Seattle

In three days time we should know, at least that's what we were told to expect.

Or perhaps not, according to Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn (via Seattlepi.com):

'(Stern) informed me then that he does not expect a decision out of the NBA Friday — that’ll be sometime after the meeting that we’ll get a decision made,' McGinn told reporters Tuesday at an impromptu news conference in front of KeyArena. 'So don’t expect something Friday; that’s what I heard. But they will tee-up the decision by the Board of Governors within a week or two after that.

Yet for as much as I would like to believe that the powers that be at the NBA will sort out and render a final verdict on the ownership of the Sacramento Kings some time in the next two weeks, I still have some doubts.  

On the other hand, when you think about it, the whole situation seems to be unfolding rather quickly when you consider that it was only back in January that Chris Hansen agreed to buy the Maloofs' 65 percent controlling interest in the Kings.

But even while Hansen continues to sweeten the pot with another $25 million, will it be enough?

Then again, is money even an issue anymore?

I suppose I'm just getting a little antsy while feeling like we've been here before. 

Who could forget waiting back in June 2008 for U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman to hand down a decision on whether the Sonics would stay or not in their fight over the lease at Key Arena?  Only to have the city sell out to Clay Bennett just hours before the verdict was to be announced.

I'm still more than a little bitter about the fact we never got to know the verdict, but this time, for better or worse, we should get an answer. 

Right now, it would seem to come down to two votes from all the owners, the first in which Hansen needs a three-fourths majority to approve the buy, followed by a majority to green light the move to paraphrase Nick Eaton at the seattlepi.com. 

But does today's delay change anything?

The more time that this decision takes, the more I'm inclined to believe that the NBA is giving the city of Sacramento the opportunity to work out a deal, as Tony Bizjak and Dale Kasler at the Sacramento Bee reported, "The news came minutes after the Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said his investment team is ready to submit a bid to buy the team that it believes can win favor with both the NBA and the Maloof family."

That seems like a strange coincidence, doesn't it?

Meanwhile, in Seattle we keep waiting for someone, somewhere to yell, "Pencils down!" but today is just another instance where commissioner David Stern refuses to do so.  

It's a bit of a helpless feeling right now twisting in the wind, but I can sympathize with how the folks in Sacramento are probably feeling in having been there five years earlier. 

In many ways, the situation reminds me of the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me," where Sacramento is dealing with this for the first time, while Seattle is dealing with it once again.   

I guess the question I will continue to ask myself in the coming days (and likely weeks) is: What happens if the shame does fall on Seattle this time?

Jerry Brewer at the Seattle Times believes, "If the NBA wants to return to Seattle, this isn't just the right time. It may be the only time," and goes as far as saying, "If Seattle does not get the Kings, then it needs the NBA to provide a clear path to another franchise, with a clear timetable."

However, I see that as wishful thinking. 

If this deal with this ownership group isn't good enough, then honestly, what more could Seattle do?

This group has dotted every "i" and crossed every "t" in getting this deal sorted. 

Would it help if they took down the Space Needle and replaced it with a statue of David Stern of the same height in it's place made entirely of 24 carat gold?

Joking aside, I'm just not convinced this game is ever going to end, and if it does, I get the feeling that it won't end well.

The meetings earlier this month should have set the stage for a decision at the end of this week, but instead we keep getting delays mixed with excuses.

While I fully understand this is no easy decision by any means, the time to make one needs to happen. 

Let's hope the powers that be choose wisely, because nobody likes to be made to look like a fool twice. 

Oh good, you're still here. 

I was afraid that everyone had decided to jump ship on the Seattle Mariners less than two weeks into the season. I often like to give things some time early on in the season before passing judgement, yet seeing and hearing the local chatter after a week or so started to get me a little concerned. 

Expectations were high coming out of spring training, so much so that a lot of fans hoped to see the M's make a push for a wild-card spot or, at the very least, get past .500 this season. 

Yet after the M's lost two of three against the Houston Astros in their first series of the season at home followed by a Felix Hernandez loss against the Texas Rangers shortly thereafter, the alarm bells (USS Mariner) started ringing to abandon ship (Lookout Landing).

The most telling post though came from Jeff’s Mariners Fan Blog over the weekend at seattlepi.com:

Of course you might want to read this blog a little more if I were to write a little more, but I’m thinking that after the last three years of demoralizing Mariners seasons I’m at best going to be a part-time Mariners Fan blog writer this year. And of course once again I welcome anyone out there in the cyber world who feels they have something to say about this ballclub to get a hold of me and we can arrange a way for you to write once or twice a week. If not it will be hit and miss as far as production here, sort of like our offense with this year’s Mariners.

That was fast—two weeks in and it's already come to this?

When I first read that, I was more than a little annoyed, but with each passing read I came to feel sad for Jeff and the thousands of other fans who probably read his post thinking, "I can't argue with the guy." 

I suppose it doesn't help that Seattle's entire starting outfield is out with both Mike Morse and Franklin Gutierrez hurting and Michael Saunders injured.  You have to figure that rookie starter Brandon Maurer's struggles in his first two appearances are a bit of a downer as well.  Or perhaps what it really comes down to is the fact that the young core of Dustin Ackley, Justin Smoak, Kyle Seager and Jesus Montero have all started their seasons ice cold. 

So yes, there's not a lot to smile about, but perhaps what we saw on Sunday should be taken as a step in the right direction for Maurer and the young quartet of hitters.

Hard to say, but after two weeks of play, the Mariners are pretty much where I expected them to be.  Some good, some bad, but ultimately a team with nearly as many wins as losses. 

Understand I'm not here to throw a bunch of cheesy euphemisms at you and tell everyone that the sun is still shining behind the clouds, so much as to remind everyone this is what a .500 ballclub looks like.

You have to take the good with the bad and realize the baseball season is a marathon.  So while things may not be going according to plan on all fronts, it's not like the team is 2-12 after this opening stretch of the season. 

If that were the case, then I could understand the angst and apathy a little bit more.  Right now it just seems a bit premature.  

This is a team that is still trying to figure out how all the pieces fit while dealing with some issues and injuries.  That's not to say that I'm entirely thrilled with how management has handled things, but what's done is done.      

So while it's great that Mike Morse is off to a solid start, it just goes to show that no matter what he does, he's going to need some help.  Even a solid outing by King Felix may not be enough some days.

To me that's part of the beauty of baseball.  One man does not make a team.

Ok, but what about the injury to Michael Saunders, the aches and pains of Morse and Guti and the demotion of Blake Beavan to the bullpen?

A month ago we had Jon Garland and Casper Wells on the roster and let them walk away for nothing.  Couldn't they have helped?

Perhaps, but I feel those points have been hammered home elsewhere, along with the trade for Aaron Harang (USS Mariner). 

So what exactly should we be looking forward to?

More of the same, to be blunt.  Performances that fall into the spectrum of good, bad and ugly, sometimes within the span of an inning.    

If that doesn't appeal to you, I'm sorry, but no one said rooting for this team would be easy.  For anyone who thought the Mariners would be socking dingers and pitching shutouts night after night while marching to a postseason berth, you might need to exercise a little more patience.  

Nevertheless, I think it's silly to have the level of angst we've been seeing so soon this season.  That's not to say we should ignore the problems and plow forward blindly so much as get over ourselves and give this crew a chance.     

If Ackley, Smoak and Montero are hitting less than .350 combined, Brandon Maurer has a 10+ ERA and the bullpen is still struggling come July, then sure, feel free to jump ship and find your way onto the Seahawks bandwagon just in time for them to kick off their season.

Until then, keep calm and carry on.

Felix is still Felix, Hisashi Iwakuma might be more than just a place-holder as the No. 2 pitcher in the rotation and the old men in the outfield are holding down the fort for now.  Beyond that, just hold your breath, close your eyes and make a wish.

Given some time and a little bit of luck, all may not be lost just yet. 

Rico Ramos' fight against Oscar Gonzalez was an opportunity for the Los Angeles boxer to prove that his recent losses were a fluke and to put himself in the position for bigger future fights, perhaps against a fighter like Nonito Donaire.  

Instead, Ramos lost to Gonzalez by an overwhelming unanimous decision in a fight in which he looked tired and overly cautious. 

With the exception of a brief flurry of activity in the fifth round, the first six rounds of the fight were largely uneventful until a nice combo ending with a left hook from Gonzalez sent Ramos to the mat late in the sixth.  Ramos, who had been content to let Gonzalez be the aggressor earlier in the fight, began pursuing Gonzalez with greater aggression in the seventh, but was not able to put together enough to slow his opponent.  

The fight came alive in the seventh with a long exchange of punches halfway through the round, and Gonzalez earned a slight edge over Ramos in most of the middle rounds. Ramos failed to capitalize on several counterpunching opportunities, instead darting in for brief combos before jumping back out into his defensive movements.

By the fight's end, Ramos was clearly exhausted and resorted to coming in close and tangling himself with Gonzalez, seemingly focused on avoiding a knockout.  At the final bell, Gonzalez immediately jumped onto the ropes to celebrate, while Ramos walked to his corner frustrated and without even pretending to believe himself victorious.  

Rico Ramos came to tonight's fight after losing his undefeated record in January 2012 with a loss to the emerging Cuban star Guillermo Rigondeaux, his first loss in 21 career professional fights, and taking another loss in January of this year to Ronny Rios. 

The 25-year-old Ramos almost certainly would have faced a higher-ranked opponent than Gonzalez had he defeated Rigondeaux, who will fight Nonito Donaire on April 13.  Ramos is the former WBA super bantamweight champion, a belt he won with his victory over Akifumi Shimoda in Atlantic City. 

Ramos represented the biggest fight yet in Gonzalez's career.  Gonzalez came into the fight with a 20-2 record and had yet to face a fighter of Ramos' caliber.  Like Ramos, Gonzalez had lost his most recent fight, a loss to Raul Hirales by unanimous decision.  His victory over Ramos should earn him consideration for future fights against the premier fighters in the weight class.  

The 10-round fight was held at the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Wash. and was broadcast on ESPN's Friday Night Fights series.

After spending the first week of the 2013 season in Oakland and Chicago, the Seattle Mariners will return home Monday night to take on the Houston Astros in their home opener.

It was an interesting road swing for the Mariners, as they finished 3-4 after splitting in Oakland and losing two out of three against the White Sox. Finishing around .500 on a road trip can be seen as a success for some teams, but one has to believe that the M's were disappointed especially after a 4-3 loss in extra innings against Chicago on Sunday.

Let's take a look at the positives and negatives from last week, and what to expect this week for the Mariners.

Positives From Week 1

Manager Eric Wedge was able to take away some positives from the trip, including two strong starts from Hisashi Iwakuma; who has settled in to the number two spot in the rotation nicely after a strong finish to last season.

King Felix was his normal self in the season opener against Oakland, but wasn't as strong in his second outing against the White Sox in which he was handed his first loss on the young season.

The trio of Stephen Pryor, Oliver Perez and Charlie Furbush helped carry the Mariners bullpen this week, as the three combined for 7.2 IP, no hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

Mike Morse provided all the fireworks the Mariners needed for the first week, hitting a team leading five home runs in the first seven games of the season.

Franklin Gutierrez also started strong for the Mariners, batting .304 with two homers while offering his gold glove caliber services in the outfield. Brendan Ryan was a pleasant surprise early, showing a much improved approach at the plate resulting in a .294/.400/.694 line.

Negatives From Week 1

Outside of Felix and Iwakuma, the rest of the Mariners rotation really struggled to find its way this week. Joe Saunders struggled mightily with his control which resulted in the Mariners first loss of the season. Brandon Maurer got to experience his first taste of the big leagues, and was welcomed rudely by an aggressive Oakland A's offense.

Maurer did make it through six innings, but not before allowing six earned runs and a pair of long balls. Blake Beavan earned a no-decision in the opener against the White Sox, but allowed five earned runs in five innings pitched.

The bullpen had its moments as well, as Mariners fans were wondering who the long relief candidate was in the bullpen when Saunders was chased early against Oakland. That man turned out to be Kameron Loe, who allowed two home runs in his first appearance against Oakland, and the walk-off home run against the White Sox on Sunday. Closer Tom Wilhelmsen was also a little shaky, walking four batters over two innings pitched last week.

Dustin Ackley was the biggest disappointment last week, finishing a meek 1-for-20. Raul Ibanez joined Ackley in the one-hit club, as he finished the week 1-for-11 with a double. Perhaps equally as disappointing were the performances of Jesus Montero and Justin Smoak. Both Smoak and Montero had very strong springs, but struggled last week going a combined 8-for-43 with no extra-base hits and eight strikeouts.

What To Look For Week 2

The biggest thing Mariners fans will be looking forward to this week is the debut of the new dimensions at Safeco Field. With new shorter fences, it'll be interesting to see how the offense of the Mariners will respond. Mariners fans have become accustom to anemic offenses over the last decade, and part of that can be attributed to the tough dimensions at Safeco.

On the other end of the spectrum, fans will have to see how the shorter dimensions will affect contact pitchers like Joe Saunders who now have a little less room to work with. Many thought the Mariners took that into consideration when trading Jason Vargas away to the Angles this offseason, so Saunders will have to hope the fences don't play as big a factor as some people may think they will.

The Mariners will also be getting their first look at new division "rivals," the Houston Astros. The Astros aren't the most talented team in the American League, or any league for that matter, but anyone who watched Justin Maxwell and Bud Norris clown the Texas Rangers on opening night will tell you that they still can not be taken lightly.

Monday will also mark the return of Phillip Humber, who just so happened to throw a perfect game the last time he pitched in Safeco. Also keep an eye out for the return of ex-Mariner Erik Bedard, who is scheduled to start game two of the series.

Seattle will also get its first crack at the Texas Rangers this season to end the week. The highlight of this series may come Friday night, as fellow countrymen Yu Darvish and Hisashi Iwakuma are scheduled to start.

Iwakuma has continued his impressive finish to last season with a pair of strong starts against Oakland and Chicago, while Darvish has been absolutely brilliant for the Rangers early this season. Remember, Darvish came one out away from a perfect game in Houston, so expect a lot of zeros on both sides on Friday night.

Projected Pitching Matchups for Week 2

Monday, April 8 - SEA (Saunders 0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. HOU (Humber 0-1, 1.59 ERA)

Tuesday, April 9 - SEA (Maurer 0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. HOU (Bedard 0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Wednesday, April 10 - SEA (Beavan 0-0, 9.00 ERA) vs. HOU (Peacock 0-1, 4.15 ERA)

Thursday, April 11 - SEA (Hernandez 1-1, 2.57 ERA) vs. TEX (Harrison 0-2, 8.44 ERA)

Friday, April 12 - SEA (Iwakuma 1-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. TEX (Darvish 2-0, 1.98 ERA)

Saturday, April 13 - SEA (Saunders 0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. TEX (Ogando, 1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Sunday, April 14 - SEA (Maurer 0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. TEX (Undetermined)