In this area’s refresher course of a pennant race, two words have been bugging me where it concerns the Seattle Mariners.
Horacio Ramirez.
Is there a future in the rotation for a team smack in the middle of a red-hot pennant race for Ramirez, he of the 7.12 ERA that Jiffy Pops up to 13.50 on the road?
And remember. The road is where Ramirez is scheduled for four of his next five starts.
It’s Hannibal Lecter insane. At Safeco Field, Ramirez is 6-0, with a 3.24 ERA. Away from home, he’s struck out 14 and walked 17 in 251/3 innings. In his second start on April 21, the Angels unloaded on him for six runs in four innings in a game that Ramirez walked six and struck out one.
On May 3, the Red Sox lit him up for seven runs in four innings. The Tigers matched that total May 8, but it took them 52/3 innings to do it. The Rangers bulldozed him with eight runs and 11 hits in 42/3 innings July 23.
Holy Jeff Weaver!
Ramirez notched his first road victory against the Orioles on Thursday, but it should come with an asterisk bigger than the one behind Barry Bonds’ name. One, the win came against the Orioles, whose team picture is listed in Webster’s Unabridged under “shipwreck.” Two, even as beached as they are, the Orioles ripped Ramirez for seven runs in five-plus innings. Only by the grace of Baltimore’s moribund relief pitchers did Seattle make up for Ramirez’s disaster.
Most damaging to him was Miguel Tejada’s grand slam in the third inning. That came after an incensed Ramirez didn’t get a call on a checked swing by Nick Markakis and ended up walking him to load the bases.
Tejada can blast anyone out of the park, but I can’t help but wonder whether Ramirez’s mind wasn’t still on Markakis.
This can’t help in the M’s fight with the Angels for the AL West title. Then we have a barroom brawl for the AL Wild Card that involves the Mariners, Yankees, Tigers, Indians, Blue Jays and Twins.
So what’s the answer?
Second-guessers are wailing that general manger Bill Bavasi didn’t make a move for a starting pitcher before the trading deadline. Well, neither did 28 other general managers. And no contender made a move for a starter. The reason: There wasn’t much out there.
Only one starting pitcher was traded – right-hander Matt Morris from the Giants to the Pirates.
Other calls involve trading Richie Sexson before Aug. 31 for a starter, just as a stopgap to get through the pennant race. But not many teams are looking for a power guy who hits around .200. Then there’s the issue of Sexson’s contract, which pays him $14 million this season and has a year remaining. That doesn’t excite anybody but Sexson.
The Padres recently cut ties with veteran David Wells, which may have given Bavasi cause for a second look. But Wells is 44. He was 2-2 with a 7.04 ERA in five July starts and 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in two August outings. If that doesn’t stamp “DONE” on Wells, I don’t know what does.
If the M’s choose to make a move within the organization, a logical candidate might well be Ryan Feierabend. While he had a few good starts with the M’s this year, he doesn’t offer anything more than Ramirez at this stage of his career.
A wild idea I heard was to convert Brandon Morrow from a reliever to a starter. He eventually will work as a starter later in his career (possibly as soon as next season), but this isn’t the time. Morrow has established his value as a long reliever. To make such a desperate move at this stage would likely come at the expense of the kid’s arm. No manager in his right mind (or otherwise) would even consider it.
So where does that leave the Mariners? Probably sinking or swimming with Ramirez. Send him out there and close your eyes.
Is it a worry? Absolutely.
But what’s a pennant race without hyperactive sweat glands?
Sports columnist John Sleeper:sleeper@heraldnet.com
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