If you’ve only recently discovered Bleeding Blue and Teal, then you wouldn’t know that we got our start over on Blogger/Blogspot at the URL theseattlemariners.blogspot.com.  While all of the posts from that site were transfered over before we launched bleedingblueandteal.com on April 22, 2008, the formatting is kind of funny on some of them and they’re difficult to sort through since they are not put into categories like the new posts.  For that reason I decided to dig up some of my favorite posts from the old site that went beyond the daily headlines, reformat them and make an easy to navigate list of them here.  If there are any posts from the old site that you really enjoyed that you think should be on here, shoot me an email and I’ll add it.

Bench Johjima! - April 12, 2008

Opponents hit .272 against Felix Hernandez when caught by Johjima, but only .243 when backup Jaime Burke is behind the plate or .209 when Yorvit Torrealba was catching him. Need more proof?

Should RRS Relieve O’Flaherty? - April 10, 2008

Perhaps the most important stat to look at is this: hitters hit .396 against O’Flaherty in “close and late” situations, and only .214 against Rowland-Smith. One caveat is that O’Flaherty has faced 61 hitters in these situations while Rowland-Smith has only faced 15, but either way O’Flaherty hasn’t been effective enough. In order to succeed in his current role he needs to be nearly unhittable with the game on the line, but O’Flaherty pitches much better historically earlier in the game.

Player Profile: Roy Corcoran - April 9, 2008

Roy Corcoran hasn’t spent the majority of his pro career in the minors because he hasn’t been ready, he’s just been blocked by other very good players. The same thing happened to him this spring and it took an injury to get him to the bigs. Corcoran could prove to be a nice surprise for the Mariners. He’s been a closer for the majority of his very successful minor league career logging 78 career saves. The guy is fearless and is going to challenge hitters for quick outs.

2008 Bullpen Competition - February 20, 2008

Brodie Downs, RHP – Downs never pursued baseball after high school. Instead he went to work full time and occasionally played in local beer leagues, where he caught the eyes of scouts in Southern California. They urged him to quit his job and start playing at Modesto Junior College, which he did, and he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners 705th overall in last years draft. Now 28, Downs is attending his first big-league camp after pitching well in his first pro half-season in which he posted a 2.51 ERA in 25.1 innings between rookie ball, AA and AAA. He has two pitches deemed major league ready, including a “heavy” sinking fastball and slider. Pair that with the stellar work ethic he processes and you have all the makings of Seattle’s next great success story. The organization knows he is already in his prime years, so they will give him every opportunity to make the big club out of Spring Training.

Q&A with Shannon Drayer - January 31, 2008

Drayer: Guillen had a leadership style we haven’t seen in the clubhouse in a long time. He was a butt kicker. I don’t think there are any other butt kickers, but there are different leaders that are important in different ways. Without question, JJ has grown into a leader, and from what I understand, he can be rather vocal at times. Mostly with the bullpen, but he is also a good team guy. Carlos Silva insists that he is vocal. He told us to look for him to be very animated on the bench in games that he is not pitching in. Ichiro believe it or not, felt more comfortable speaking up last year. Raul is a quiet leader, but the first one most guys go to when they are struggling. Willie Bloomquist has been known to speak up and has also been very helpful with the younger players. Adam Jones credits him with showing him the ropes. Willie is also the union rep. I don’t think leadership is a problem on this team.

Bedard to Seattle: Important Precedent - January 19, 2008

It’s July 31st, 1989 and the Minnesota Twins are 51-53 after finishing 91-71 the year before, and are just two years removed from winning the World Series in ‘88. With a weak pitching staff that was in dire need of rebuilding, general manager Andy MacPhail traded away the Twins lone starting pitcher sensation; a 29-year old Cy Young Award winner by the name of Frank Viola. The trade involved sending Viola to the Mets for starting pitchers Rick Aguilera, David West, and Kevin Tapani as well as relief pitchers Jack Savage and Tim Drummond.

M’s Issue Non-Roster Invites - January 17, 2008

Philip Barzilla and Roy Corcoran could surprise some people as well. Barzilla has pitched fairly well over the last seven seasons in the Houston organization, but has only logged a third of a major league inning. Being left handed is an advantage, and he would definitely benefit from a George Sherrill departure, though there appear to be better pitchers in front of him. Corcoran, most recently of the Marlins organization, has also pitched in seven minor league seasons with a very nice 3.11 ERA and 9.39 K/9, but hasn’t been unable to put it together in his 16 appearances at the major league level.

Bedard: A Baltimore Perspective - January 13, 2008

Growing up about a half hour from Baltimore I’ve always known the Orioles to be synonymous with pitching just as the Ravens are with defense. I hear the tales of legends like Jim Palmer, Mike Flanagan and Scott McGregor. I remember going to ballgames and seeing the likes of Mike Mussina, Scott Erickson and Jimmy Key. But at the turn of the millennium the Orioles organization seemed to lose touch with its identity and shifted the focus to hitting.

Clement vs. Johnson vs. Moore - January 7, 2008

Taking a quick look at the stat sheet, it is easy to be impressed by Moore’s 2007 numbers. He hit .307 with 22 home runs and 102 RBIs in 433 at bats for High Desert. Some great stats, but keep in mind that he was playing his home games in the most hitter friendly ballpark of the very offensive California League. I’ve seen him compared to Michael Barrett offensively, and we should be able to better tell where he stands after next season.

Minor Matters: Robert Rohrbaugh - December 15, 2007

Rohrbaugh has, in scout-speak, three plus pitches as well as one developing pitch. His fastball comes in at the 87-93 range and he uses it well to set up his curve and slider. He is also fast developing a plus-plus changeup that is quickly becoming his best pitch.

Save George Sherrill! - December 7, 2008

How long can the Mariners sustain bullpen dominance if they trade away their second best reliever every season? The second worse trade in Seattle history happened last season, when Bavasi dealt dominant setup man and current Atlanta closer Rafael Soriano for a broken down non tender candidate named Horacio Ramirez. While Bedard is no HoRam, I think that Mr. Bill Bavasi needs to try and keep George Sherrill out of the deal.

Introducing Matt Mangini - December 7, 2008

Defensively, Mangini is said to have an above average arm and is fairly agile for a big guy. His worst enemy is the bunt, but that is something he can improve on. He’s no Adrian Beltre in the field, more of a Troy Glaus type. He could be destined for first or DH later in his career.

Jones vs. Wlad, Briefly - December 6, 2007

You look at the title and you the words “no competition” may come to mind. However, Erik Bedard trade rumors got me thinking about this, and my opinion may surprise you. The current offer to the Baltimore Orioles for ace Erik Bedard is unknown, but it contains one of Adam Jones or Wladimir Balenien, possibly both. If the Mariners can get by without losing both of them, who stays?

Home Grown Team - November 27, 2008

The Seattle Mariners have had winning teams with self-produced talent. In the mid-to-late 1990s the Mariners had teams built around home grown guys like Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey and Tino Martinez, and players that came to the Mariners as young, raw talent like Randy Johnson, Jay Buhner and Dan Wilson. Those were the players we loved, because we could only picture them in a Mariner uniform. It’s the visions of Ken Griffey sliding across home plate after the famous Edgar Martinez double, while Alex Rodriguez starts the mob. It’s Dan Wilson jumping onto the Big Unit’s lanky frame, while Johnson points to the sky. Having teams built around these types of players are what turn casual fans into diehard fans.

Jones/Clement Value - November 21, 2007

So who really is more valuable? A five-tool outfielder in a league where some teams have two of those in the same outfield, or a power left-handed bat in your lineup at a typically unstable position? There are many outfielders in every single draft with the same potential as Adam Jones, let alone guys available out of Latin America and, to a lesser degree, Japan. Offensively equipped catchers are harder to find.