Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners, April 12th 2011

Live Event #1

Safeco Field

My first ballgame of the Major League season was an encounter between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners on a cold Tuesday night. in the Pacific Northwest. This was my 11th trip to Safeco Field; by far the ballpark I have attended the most so far in my life as a baseball fan. Safeco is by any standard, a great place to watch a ballgame but it would be only 32% full on Tuesday night. Some of the empty seats can be blamed on the less than pleasant weather but relevant or not, this sparked a discussion between my friend Jeremy and I about small market teams and big market teams. We agreed that Safeco was probably too big (it has never recorded a sellout for a Mariners game), and that the dip in attendance was clearly a direct result of the Mariners recent struggles. The Mariners cannot compete financially with the likes of the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Phillies but their inability to attract marquee free agents should not completely destroy their likelihood for success. The playing field is not even and nor should it be. A small market team must be managed in a different manner than a team that plays in a larger metropolitan area. The Mariners are committed to a youth movement and while it may not be as attractive an option as signing big name free agents, it is a reality of the small market team.

Michael Pineda on the mound

Highly touted prospect RHP Michael Pineda made his home debut for the Mariners against LHP Ricky Romero. I was excited to watch Pineda pitch, all indications are that he will eventually mature into an elite pitcher; he didn't disappoint. The striking characteristic about Pineda is his size. At 6'7'', 260 lbs, he has a visible presence on the mound. He immediately began challenging the Blue Jays hitters with a high 90's fastball (he topped out at 99 mph and consistently hit 96 mph), and he did an exceptional job establishing the count in his favor early, leaving the game with a 24-6 first pitch strike/ball ratio. The Mariners gave Pineda an early 3-0 lead following a two run home run courtesy of Ryan Langerhans and an RBI single from Milton Bradley in the third inning. The second time through the order, Pineda began making more use of his slider (consistently clocked in the mid 80's), which cuts violently into the hands of left handed hitters, and his changeup (also clocked in the mid 80's). Pineda didn't show any fatigue as he continued deep into the game, still hitting 97 mph in the 7th inning. The only blemish on the 22 year old's Safeco Field debut was a two run single (only one run was earned), that he gave up with one out in the 8th inning. Pineda left the game with 7 strikeouts, two walks, and one earned run, in like for his first Major League victory. Personally I was genuinely impressed by Pineda's performance. He showed veteran chops and his powerful build lends me to believe he is slightly less susceptible of suffering a significant injury. However, he does not throw a curveball or a similar off speed pitch, which could be a cause for concern once opposing hitters get accustomed to his delivery and can sit on a fastball. That being said, I do like his chances of making an impact for the Mariners this season and eventually developing into a household name and a notable player for Seattle in the future.

Michael Pineda video from 04/12/11 win over Blue Jays

Jays LHP Ricky Romero

Ricky Romero pitched well but he was not nearly as electrifying as Pineda. He pitched 8 innings and struck out 8 but he was not particularly sharp against a weak Mariners lineup. Wednesday's series finale was a day game and will be documented tomorrow.