April 30, 2025 • 17 mins
Legendary writer Larry Stone joins Dave Softy Mahler and Hugh Millen to talk about the Mariners getting another series win with their victory today, the offense continuing to be on fire, Jorge Polanco leading the way and what his future is, plus the starting pitching.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone, brought to you by the RAM Restaurant and Brewery, Bigger,
better and fresher since nineteen seventy one, with eight fugit
Sound locations from Marysville to Lacey and everywhere in between.
There's a Ram there you now with Softy and Dick,
here's Larry Stone.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
All right, big thanks to the RAM for sponsoring this
shin dig every single Wednesday at five o'clock on the
radio show. And I know about you, Hughey, but it's
so much more fun when the Mariners are winning. It's
amazingly more fun.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Indeed it is. I know a guy that agrees with that.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Our friend Larry Stone with us on the radio show
courtesy of the RAM.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
How are you pal?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
I'm doing good. How are you guys doing?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
We're good? We're good.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
So why don't we just start at the top of
the mountain and work our way down? Jerry Depoto about
a month and a half ago.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Offensive team? Is he right? Do the Mariners have a
good offensive team?
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Larry?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We're a month's in. Are you ready to proclaim that
the Mariners good offensive team? Have a good offensive team.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Well, I look at the lineup softy, and it shouldn't
be the case. They had three guys who started the
year in Tacoma and pat e seventh, eighth, and ninth tonight.
But you look at the stats in their top ten
and virtually every important category in top five in some
of them. So they're performing like a good offensive team,
(01:21):
and I guess that makes them a good offensive team.
I really think that whatever clicked last year when Edgar
took over at the same time that Dan Wilson took over,
has carried over to this year. And there's a definite
change in approach. They're not striking out as much, they're
walking a lot more, they're putting the ball in play,
(01:43):
and it's paying off. I mean, they look like a
really good offensive team. And until I see otherwise, I
mean there are you could see definite warning signs, the
guys who are playing way over their head and the like.
But I think they're going to be better than we
ever thought they would be.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
ALT say that, well, we've been having fun with the question,
all right, are you buying this offense?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
So I'm going to present it to you like this.
Speaker 5 (02:08):
You know, the kp out of never know why they
didn't call it CP, but KP is closest to the PIN.
So if I had to say to you, Larry Stone,
at the end of the year, out of thirty teams
you have to hit, you have to guess exactly where
they will rank the Mariners offense and run scored, your
answer would be what.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
I'll say about twelve, okay, which you know, if the
pitching had stayed intact, that would have been more than
enough to a division title team. But now they've lost
sixty percent of their starting pitching and you know Bryce
Miller who knows. So I think they need that. They
(02:48):
have to be that kind of offense to get where
they want to go.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah, they were twenty first a year ago and run scored.
Now they're on pace for eight hundred and twenty one runs,
which Larry would have put them third year ago. So
even going from twenty first to twelfth, there is a
massive jump. And I mean, let's be honest, Kyle Roley's
doing his thing. We're still kind of waiting for Julio
to get going. JP has been pretty damn good, good
bounce back for him so far, I think from last year.
(03:13):
But the story of the year, and maybe the story
in the American League is Hora Polanco. I mean, this
is just unbelievable what this guy is doing. So three
ninety four with a twelve ninety four ops against Righty's
why don't you just take the floor and take a
few minutes to talk about your thoughts on what we're
seeing from Horey Polanco.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah, first, let me just say one thing. JP Crawford's
doing more than pretty good. He's got He's rocking a
four to twenty three on these percentage is absolutely sensational.
I mean, he's he's he's without Polanco, he's their most
valuable offensive player, I think. But yeah, I think you
had asked me on the very first show who my
(03:55):
breakout candidate was, and I said, Jorge Polonko. The David
foot season started, and then he hit a home run
on opening day, and I think I texted you and
said and gloated a little bit. But yeah, but time out.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
A second time out because you picked a guy that
was freaking terrible a year ago.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
There's only one way for him to go, and that
was up, Larry. That's kind of cheating, don't you think.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Do you think anybody expected him to be anything but
terrible again this year.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I'm on your side, Larry. I'm with you, Larry. You
can gloat a little bit premature. It might be premature,
but you can glow for now.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yeah for now. Well, opening Day was definitely premature. But
I mean he's healthy now. He's actually not, which is
kind of weird. But I don't think he's as bad
off as he was last year. You know, he's been
a good player throughout his career. Last year was the aberration.
(04:54):
I think people forget that that he was an All
Star type guy. He had a thirty three homer season,
he had a five one hundred plus slugging season, regularly
slugged above four fifty. So this was a good player
who we got the worst here in Seattle last year.
And I you know, now we're seeing the kind of
player he could be. And I think you know Edgar
(05:15):
and Kevin Seitzer got his hands on him and changed
his approach, his stance. He's far less open stands than
he had last year, which he says has been the difference.
I know you've been debating about whether he should but
just you know, play against left handed pitchers because it
(05:37):
can't for now bat right handed. I don't think so.
I think you just you don't mess with it. I
think he's going to be back getting right handed soon enough.
I wouldn't mess with what he's got going on right now.
I think he can. So far, they've been able to
get by without, you know, with him sitting against the
rare occasions they face a left handed starter. So I
(05:57):
just think we're seeing a closer version of what poor
hey Polanco really is.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
There's someone with this.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Let's stay there because I'm intrigued by by your thoughts
about this, this stance with the left handedness. Uh so
he so he doesn't have pain? Is if when he's
hitting left handed, does he ever earn the right to say, hey,
let's try and and have you go against a lefty?
Does he want that? Does he say, hey, I don't
(06:26):
want to go against lefties. I don't want to hurt
my stats, Like, like, how does this play out? How
should this play out? You're saying, just wait until he's
healthy enough to hit from the other side of the plate,
But does he ever earn the right to to maybe.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Go against a lefty?
Speaker 4 (06:42):
You know, I think if he's convicted that he wants
to do it. I think he has earned the right.
But being that I am retired and no longer i'm
going to the park to check on things like that,
I can't definitively tell you what the talk has been
and what he's been his stance on that has been,
(07:05):
but the fact that he hasn't done it leaves me
to believe that he's okay with not. I think, you know,
you've spent your whole life looking at a pitch from
a certain angle, you know, never having to face the
same handed pitcher because you're a switch hitter. I would
just be afraid that if suddenly he is standing up
(07:26):
there left handed against a left handed pitcher, an orientation
that he's not used to, I think it could mess
up his mechanics and what he's got going on right now.
You know, I know there are some switch hitters who
give up switch hitting, but he's made a career out
of it, and I don't think it makes sense to me.
(07:49):
According to Daniel Kramer, who I just he had a
note yesterday that he started taking batting practice right handed,
which leaves me to believe that it's not that far
off until he's go back into a game right handed.
So I would I would just ride the hot hand
and just play him against the right handed starters.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Yeah, no, I get it.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
You know, look, I mean I looked it up and
I was actually not, I guess shocked, but I'm slightly
surprised that the guy has had over four thousand plate
appearances in his career, Larry, only one of them has
come as a lefty versus a lefty, and only one
other has come as a righty versus a righty. So
he has been on the opposite side of the plate
(08:29):
every single back for the most part of his major
league career.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
So I totally get that. But let me throw something
just stupid at you.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
And this will sound stupid because of where we were
when they resigned the guy. And again, you know, my
take was, hey, look, you want to bring him back,
bring him back, but he cannot be your biggest free
agent ticket that you signed over the offseason. They had
to do more. That was my attitude. You want to
bring him back and get Alonzo, You want to bring
him back and get Kyle Tucker and get Bregman. Okay, great,
(09:01):
but what ticked me off is that this was their
biggest investment over the offseason. At seven point five million dollars.
The third base thing is now officially over. That was
a joke when it started. The guy can't play third,
and he's never going to play third because Williamson's that
guy now. But this is a month in he's raking
the ball. He's a free agent when the year's over.
(09:22):
How long does this have to continue before the Mariners
approach this guy about bringing him back for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Well, I don't think there's any urgency to do that.
Maybe the All Star break something like that. I think
it's it's too early to lock them up, you know,
considering his health history and everything. Let's you know, I'm
sure their stances. Let's see where this goes. But I
agree with your main point there that that should not
have been their main addition. And you look at the
(09:54):
first baseman now are hitting with even with Solano getting
four hits in his last three games, maybe starting to
break out of the season long slump, but their first
basement are hitting a accumulative one with a two twenty
seven on base percentage and a two ninety three slugging percentage,
which is abysmal for an offensive position. I mean that,
(10:19):
you know, the corners were just crying out for them
to get a legitimate bat. Now everyone wanted Justin Turner
or Carlos Santana. I look them up today and they're
they're pretty bad. Turner has basically got the same numbers
as done of Van Solano, and Santana is a little
bit better, but his OPS is under six hundreds. So
(10:41):
you know, people were disappointed they didn't get those guys,
but that might have not been the answer anyway. But
so you know, I don't think Alonso was ever a
legitimate possibility, but I think we all would have liked
them to see them at least make a run at it,
or Christian Walker or somebody like that. But I don't
think they, in their wildest imagination they thought that Jorge
(11:05):
Polanco was going to do what he's been doing. I
think that's just a stroke of luck for them. But
then now you know they're going to have to address
the first pace situation. Then they've got Tyler Locklear at
Takomans who's hitting sweet thirty for the Rainiers with the
ops over nine hundred. So I think it's about time
to give him a look too, and maybe maybe he
(11:29):
could give him a jolt like Williamson did when he
came up.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Yeah, Larry Stone with us courtesy of the RAM And
I actually didn't realize this because they spend so much
time talking about routing. Talas was a free agent for
six months and there's a reason why he was sitting
out there. You realize he's had a negative war in
four of his last five years in Major League baseball,
and now he's your starting first basement. So, I mean, honestly,
how much longer does the rowdy Tells experiment last?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
You think, Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I I mean,
he had those huge hits in Toronto, though you know
they had homered in each game. He hit that grand
Slam that won that game, looked like he you know,
that showed what the potential for him is. But we
have haven't seen much of that. I haven't seen hardly
anything from Solano. I would expect almost any time now
(12:19):
to see Locklear, especially since he's just tearing up the
Pacific Coach League. It just makes sense. You can't have
a first base position that's as unproductive as this one
has been for a team that has designs on winning
the division.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Larry Stone with US Larry finished this sentence.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
So I'm loving what the Manners are doing thirty games
into it, but I'm non at my fingernails because I'm
concerned about you just said at first base. I'm concerned
about first base and what's.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Finish. Yeah, that's an easy one, Hugh. I never thought
i'd be saying this. But the starting pitching, uh, you
know everybody, Yeah, I mean Kirby is out. Uh, you know,
they expect him back soon. But until he's back, you know,
he hasn't even thrown a pitch other than a simulated
(13:14):
game in two months. Who knows what's going to happen
when he gets on the mound and pitches for real,
which he's going to probably do real soon in Tacoma,
Logan Gilbert. Everyone's you know, pretty optimistic about the initial
results of the MRI, but for you know, you hear
the word words forearm, stiffness, you get very, very concerned.
(13:34):
And so I don't think. I don't think he's out
of the woods, and we probably won't see him for
at least a month, even under the best of circumstances.
Bryceon Miller has complained of soreness recently. Last start. You know,
he gutted his way through five shoutout innings, but he
was not sharp at all. He hasn't been sharp all year,
and you know, I think there's some concern there too.
(13:56):
So that's sixty percent of rotation. Uh. You know, we
all assume that at the trade deadline they would have
to add a bat, but you know, I think there's
a scenario where they may have to add a starting pitcher.
The two kids have done real well, Logan Evans and
and Hancock. You know you had that stat about five
(14:19):
and two in the games they started. That was after
starting off oh and tow the first two. You know,
Hancock got ripped and then the other Testillo didn't do
well his first start, but then they won every game since.
So you know, did you just wonder how long that's
going to keep up. I think I think Hancock's are
very capable rotation fill in. I don't know about Evans yet.
(14:42):
He could be if they if they pitch well, that
will mitigate what I just said. But I just having
that from from being that dominant starting rotation where you
felt good every day, I just have concerns about that
being the case this year.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
So you're telling me that They got lucky with the
injury factor with the rotation last year, and we should
not count on that happening again this year. Okay, yeah,
you're right, because it's not happening again. I mean, this
is so ridiculous. This is exactly what we talked about
over the offseason. They can't count on these guys staying
healthy as a fivesome the way they did a year ago.
And it started before the season even began because Kirby
(15:21):
hit the IL and now Logan Gilbert is banged up
and Bryce Miller's got some back issues, so that is frustrating.
But hey, they're getting carried by their offense, man, which
you were hoping to see and now you're seeing it.
But Larry Stone with us and Larry before you go,
I don't know how much of the NFL Draft you
watched over the weekend. You can put your old Times
columnists hat on here for a second. The story was
(15:44):
obviously Shador Sanders. It's amazing how Colorado and Dion and
Schadur were a major talking point throughout the college football season,
and they were the biggest talking point over the weekend
with the draft. What did you make of the reaction
to the reaction to the reaction of Shador Sanders falling
to the fifth round, some people saying there was racism involved.
(16:07):
There's this major delta between what this person sees on
tape and what that person sees on tape with Shador.
What'd you make of that whole storyline over the weekend?
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Then, Yeah, it was fascinating to see it unfold and
kind of horrifying in the same way I felt, you know,
I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, as I
know he brought a lot of it on himself, but
to see somebody drop that precipitously, you know, there there
was a little bit of empathy there. But you know,
(16:37):
I think it's you know, there's so many theories, as
as you said, but I just think it's the case
of him not being as highly rated, being rated as
the first round quarterback, and then not wanting the hassle
that comes with the whole Sanders family, you know, in
(16:57):
a backup quarterback, and I think that pushed him down.
And then you year how he came off in his
interviews and pro days and all that, you know, didn't
comport himself that well and turned a lot of teams off.
And you put all that together, and I think teams
just didn't want to mess with the spectacle and and
(17:20):
so you just saw him drop and drop and drop.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Larry, great stuff. Always appreciate this. Thanks for doing it.
And we're talking a week my friend.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
All right, thanks guys.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Look Larry Stone with us on the radio show Man
We're got to break. There's lots happening around the NFL
and none of it really has anything to do with
the NFL. I'll explain next on ninety three three KJRFM.
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone, brought to you by the RAM Restaurant and Brewery, Bigger,
better and fresher since nineteen seventy one, with eight fugit
Sound locations from Marysville to Lacey and everywhere in between.
There's a Ram there you now with Softy and Dick,
here's Larry Stone.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
All right, big thanks to the RAM for sponsoring this
shin dig every single Wednesday at five o'clock on the
radio show. And I know about you, Hughey, but it's
so much more fun when the Mariners are winning. It's
amazingly more fun.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Indeed it is. I know a guy that agrees with that.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Our friend Larry Stone with us on the radio show
courtesy of the RAM.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
How are you pal?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
I'm doing good. How are you guys doing?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
We're good? We're good.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
So why don't we just start at the top of
the mountain and work our way down? Jerry Depoto about
a month and a half ago.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Offensive team? Is he right? Do the Mariners have a
good offensive team?
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Larry?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We're a month's in. Are you ready to proclaim that
the Mariners good offensive team? Have a good offensive team.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Well, I look at the lineup softy, and it shouldn't
be the case. They had three guys who started the
year in Tacoma and pat e seventh, eighth, and ninth tonight.
But you look at the stats in their top ten
and virtually every important category in top five in some
of them. So they're performing like a good offensive team,
(01:21):
and I guess that makes them a good offensive team.
I really think that whatever clicked last year when Edgar
took over at the same time that Dan Wilson took over,
has carried over to this year. And there's a definite
change in approach. They're not striking out as much, they're
walking a lot more, they're putting the ball in play,
(01:43):
and it's paying off. I mean, they look like a
really good offensive team. And until I see otherwise, I
mean there are you could see definite warning signs, the
guys who are playing way over their head and the like.
But I think they're going to be better than we
ever thought they would be.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
ALT say that, well, we've been having fun with the question,
all right, are you buying this offense?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
So I'm going to present it to you like this.
Speaker 5 (02:08):
You know, the kp out of never know why they
didn't call it CP, but KP is closest to the PIN.
So if I had to say to you, Larry Stone,
at the end of the year, out of thirty teams
you have to hit, you have to guess exactly where
they will rank the Mariners offense and run scored, your
answer would be what.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
I'll say about twelve, okay, which you know, if the
pitching had stayed intact, that would have been more than
enough to a division title team. But now they've lost
sixty percent of their starting pitching and you know Bryce
Miller who knows. So I think they need that. They
(02:48):
have to be that kind of offense to get where
they want to go.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah, they were twenty first a year ago and run scored.
Now they're on pace for eight hundred and twenty one runs,
which Larry would have put them third year ago. So
even going from twenty first to twelfth, there is a
massive jump. And I mean, let's be honest, Kyle Roley's
doing his thing. We're still kind of waiting for Julio
to get going. JP has been pretty damn good, good
bounce back for him so far, I think from last year.
(03:13):
But the story of the year, and maybe the story
in the American League is Hora Polanco. I mean, this
is just unbelievable what this guy is doing. So three
ninety four with a twelve ninety four ops against Righty's
why don't you just take the floor and take a
few minutes to talk about your thoughts on what we're
seeing from Horey Polanco.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah, first, let me just say one thing. JP Crawford's
doing more than pretty good. He's got He's rocking a
four to twenty three on these percentage is absolutely sensational.
I mean, he's he's he's without Polanco, he's their most
valuable offensive player, I think. But yeah, I think you
had asked me on the very first show who my
(03:55):
breakout candidate was, and I said, Jorge Polonko. The David
foot season started, and then he hit a home run
on opening day, and I think I texted you and
said and gloated a little bit. But yeah, but time out.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
A second time out because you picked a guy that
was freaking terrible a year ago.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
There's only one way for him to go, and that
was up, Larry. That's kind of cheating, don't you think.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Do you think anybody expected him to be anything but
terrible again this year.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I'm on your side, Larry. I'm with you, Larry. You
can gloat a little bit premature. It might be premature,
but you can glow for now.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yeah for now. Well, opening Day was definitely premature. But
I mean he's healthy now. He's actually not, which is
kind of weird. But I don't think he's as bad
off as he was last year. You know, he's been
a good player throughout his career. Last year was the aberration.
(04:54):
I think people forget that that he was an All
Star type guy. He had a thirty three homer season,
he had a five one hundred plus slugging season, regularly
slugged above four fifty. So this was a good player
who we got the worst here in Seattle last year.
And I you know, now we're seeing the kind of
player he could be. And I think you know Edgar
(05:15):
and Kevin Seitzer got his hands on him and changed
his approach, his stance. He's far less open stands than
he had last year, which he says has been the difference.
I know you've been debating about whether he should but
just you know, play against left handed pitchers because it
(05:37):
can't for now bat right handed. I don't think so.
I think you just you don't mess with it. I
think he's going to be back getting right handed soon enough.
I wouldn't mess with what he's got going on right now.
I think he can. So far, they've been able to
get by without, you know, with him sitting against the
rare occasions they face a left handed starter. So I
(05:57):
just think we're seeing a closer version of what poor
hey Polanco really is.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
There's someone with this.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
Let's stay there because I'm intrigued by by your thoughts
about this, this stance with the left handedness. Uh so
he so he doesn't have pain? Is if when he's
hitting left handed, does he ever earn the right to say, hey,
let's try and and have you go against a lefty?
Does he want that? Does he say, hey, I don't
(06:26):
want to go against lefties. I don't want to hurt
my stats, Like, like, how does this play out? How
should this play out? You're saying, just wait until he's
healthy enough to hit from the other side of the plate,
But does he ever earn the right to to maybe.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Go against a lefty?
Speaker 4 (06:42):
You know, I think if he's convicted that he wants
to do it. I think he has earned the right.
But being that I am retired and no longer i'm
going to the park to check on things like that,
I can't definitively tell you what the talk has been
and what he's been his stance on that has been,
(07:05):
but the fact that he hasn't done it leaves me
to believe that he's okay with not. I think, you know,
you've spent your whole life looking at a pitch from
a certain angle, you know, never having to face the
same handed pitcher because you're a switch hitter. I would
just be afraid that if suddenly he is standing up
(07:26):
there left handed against a left handed pitcher, an orientation
that he's not used to, I think it could mess
up his mechanics and what he's got going on right now.
You know, I know there are some switch hitters who
give up switch hitting, but he's made a career out
of it, and I don't think it makes sense to me.
(07:49):
According to Daniel Kramer, who I just he had a
note yesterday that he started taking batting practice right handed,
which leaves me to believe that it's not that far
off until he's go back into a game right handed.
So I would I would just ride the hot hand
and just play him against the right handed starters.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Yeah, no, I get it.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
You know, look, I mean I looked it up and
I was actually not, I guess shocked, but I'm slightly
surprised that the guy has had over four thousand plate
appearances in his career, Larry, only one of them has
come as a lefty versus a lefty, and only one
other has come as a righty versus a righty. So
he has been on the opposite side of the plate
(08:29):
every single back for the most part of his major
league career.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
So I totally get that. But let me throw something
just stupid at you.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
And this will sound stupid because of where we were
when they resigned the guy. And again, you know, my
take was, hey, look, you want to bring him back,
bring him back, but he cannot be your biggest free
agent ticket that you signed over the offseason. They had
to do more. That was my attitude. You want to
bring him back and get Alonzo, You want to bring
him back and get Kyle Tucker and get Bregman. Okay, great,
(09:01):
but what ticked me off is that this was their
biggest investment over the offseason. At seven point five million dollars.
The third base thing is now officially over. That was
a joke when it started. The guy can't play third,
and he's never going to play third because Williamson's that
guy now. But this is a month in he's raking
the ball. He's a free agent when the year's over.
(09:22):
How long does this have to continue before the Mariners
approach this guy about bringing him back for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Well, I don't think there's any urgency to do that.
Maybe the All Star break something like that. I think
it's it's too early to lock them up, you know,
considering his health history and everything. Let's you know, I'm
sure their stances. Let's see where this goes. But I
agree with your main point there that that should not
have been their main addition. And you look at the
(09:54):
first baseman now are hitting with even with Solano getting
four hits in his last three games, maybe starting to
break out of the season long slump, but their first
basement are hitting a accumulative one with a two twenty
seven on base percentage and a two ninety three slugging percentage,
which is abysmal for an offensive position. I mean that,
(10:19):
you know, the corners were just crying out for them
to get a legitimate bat. Now everyone wanted Justin Turner
or Carlos Santana. I look them up today and they're
they're pretty bad. Turner has basically got the same numbers
as done of Van Solano, and Santana is a little
bit better, but his OPS is under six hundreds. So
(10:41):
you know, people were disappointed they didn't get those guys,
but that might have not been the answer anyway. But
so you know, I don't think Alonso was ever a
legitimate possibility, but I think we all would have liked
them to see them at least make a run at it,
or Christian Walker or somebody like that. But I don't
think they, in their wildest imagination they thought that Jorge
(11:05):
Polanco was going to do what he's been doing. I
think that's just a stroke of luck for them. But
then now you know they're going to have to address
the first pace situation. Then they've got Tyler Locklear at
Takomans who's hitting sweet thirty for the Rainiers with the
ops over nine hundred. So I think it's about time
to give him a look too, and maybe maybe he
(11:29):
could give him a jolt like Williamson did when he
came up.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Yeah, Larry Stone with us courtesy of the RAM And
I actually didn't realize this because they spend so much
time talking about routing. Talas was a free agent for
six months and there's a reason why he was sitting
out there. You realize he's had a negative war in
four of his last five years in Major League baseball,
and now he's your starting first basement. So, I mean, honestly,
how much longer does the rowdy Tells experiment last?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
You think, Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I I mean,
he had those huge hits in Toronto, though you know
they had homered in each game. He hit that grand
Slam that won that game, looked like he you know,
that showed what the potential for him is. But we
have haven't seen much of that. I haven't seen hardly
anything from Solano. I would expect almost any time now
(12:19):
to see Locklear, especially since he's just tearing up the
Pacific Coach League. It just makes sense. You can't have
a first base position that's as unproductive as this one
has been for a team that has designs on winning
the division.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Larry Stone with US Larry finished this sentence.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
So I'm loving what the Manners are doing thirty games
into it, but I'm non at my fingernails because I'm
concerned about you just said at first base. I'm concerned
about first base and what's.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Finish. Yeah, that's an easy one, Hugh. I never thought
i'd be saying this. But the starting pitching, uh, you
know everybody, Yeah, I mean Kirby is out. Uh, you know,
they expect him back soon. But until he's back, you know,
he hasn't even thrown a pitch other than a simulated
(13:14):
game in two months. Who knows what's going to happen
when he gets on the mound and pitches for real,
which he's going to probably do real soon in Tacoma,
Logan Gilbert. Everyone's you know, pretty optimistic about the initial
results of the MRI, but for you know, you hear
the word words forearm, stiffness, you get very, very concerned.
(13:34):
And so I don't think. I don't think he's out
of the woods, and we probably won't see him for
at least a month, even under the best of circumstances.
Bryceon Miller has complained of soreness recently. Last start. You know,
he gutted his way through five shoutout innings, but he
was not sharp at all. He hasn't been sharp all year,
and you know, I think there's some concern there too.
(13:56):
So that's sixty percent of rotation. Uh. You know, we
all assume that at the trade deadline they would have
to add a bat, but you know, I think there's
a scenario where they may have to add a starting pitcher.
The two kids have done real well, Logan Evans and
and Hancock. You know you had that stat about five
(14:19):
and two in the games they started. That was after
starting off oh and tow the first two. You know,
Hancock got ripped and then the other Testillo didn't do
well his first start, but then they won every game since.
So you know, did you just wonder how long that's
going to keep up. I think I think Hancock's are
very capable rotation fill in. I don't know about Evans yet.
(14:42):
He could be if they if they pitch well, that
will mitigate what I just said. But I just having
that from from being that dominant starting rotation where you
felt good every day, I just have concerns about that
being the case this year.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
So you're telling me that They got lucky with the
injury factor with the rotation last year, and we should
not count on that happening again this year. Okay, yeah,
you're right, because it's not happening again. I mean, this
is so ridiculous. This is exactly what we talked about
over the offseason. They can't count on these guys staying
healthy as a fivesome the way they did a year ago.
And it started before the season even began because Kirby
(15:21):
hit the IL and now Logan Gilbert is banged up
and Bryce Miller's got some back issues, so that is frustrating.
But hey, they're getting carried by their offense, man, which
you were hoping to see and now you're seeing it.
But Larry Stone with us and Larry before you go,
I don't know how much of the NFL Draft you
watched over the weekend. You can put your old Times
columnists hat on here for a second. The story was
(15:44):
obviously Shador Sanders. It's amazing how Colorado and Dion and
Schadur were a major talking point throughout the college football season,
and they were the biggest talking point over the weekend
with the draft. What did you make of the reaction
to the reaction to the reaction of Shador Sanders falling
to the fifth round, some people saying there was racism involved.
(16:07):
There's this major delta between what this person sees on
tape and what that person sees on tape with Shador.
What'd you make of that whole storyline over the weekend?
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Then, Yeah, it was fascinating to see it unfold and
kind of horrifying in the same way I felt, you know,
I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, as I
know he brought a lot of it on himself, but
to see somebody drop that precipitously, you know, there there
was a little bit of empathy there. But you know,
(16:37):
I think it's you know, there's so many theories, as
as you said, but I just think it's the case
of him not being as highly rated, being rated as
the first round quarterback, and then not wanting the hassle
that comes with the whole Sanders family, you know, in
(16:57):
a backup quarterback, and I think that pushed him down.
And then you year how he came off in his
interviews and pro days and all that, you know, didn't
comport himself that well and turned a lot of teams off.
And you put all that together, and I think teams
just didn't want to mess with the spectacle and and
(17:20):
so you just saw him drop and drop and drop.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Larry, great stuff. Always appreciate this. Thanks for doing it.
And we're talking a week my friend.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
All right, thanks guys.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Look Larry Stone with us on the radio show Man
We're got to break. There's lots happening around the NFL
and none of it really has anything to do with
the NFL. I'll explain next on ninety three three KJRFM.
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