Well, Jarrod just had a rough inning, but he is not looking to the bullpen for help. He knows there isn’t much out there tonight.
M’s need to get back on top in this one. The A’s are injury ridden and the M’s finally should be in a place where they can take advantage of something like that. Of course it would be a lot easier if they had a bullpen.

Enjoyed my day in San Francisco. Had no idea how to pack because I didn’t quite believe it would be 86 as forecasted. It wasn’t in the city where we stay, but it was close in Oakland. Got out for a walk, did some shopping (big shoe sale at Macys) then sat in Union Square and enjoyed some sun while reading a book. Have seen a lot of the Mariners wives on this trip as I usually do. San Francisco is a very popular city for them too.

Tomorrow I will be checking out some galleries as there are a bunch right around the hotel. The one across the street is having a Joan Miro, who I like, showing. Typically the galleries here show (and sell) a lot of Miro, Chagall, Picasso, Warhol, and Dali. A lot of the galleries are showing pop art right now. That’s new.

Oh yes, and I will be hitting the Beard Papa location down the street. Beard Papa is a Japanese franchise bakery that sells just cream puffs. Not just any cream puffs, fantastic cream puffs! They have different varieties but I just stick with the classic vanilla cream. The website bills them as being healthy because they are baked fresh and use all natural ingredients. I don’t buy the healthy claim for one minute, they are cream puffs for goodness sakes! I have no problem with feeling guilty for having one. There are about 300 stores in Japan from what I understand and just a handful in the US. There is not a location as of yet in Seattle, but to my delight last week a member of the Japanese media who covers the Mariners ran up to me with a Beard Papa napkin saying “Shannon, they are here, they are here!” Turns out they are being tested at Safeco Field. If you like sweets, check them out at the Rice and Roll on the main concourse. Be warned, they are carrying ballpark prices in the ballpark.

On to baseball. The clubhouse was still buzzing about yesterday’s losing pitcher Jamie Burke. Burke enjoyed the experience but is clearly not happy that he could not get the team the win A win would have been spectacular but what we got was still a good thing for the team. They really came together in cheering and laughing at a favorite teammate. It was a loss, it was extra innings and late meaning that they were losing off time in San Francisco where several had wives waiting for them, but still, it was all smiles in the clubhouse. Many pointed out that a lot of guys really gave everything for the team in that game, a game that in the scheme of things, in the position the team is in, probably didn’t mean a whole lot. The fact that the guys came through made this game mean much more. Between that and Clements two home runs the previous day, there were plenty of feel good moments, something this team and its fans sorely needed.

As for the clubhouse today, well a lot of things going on. Felix got a thorough work out with trainer Rick Griffin which included some ankle testing bunt fielding drills and side to side work. He is on track to start Friday which isn’t soon enough for him. He is going nuts not pitching. (Late addition here, was going over this before sending it after the game and Felix plopped down in the seat next to me. “What are you doing?” he asked as he looked at the computer. “Writing.” I told him. “I wrote about you.” I showed him this paragraph and when I got to the part of him going nuts he exclaimed “Yeah!” and punched a fist into the air.)

Saw Raul Ibanez having a long conversation with Yuni at his locker. The team is leaning on Raul and Adrian to be influences on him. I have said before that he has not grown into the player that many think he should have. I think work ethic plays a big part of this. He is not big on extra or early work. He just doesn’t seem disciplined (and I am talking strictly on field here, I know very little of his personal life) in anything he does. Crazy swings, mental lapses, an unwillingness to show up early and work on these things. I just don’t think he gets it. I am not sure he knows how good he could be or how important he could be to this team. The alarming possibility is that maybe he just doesn’t care. Maybe he is happy with his level of play. Regardless, Raul and Adrian have been working on him. Watch for it if you are at a game. The Raul stuff you may see in batting practice, but Adrian, is always in his ear. Just tonight after Yuni and Lopez almost collided going for a fly ball, Lopez started to say something to him but Adrian put a finger up in front of his face to stop him and turned to Yuni and had words. It looked like he was telling him what he should have done. This stuff goes on all the time.

What else. Talked to Kenji today, in English. Actually had some of it on Beyond the Baselines. He was saying that he too wanted to pitch last night. If he would have come in it would have been all breaking balls “No fastball,” he said. “All breaking balls. Curve, slider, whatever.” I asked if he had ever pitched before. “Never,” he told me. “Too scary. I would have to wear my equipment. Line drive, not good!” It was a fun exchange with a guy who has been miserable. Kenji wants to play every day. He understands the situation but doesn’t like it. The good thing is, with his unhappiness he could easily be a distraction. That has not happened.

A couple of funny sights today. When the team went out to stretch and did their run back and forth, Carlos Silva did one with a laughing Lopez on his back. Silva didn’t even look like he was breathing hard when he put him down. Strong guy. If catchers can pitch can first basemen catch? For some reason Jamie Burke was showing Richie how to get into the crouch and flash the signs. A 6’8 catcher no doubt would be a first.