Players of the Past: Michael Garciaparra

The first time I had ever heard about Michael Garciaparra was when I watched his more popular brother, All-Star Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. After I dug inside a little more to discover a little more about Michael through Minor League Profile sections of 2002 Mariner Magazines, I found that the potential of this Michael Garciaparra was virtually unlimited. Some scouts (even some Red Sox scouts) said that he would be as good, or better, as his superstar brother.
Despite a knee injury that limited his playing time during his senior season at St. Bosco High School, the Seattle Mariners made him the 39th player drafted overall in the country (as compensation for losing Alex Rodriguez to the Texas Rangers). Little known fact: The Mariners were afraid the Red Sox was going to nab him (could you imagine him and Nomar as a SS/2B combo?!), before they got a second chance to pick, so Seattle took a gamble and made him their #1 pick in the 2001 amateur draft. There was a block in the road for Seattle though. Michael had already made plans to attend University of Tennessee. With the help of a lucrative signing bonus worth $2,000,000, he eventually did sign with Seattle that fall and reported to the Arizona Fall League. "(Nomar) told me it better be a good number because college was an opportunity that was hard to pass up," Michael said, "My family helped me out a lot, but ultimately it was my decision to make." 
 In 2003, though, it was not a lot of fun being Michael Garciaparra. The shortstop was coming off his first full-length season in the minor leagues, and it was a miserable one. Fifty errors, among the most in all of professional baseball. An anemic season at the plate: .248 average, two home runs, an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of just .603. Some had already declared Garciaparra a bust, a scrawny guy with no track record on whom the Mariners wasted a first-round draft pick -- not to mention the $2 million signing bonus -- based on his last name.

Michael Garciaparra, circa 2003

"I've been through some of the worst stuff I can think of when I was younger," Garciaparra, said in 2006, while playing for the Tacoma Rainiers [Mariners Triple-A Affiliate]. "A lot of people have to experience failure, and I failed a lot when I was younger. "
"I've been through some low times, and I'm better for it."
In 2006, he was a lot better. Though he's missed a fair amount of time with injuries (sprained wrist in 2004, knee injury in 2005, calf strain in 2006), Garciaparra made steady progress, added 40 pounds to his frame and was once again a full-fledged top prospect. He batted .298 at high Class A Inland Empire in 2005 and .311 between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A Tacoma in 2006.

"It took Michael awhile to get some strength to his body," said Bill Bavasi, then the General Manager of the Seattle Mariners "Also, I think it's taken him some time to figure out what kind of player he is, instead of trying to mimic his brother. He's found his own way to be successful and he's stuck with that." (Note: That's probably the smartest thing Bill Bavasi ever said, as he is considered one of the most inept GM's in not just Mariner history, but in baseball history!)
Though it's natural for anyone to want to emulate an older brother who is a six-time All-Star, it was key for the younger Garciaparra to quit trying to be the second coming of Nomar.  His hard work paid off and eventually, on June 20th, 2006, Michael Garciaparra made his MLB debut batting 2nd in the lineup & playing shortstop against older brother Nomar and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. When Michael was introduced by the Public Address System, he was given a standing ovation from the Dodger fans. Then Michael got his first Major League hit, a bloop single into center field off of pitcher Brad Penny. After hitting .313 in his rookie season with 3 home runs & 17 runs batted in, Michael was sent down and he never returned to the Major Leagues. He was never given another chance by another team.

The Sad Truth of the 1997 Seattle Mariners

If the 1995 Mariners were the most fulfilling Seattle sports team of the '90s, then the 1997 Mariners were the most disappointing, by far. In all honesty, the 1995 Mariners were inexperienced when it came to postseason play. But for this '97 Mariners team, there was just NO EXCUSE for failure. The whole sports world was picking the Mariners to finally win their first World Series in their 20th season of existence and I do mean everyone, from Keith Olbermann to Derek Jeter. This Mariners team had Ken Griffey Jr., by far the best baseball player of the 1990s, the best left-handed pitcher in baseball in Randy Johnson and they had a 22 year old shortstop named Alex Rodriguez, who was just oozing with potential. The Mariners, offensively, hit 264 homeruns. But what this team didn't have was a good pitching staff, aside from Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer and, believe it or not, Jeff Fassero. In 1997, the Seattle Mariners won 90 games but they blew 27 games during the regular season, even if they win 15 of those, they win 105 games and have the best record in baseball. Manager Lou Piniella finally blew his lid (What's new?) in July after relief pitcher Bobby Ayala blew a nine run lead in Oakland against the Athletics. On July 31st, the Mariners made a trade they would ultimately regret: They sent first-year relief pitcher Derek Lowe & catcher Jason Varitek to Boston for pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb (Lowe and Varitek would, of course, be members of the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship team). Slocumb, believe it or not, helped out as best he could. But he, along with Mike Timlin and Paul Spoljaric, who were also acquired in another highly controversial trade for Jose Cruz, Jr. (a.k.a. Griffey's Protégé) raised Lou's blood pressure several thousand notches each game by leaving opposing runners on base. The Mariners did make the playoffs in 1997, but they did not win the World Series, in fact they won only one playoff game (Game 3 of the Division Series in Baltimore against the Orioles, thanks to Jeff Fassero which is a phrase you do not hear that often), but Slocumb nearly blew that one too! The Mariners were eliminated from the playoffs the very next afternoon. We had one shot to change the irritating perception that Seattle was not a baseball town and we blew it... and by "we", I mean the clown car of Heathcliff Slocumb, Bobby Ayala, Bob Wells, Paul Spoljaric, Mike Timlin & a past-his-prime Norm Charlton, who later said "It's our [the bullpen's] fault that Varitek and Lowe were traded." That was the best shot the Mariners had, as they traded Randy Johnson & Ken Griffey Jr. to Houston & Cincinnati, respectively, and Alex Rodriguez left to go bankrupt the Texas Rangers & tarnish his legacy by using steroids.

The Mariners have made a trade! Here's what I think about it...

A portion of this entry was taken from Yahoo.com. 
Four days after the World Series ended, the Seattle Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays completed a six-player swap Thursday night. Seattle sent infielder-outfielder Brad Miller, first baseman Logan Morrison and pitcher Danny Farquhar to Tampa Bay for pitchers Nathaniel Karns and C.J. Riefenhauser, and minor league outfielder Boog Powell.

 ''We've talked to the Rays pretty consistently close to the last four weeks,'' Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said. 

What I think about it:  Holy crap! This Dipoto dude sure has some balls trading away two good, but inconsistent, left-handed hitters for two (potentially) good pitchers and a (potentially) great, young, outfielder who can run. The Mariners needed a potentially great outfielder who can and, yes, he can Powell hit...just not for home runs (he hit three all of last year in the Minor Leagues between Montgomery & Durham). But, to be honest, home run power isn't a problem for this team because Seattle has Nelson Cruz, who is one of the top home run hitters in baseball! So this Mariner trade MAY work out for both sides for once, not just for the other team.

Does winning the World Series still count if you beat the New York Mets?

Around this time nine years ago, the Royals had just wrapped up a third straight 100-loss season, were the laughingstock of baseball and, adding insult to injury, had a pathetic farm system [and you thought that this year's Mariner team was bad!]. Then the Royals hired Dayton Moore, a man with an extensive player development background. For example, he was with the Atlanta Braves during the majority of their run of 14 consecutive playoff appearances [and a World Series title in 1995]. Anyways, since, 2006, the Royals Win-Loss Record has improved each year because of this one reason: They developed players that, individually, you wouldn't think much of them, but when they are put together as one team, they are an incredible ball club. I cannot give any one example because they are all the same. So, does winning the World Series still count if you beat the New York Mets? Yes it does, don't be stupid. Congrats Kansas City, you finally have a baseball team 30 years in the making!