate. He, like Dylan Moore, has more sting in his bat than you would think just by looking at him. He's 5-11, 175 pounds. He looks like a slap hitter, but he can drive the ball. And again, I'll talk more about him in the next segment because the entire series.

He was great. He has seemingly hit his way into the lineup, at least for the time being. He's another versatile player like Moore is, who, who can play all over the infield and outfield, though I'm not certain that first base is in his repertoire as it is for Dylan Moore. Speaking about Seeger now, though, his three for five was most impressive.

He was a home run away from the cycle, and his double and triple were both hit into the Bermuda Triangle and center field. Both would have been home runs in just about any other ballpark. He drove in three of the mayor's eight runs on the heels of his two for five day on Friday, snapping an 0-4-20 streak in a major way, and he continues to rank with runners in scoring position. After Saturday's game, he was hitting 588 with runners in scoring position,

375 with runners on base at all, and with the base is empty, 122. After Saturday's game, he was hitting 351 on the road, versus just 159 at home. On the downside, the Mariners did strike out 9. nine times. Ty France is the only one who did not strike out. Taylor Tramel cated twice and went 0 for 4. His struggles continue. Jose Marmalaehaus has been struggling as well. He also went 0 for 4, but he did draw a base on balls. And Mitch Hanager had a rare

over 5-day. As Telegram Sam has hit his way into the lineup, Tramel may have hit his way out of it, at least for the time being. With Kyle Lewis off of the disabled list, although he did not playing this one, and Sam Haggarty in a hot streak, that leaves Tram as the odd man out. He's still having trouble hitting off speed and breaking stuff down, and that's pretty much all he's being offered, especially later in at-bats. I'm not sure if that is something that can be worked on in the minors where pitchers don't have as much command of their secondary pitches, or if he needs to work on that at the big league level.

But it'll come around. I'm confident he'll be able to work that out. sooner or later one way or the other. Another thing I want to talk about in this game, defense, specifically Kevin Plewecki, the Red Sox catcher. I don't know what kind of reputation he has as a defensive catcher, but he looked awful behind the plate on Saturday. He let three wild pitches and two past balls get by him.

At least a few of them should have been more easily corralled, but I can't remember if they were the wild pitchers or the past balls, and I also don't recall which pitcher through them. But Ploke, like everyone else in the bigs this year, has gone to catching on one knee, which is fine if the bases are empty. I get why catchers are doing it. Anything to take pressure off of their knees and lower back. But when there are men on base, the catchers should assume the crouch for a couple of reasons. And the first reason it was highlighted by Plowecke's performance on Saturday. When you drop to one knee, your mobility behind the the plate pretty much disappears, and you have a much tougher time getting on top of balls in the

dirt, and you also have a much tougher time moving from side to side to get to balls. This is going to lead to more wild pitches and more past balls. Well, just about everyone is catching on one knee with the base is empty. There are some who choose to go back to the crouch with men on base, which I think is the smart thing to do. I also don't see how a catcher could throw out potential of base thieves from one knee. Unless your name is Johnny Bench or Yvonne Rodriguez, coming up out of a crouch is going to make you more accurate and more quick to second or third. Catching on one knee is nothing new.

And again, if the bases are empty, I have no problem with it. In fact, I don't know why this has not become more widespread sooner. Don Slot used to catch on one knee. Tony Pena used to do it, and he won four gold glove awards. And while Slot never won a gold glove, he was regarded as an, excellent receiver. But with runners on base, it would be who of catchers to go back to the crouch to regain their mobility to block errant pitches and also be better equipped to throw out base Steelers. In 2019 and 2020, 73.8% of all stolen base attempts were successful. This season,

that number's gone up to 78.8%. Well, that's not a huge increase. It's not insignificant. And I have to believe that this kneeling catching stance has at least partially affected that number. I hope this is just a fad, just like those stupid openers from a couple years ago. At least with runners on base, with the base is empty, by all means, do anything you need to do to save your knees and your back. But with runners on, I think you've got to go back to the crouched. Just my opinion, gang. But I want to end this segment on a high note.

It was a win, so I'm going to go back and talk about Chris Flex in a bit more. This was his fourth start of the season and his third good one. His second start was a clunker. We're not going to talk about that. His third start was the game where Zach Granky just utterly dominated the Mariners. Even though Flection was very good, his first start was certainly a statement to the league that he'd be a pitcher to watch the rest of the way out, and his last start on Saturday reinforced that statement.

He was just short of masterful. He mixed his pitch as well. He was aggressive in the strike zone with his first. four seamer and his cutter. He had that curveball working. He located everything well. This was a completely different pitcher than the one who pitched for the Mets a few years ago. He's confident, which is huge, and he's got the ability. Especially with James Paxton being lost for the season, flex and stepping up his game and turning in performances like that is going to be huge this season. He's proven that his first great start of the year was not a fluke and that he is a legitimate

big league pitcher. was very skeptical of this signing, especially since it was a major league contract and not a minor league deal. But he's making Jerry Depoto and the Mariners Scouting Department look like geniuses. He has come up aces in three of his four starts, and I think he's going to have a very good season the rest of the way out. The Mariners have found themselves a diamond in the rough. Have you got a question or a comment that you would like addressed on this very show? send on email to Lockdown Marries at gmail.com, and I will address it on this very show

in a future mailbag segment next week at the latest. Questions and comments on any subject are welcome and encouraged. It need not be about baseball. Coming up, what can I say about Sam Haggerty that I haven't said already? How about Blurp Blap Snorkelsnerk? No, that doesn't make any sense.

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Thank you once again, Joey Martin. The Ultimate Mock Draft D. presented by Locked On, and Odyssey is happening now. Featuring analysis from NFL experts Michael Irvin, Jason LaConfora, and Brian Baldinger. Our local experts from every team making trades and picking the next stars of their team. Search the ultimate mock draft 2021 on the new Odyssey app or wherever the hell you choose to get podcasts. Odyssey is your audio home for all the sports podcasts, music and news that Matter to you. Yes, I'm talking to you, Guy in the Maroon Honda Civic driving on I-90.

That's A-U-D-A-C. Y. D.C. Lundberg here talking about the final three games of the four games set in Boston. Meriters took games one and three, ensuring that they would not lose the series, which was a good thing because Nick Margievich just looked terrible in game four. beyond just not having it terrible. He couldn't locate any of his pitches. He had no feel for his curveball. It had no snap or break to it whatsoever. Something was very, very off. And he lasted only a third of an inning.

During which time he walked four, including two with the bases loaded. He threw 32 pitches, only 13 of them were strikes. In his previous start, he was removed with arm fatigue. After this game, it was announced that he would undergo and MRI once the team arrived in Houston ahead of its four-game series against the Astros, which begins this afternoon. Margot felt fine in his bullpen session the other day, but bullpens and game action

very, very different. He was obviously not okay, and the team is saying that he once again has shoulder fatigue. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best when those MRI results come in a few days from now, or very shortly, I should say. Drew Steckinrider came in to clean up the mess in the first inning, but he hit the first man he faced. Bases were loaded at that point that forced in another run, the Red Sox fourth of the inning, all of which were charged to Margo. Shaggy then induced a groundball double play to end the nightmarish inning, and he was also relatively shaky in the second.

He began the inning by issuing two consecutive bases on balls, then an RBI double to Zander Bogartz. Raphael Dever's also tried to score on this play, but he got himself caught in a rundown between third and home, and was eventually tagged out. This play was Telegram Sam's first outfield assist in the major leagues. Backing up a bit, though, the game actually started out rather promising. Mitch Hanager and Ty France hit back-to-back doubles to get the festivities underway, with France's scoring Manninger for a very quick one-nothing lead.

That was it, though, the top of the first, then the bottom of the first happened, then the bottom of the second, and the M's found themselves down five to one, and the game felt as if it was over already. However, Casey Sadler pitched two scoreless innings, and L.J. Newsom then came in and pitched four very good innings, allowing only two hits and striking out four. He's the prime candidate to take Margot's spot on the rotation, should Margevich's need to be out for a while. Newsom was also the only meritor pitcher yesterday not to issue a base on balls. Margo walked four, Shaggy walked two, and Sadler walked one.

Meanwhile, after allowing those two doubles to begin the game, Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez, settled down and pitched very well. He allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings while striking out eight. The M's got their two other runs in the fifth, and it was the bottom of the lineup coming through. Telegram Sam Haggerty, who got the start in left field, opened up the fifth with a ground ball single up the middle. Tom Murphy doubled him home, good to see it from Murphy,

as he has been struggling mightily at the plate this season. Following Murphy's double, J.P. Crawford hit a double of his own to plate Murphy, and the Ms were back in the ball game at 5 to 3. That would be the end of the scoring, however, as the Ms went quietly after that, but it was very good to see the bottom of the lineup producing once again. Telegram Sam has seemingly hit his way into the lineup, as I mentioned earlier. He had a very good series, and he just makes things happen. He can hit for contact.

He blasted a home run earlier in the series, pardon me, over the green monster. He's got some sting in his bat, and he's disruptive on the base paths. A guy like him is an asset when he can get on base because of his speed and his ability to steal bases. It can get into a pitcher's head to the point where he's not completely focusing on getting the hitter out at the plate, which can lead to some mistakes.

It also forces the pitcher to throw more fastballs, meaning the hitters following telegram, Sam, are getting better pitches to hit. Ditto J.P. Crawford. Mitch Hanager's batting average went up when Crawford started getting on base more consistently. That is not a coincidence, ladies and gentlemen. Having Crawford and Telegram Sam at the bottom of the lineup makes the top of the lineup just that much better. Back to Haggerty, though. In the Red Sox series, he started the last three games, played the final couple of endings on Friday, and went six for 11, and his batting average went from 154 to 270.

Since going over 12 in his first three games, he's hitting 400 since then and has collected at least one hit in all but one of the games in which he started. And remember, gang, he was a waiver claim last January prior to the 2020. season. With Taylor Tremel continuing to struggle, Haggerty got three starts in left field and could also spell Dylan Moore at second base if Moore continues to struggle. He could give Crawford a blow at shortstop if need be. He can play third and he can also play center field. But with Tremel and Kyle Lewis both on the active roster, that's more than likely not going to be needed. Scott Service likes to ride the hot hand, so to speak, and right now Telegram Sam is that hot hand. So I would be very surprised if he's not in the starting lineup this evening in Houston.

Bobby's all right. He's a natural-born poet who's just at his sight, but Telegram Sam, he's my main man. I'm not on social media anymore, ladies and gentlemen, but if somebody listening to this wants to tweet at the Mariners and Kevin Martinez, the Mariners director of marketing, and suggests that the M's use Telegram Sam as Sam Haggardie's walk-up music, I'd appreciate it. The chances of the Mariners actually doing that are akin to my chances of throwing a perfect game on the PBA tour. But it would be worth a shot, especially you fans of classic rock out there listening. One final note on Telegram Sam.

He attended J.K. Mullin High School in Denver, Colorado. And among the five players who have reached the major leagues from J.K. Mullen High School, four of them at one point played for the Mariners. and the only one who didn't played two games for the 1974 New York Yankees before the Mariners existed. In addition to Telegram Sam, Mark Holzomer's from that high school,

played for the Mariners in 1997, I believe. Mike Trujillo played for the Mariners in the 80s, as did Clint Zavarez, another pitcher. Just kind of an odd note that I found really interesting about Telegram Sam's high school. As mentioned earlier, the Mariners begin a four-game set in Houston this afternoon. Justice Sheffield will get the nod for the M's,

while Jose Irkidi will tow the rubber for the trash can bangers. Game time is 5.10 p.m. in Seattle and Spokane, 7.10 p.m. in Houston. Erkidi has faced the Mariners this year on April 16th. He was opposed by Yuckechee in that game. He went 5 and 2 3rds innings, allowed two hits, pardon me, two runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 7. and threw 90 pitches in those 5 and 2 thirds, so he wasn't real efficient.

Justice Sheffield will be making his fourth start of the season and his first against the Astros this year. That'll be all for this Monday edition of Locked-on Mariners. Tomorrow we will be talking about the first game in Houston. Joining me will be Princess Toadstool, Beaker, and a shoelace. Please remember to download, rate, and follow Locked-on Mariners. Look for also on any podcasting app that you like. Leave a rating and review of your podcasting app of choice so allows.

Thank you very much for listening to today's show. A split of the four-game series in Boston is certainly nothing to sneeze at, gang. The Astros have gotten some of their key pieces back that were out of commission when they played in Seattle, so this is going to be another tough four-game set. I'll be back tomorrow to recap the first game. Until next time, have a great day. This is Joey Martin for Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network.