Dear Levi and Naomi,
I'm here to tell you one truth about life. I can't tell you all of them at once, but I think one truth once in a while can't hurt, right?
Here's today's truth. As of this writing, you are five and three years old. And you two are bundles. Bundles of what? Bundles of everything. Bundles of energy just waiting to leak out. Bundles of tears waiting to fall. Levi, you have this noise you make that I love so much. It's the noise of you discovering something cool. It's sort of a whoaaaaaaaa noise, but it sounds like it comes from your gut or something. You are bundles of life, and today's truth is that as parents, we're not always great at accepting your energy.
You'll discover this when you get older, but us adults have a million and one things bouncing around our brains. For example, in the mornings, we have to get both of you ready for day care and school, but we also have to get ourselves ready and possibly do some work. So if our response is absent-minded, that's why. We can't drop everything all the time to make food or do nails. I do want to slow down and enjoy you more, though.
Nine games remain and the M's are two games out of the last wild card spot. I have a hunch that this season's going to be very good. Very good, but not good enough. The pitching staff (especially with the loss of Emerson Hancock) might be just short of enough. Luis Castillo turned from a potential ace into a pumpkin in the second half of the season. We'll see what happens, but just a bad hunch.
Under 15 games to go and in a tie with several other ballclubs, the Mariners can see the finish line. Only question is, will it be playoffs or heartbreak? If it's playoffs, it'll be on the road for a best of three.
Today, we'll see where the tiebreakers lie. The Ms are done with those competitors.
It's going to be an uphill battle. Minnesota has the upper hand for the first wildcard, and then it's the Yankees, Rays, and White Sox with better position. The Mariners tied with the White Sox for season series, but the Yanks and the Rays have that advantage.
Since the eight game winning streak, the Mariners have cratered a teensy little bit, losing five of the next six. Offense has been a bit of a problem, as they scored two or fewer runs four times. Struggling particulary has been Eugenio Suarez, now hitting .209. Will the M's try to make a move for a third basemen, or perhaps move McNeil to the hot corner? They also need to figure out the rotation, as Marco Gonzales has been putrid. The team overall has fallen to 13th in the power rankings after being second after the hot streak. The rest of the month features games against Texas and Oakland.
Big news today prior to the Astros series, as the M's trade Kyle Lewis to the New York Mets in exchange for Jeff McNeil.
McNeil instantly becomes the leadoff hitter and left fielder and gives the Mariners' lineup some presence.
Lewis was disappointing in Seattle after being touted as a prospect.
Record: 53-45
Division: 2nd, 3 games back of Oakland
Wildcard: in line for a spot in a very crowded race.
Last series: Lost 2 of 3 to Chicago White Sox
Pondering: A trade of either Jesse Winker or Kyle Lewis, two underperforming outfielders. Shopped them yesterday and two interesting players came up. Aledmys Diaz from Milwaukee, a multipositional talent and decent hitter. The other was William Contreras, a catcher from Atlanta. Neither would fill the outfield opening. Perhaps make the trade and start Alberto Rodriguez?
Today: Could Jeff McNeil be the answer? He'd be available in a trade for Lewis. Going to ponder that one before the deadline. He's a free agent after '23, so he'd be a rental. Not sure if I'm playing '24 anyway...
Well, that was certainly better than The Card Counter!
I can only imagine what that was like on the big screen. I will admit that I fell asleep for a few minutes when some of the initial dive scenes were on. Once the three men head out on the boat to kill the shark, I was entranced. Robert Shaw gives a mesmerizing performance. Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss react to him like he's nuts (which he is), but they all had to work together and the result was incredible. Like The Rewatchables said, this movie could have gone wrong in so many ways and been a hacky shark tale, but Spielberg keeps it all together.
Naptime movie standings
Story:
William Tell is a card-player who bounces around the country, casino to casino. It turns out he has a past that he'd like to atone for involving prison torture at Abu Ghraib. He meets the son of one of his fellow Abu Ghraib colleagues. The son proposes a revenge killing of their commander, but Tell refuses and the two go on the road together. Tell tries to win enough money to pay off the kid's debts.
Reaction:
3/5 stars. Aside of Isaac's terrific performance, there's not a lot here. Not much casino or card action, and the only other people he connects with aren't that interesting. I still don't think Haddish is a good actress, and I think Tye Sheridan's way above playing the angry young man type. I kind of regretted picking this film, as it did get repetitive after a while.
Next up:
Jaws!
I was going to do a full set of grades for the team at the halfway point, but I think I'll just do top 5 best and worst 3 players.
Top 5 players:
1. Julio Rodriguez- .873 OPS, 2.8 WAR. Very consistent first half, leads the M's in HR and RBI.
2. Mitch Haniger- .827 OPS, 1.4 WAR.
3. Luis Castillo- The rotation has been abysmal, but Castillo has been consistent.
4. Evan Marshall- the bullpen started out shaky, but Marshall was signed and is now the closer. 2.34 ERA, 6 SV.
5. J.P. Crawford- Ty France heated up, but Crawford overall has been more consistent. .752 OPS, 1.7 WAR.
Honorable mention: Andrew Vaughn since being acquired, Emerson Hancock.
Bottom 3 players:
1. Logan Gilbert: Disastrous stint in the big leagues and now in Tacoma. The rotation hasn't been good, but he's been so bad that he's gone.
2. Jesse Winker: Outfielders have come and gone (adios, Michael Conforto), but Winker's been consistently terrible. He's underwater in terms of WAR.
3. Kyle Lewis: .234 average, .03 WAR. Part of the Mediocre Outfield Convention.
