Halama, Edgar and Bell Have A Fine Time

April 10, 2001

First of all, I have to mention how much I love this evening's homeplate umpire, who, unlike the one of last Saturday's game, does not take a century to call a ball or strike. So anyway, we don't do anything exciting in the first inning, except that Mike Cameron singled and Edgar Martinez walked, but the excitement was soon cut short with a double play. Oakland's Johnny Damon manages to reach on an infield hit, but they can't do anything with it. No score after one. And I'm not really sure what the deal was, but both managers were out on the field at one point, and there was a little party on the pitching mound between coaches and players and I have absolutely no idea why and neither did the announcers although now would be as good a time as any to mention how Dave "Voice of the Mariners" Niehaus and Ron Fairly were discussing free agency and how it was "nice for the players" but how they didn't like it when they had a guy on their team that was going to be eligble for it who they got behind and supported and were pulling for and were really hoping said free agent would be sticking around and then seeing them playing for another team the next year and I think WE ALL KNOW who THAT little conversation was about.

Oakland's uniforms, ugh.

Top of the second, Bret Boone singles! Hooray! Al Martin hits into a double play. I startle my cat with a very bad word. Carlos Guillen walked after about 500 pitches in a sweet at-bat. Dan Wilson got a hit. David Bell singled, Guillen scored. Hooray again! Ich "I Only Go By My First Name" iro made an out. Oakland's pesky shorstop gets a hit, but at least it wasn't a grand slam this time, and John Halama, who is looking mighty fine this time out, sits the next three down no problem. 1-0 Mariners after two.

Top of the third and I'll just give you the highlights: To the plate steps Edgar "I'm Goin' Yard" Martinez who does just that and I actually said outloud, "You're about due to park one, Edgar" right before he hit that, you can ask my cat. Of course, I also said that when he came up with the bases loaded against Texas on Sunday, and it didn't happen then, so I probably won't be going professional with my psychic abilities just yet. John Olerud singles, but we end up coming away with only one.

Halama then retires the side in order. 2-0 Mariners.

Nothing much happened in the fourth, fifth or sixth although they flashed to Jay "Laura's Hero" Buhner in the dugout and said very nice things about him and how can you not? Other than that and me noticing that Oakland's pitcher had his tag sticking out of his shirt and I thought it would've been nice if someone would've fixed it for him, that about does it there.

Top of the seventh. Guillen walked. Dan sacrificed him to second. David made an out. David would also make an outstanding play from the seat of his pants to get an out during this game, and boy was it spectacular; he is one of the best defensive third baseman I have ever seen. But, I digress. One on, two away. Ichiro singled, Guillen scored. Cammie went down swinging. Then come the ever-annoying A's. Halama walks Jose Ortiz. Jason Giambi, who always makes me nervous at the plate, hits a foul ball that Al Martin manages to not catch. I say very bad words. My cat tears out of the room. Jason ends up making an out. Olmedo Saenz singles. Runners on 1st and 2nd. Enter Jeff Nelson for Halama. Jeff walks Tejada. Bags full. Then he strikes out Adam Piatt, who got a little lippy with the ump over it. Enter Arthur "Artie to Laura" Rhodes for Jeff. Artie walks in a run. I swear. Then Artie gets the next guy swinging like I knew he would. 3-1 Seattle after seven.

Eighth we do nothing, and the A's have a lead off double from Ramon Hernandez, but they can't score him. Top of the ninth. Guillen doubles. In the oddest sacrifice I may have ever seen in my life, Dan tries to bunt but pops it a little down the firstbase line, only nobody catches it. They get in his way as he tries to run. Guillen gets to third, and Lou Piniella argues interference (which it most definitely was, thank you very much) on Dan's behalf because the Oakland guy, Jennings or something, was totally in his way but we lost that argument, so there's one down. David reached on an infield single that I'm pretty sure was an error on 6 but I'm sure David will gladly take the hit and the shortstop will gladly not take an error but the pitcher probably thought that really sucked. Ichiro walked. Cammie hit a sac fly, Guillen scored, David moved to third, and somehow Ichiro got to second, and I must say I don't think I've ever seen that before, somebody getting to second on a sac fly hit to right, and all I can say is MY GOD HE IS SPEEDY. They of course intentionally walk Edgar, but then they accidentally walked Olerud who was probably all "thanks for the RBI", since that forced in a run, and then Boone K'd. Bottom of the ninth started off a little crazy as Kazu hit Tejada and managed to take out the ump at the same time and the ump was just lying there for awhile and I was thinking to myself "please don't bring in the guy from last Saturday who took 75 years to call a ball or strike" but he turned out to be okay, and then Kaz gets Jeremy Giambi to hit into a double play, and then he walks a guy, but then he gets the next one and all is right with the world as the Mariners win it, 5-1.

And speaking of things being right with the world, I pulled this little gem from an article by Ken Peters: "One Texas player who hasn't been hitting well is Alex Rodriguez, whose $252 million, 10-year contract is the richest in sports. Booed loudly by the Anaheim crowd of 42,784 every time he batted, Rodriguez went 0-for-4 to drop his average to .258, with no homers and three RBIs." I guess Seattle and New York aren't the only places he's managed to irritate with that farce of a contract, and I daresay Anaheim won't be the last.

And one last thing, on a delightful side note: "The Athletics walked Edgar Martinez four more times, for eight this season. While it sounds bizarre, it's not bad strategy considering he is 9 for 11 (.818) when they pitch to him." -Bob Finnigan, Seattle Times staff reporter. He also mentions that the one time they DID pitch to him during this game... he launched it into the stands for a solo. Sweet.