Well, the Mariners are in about the worst shape that a team can be in, especially since they were picked by many to win the AL West.  I am still not betting against them, since teams have been in worse shape at Memorial day and still rallied back, but its hard to see that at this point.  The team President gave some assurances to the GM and the Manager yesterday, before the team lost to the Yankees in a blow-out.  This John Hickey article is mostly game story, but the Raul Ibanez quotes are interesting.  First, its interesting to see another team where few players are “available to speak” so for Mets fans, you can see that it isn’t just a problem in New York.  Ibanez points out that there are guys”getting pulled aside and talked to” which is one way of saying the manager is doing his job, its the players that aren’t.  Carlos Silva pointed out that if a player “isn’t embarrassed sometimes, its because [he] doesn’t care.”  And that’s a good point.  Can a manager make a guy care that doesn’t?  That’s the question. Hopefully, the leadership issues in Seattle get solved a bit, but quotes like Hickey got throughout the story seem to point to a few guys who are willing to stand up. Its a very different story then anything being written in New York about the Mets, and some of that is because the Mariners are a relatively newly put together team and the Mets players have been together for 3+ years by and large.  Its harder to change the leadership dynamic in the clubhouse under those circumstances.  What happens if the Mets lose today, and Willie is has his meeting in New York tomorrow will be interesting.  Perhaps a seismic shift happens in that clubhouse.  It sounds like one may be brewing in the Seattle clubhouse for sure.

Omar Vizquel will, assuming the Giants play today, tie Luis Aparcio’s record for most games started as a short-stop.  He already has the longest streak of gold-gloves at short.  Aparacio, following in the line of Chico Carrasquel, was the last great Venezuelan short-stop inducted into the Hall of Fame.  With my childhood favorite, Dave Concepcion following Aparcio, Vizquel found the position of shortstop as a child.  Most likely he will be the next great Venezuelan shortstop to make it to Cooperstown.   By the way, all wore number 13, and so if you see a shortstop wearing number 13, most likely he is from Venezuela. Alex Rodriguez might be the exception.