April 10, 2025 • 17 mins
Former Mariners All Star Bret Boone joins Dave Softy Mahler and Hugh Millen to talk about Seattle’s comeback and walk-off win yesterday, the injuries piling up and what Jerry Dipoto should do now, Jorge Polanco’s change, and where to find offensive help.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Coming to you live from our Elliott Avenue studios of
Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM. It's
time for our weekly conversation with former Mariners all star
Bret Boone, brought to you by Venue Kings. Visit venue
Kings dot com for all your ticket needs. Now with Boonie,
here's Softie and Dick walking up with the walk our
(00:26):
roads a right.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Had a bank since loading Hawk in the night and
the Mariners winning seven to six. Well, I would say
that changed the tenor of this show, no question. Uh
big thanks to our friends over at Venue Kings. By
the way, need tickets for the weekend against the Rangers.
Lady got guys coming to town soon. Check her out
man do a Lipa and o'millan's a big fan of
(00:50):
do a Lipa. Whatever you need, venue Kings dot com
can set you up. Be sure and use coach Saftia
checkout for a discount. So I got a text you
from Boonie yesterday. When the Mariners are down five to nothing,
it says, well, it might be a good week for
some Loop Penello stories. And that's what we do when
the m's are getting crossed. We tell Loop Panello stories.
And then Booney Randy A Rose Arena said, not so fast,
(01:11):
my friend. Grand Slam of the eighth Julio where the
game tying double the ninth, A Rose Arena draws the walk,
they get to Braun and they win the game seven
to six. How about that yesterday, big guy.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
That was impressive. That was impressive. You get swept by
the Giants, You're looking right in the face and losing
two out of three to Houston. And that was a
big time rally against a tough customer. And it wasn't
just the Julio. That was a big time knock at
the right time. A Rose Arena with the walk, I
(01:45):
mean the walk for the walk, I mean that was
that was really good. I mean they needed that as
much as anybody going into this off day kind of
salvage that.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Yeah, I'm sorry, go ahead ahead. What's your thought?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Sorry?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Sorry, Boony?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, it's you know, I look at the I look
at the the positives I'm seeing right now is I
don't think this you're gonna see. I think that the
class of the division coming in this next series. And
Softie at the top mentioned you got de Gram and
a bal Da. Those are two horses right there. If
they stay healthy in Texas and that offense, we know
what it's capable. We saw it a couple of years ago.
(02:22):
I don't think the division is all that great. I
don't see that it factor that Houston's had for the
longest time. And it may be a couple of their
guys moving on and kind of change the dynamic in
that locker room. They're still good, but I don't just
see I don't see them as the Houston they have
been for the last four or five years that have
really had a had a death grip on that on
that division. So good news is I don't think the
(02:46):
division is as strong. Bad news is we're coming from
behind right now out for early. But big win yesterday, Yeah,
huge winning.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
And I'm curious your take because because you know me,
just being a fan, it seemed like a Rosarina on
that Grand Slam. I see a big, giant kick with
his left foot. I see this just unbelievable will at
the ball and this fall through like he's a long
drive competitor and golf did you see that? And is
that even you know something to comment on in terms
(03:17):
of like whoa okay, next time is he going to
get up and take those kind of cuts. Just what
about the nature of that grand slam? It was beautiful,
but man, did he put a lot into that.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well. I think that's a Rose Arena style. Everybody has
their style. I think a year ago you saw him
go up there and go in the automatic cake mode
and then all of a sudden he was stepping out
of the box. That's just kind of his cat and mouse.
He's the Jamie Moyer of hitters of twenty twenty five.
But I think that's just his style. He picks his
spots for that big leg kick, and I'm sure it's
(03:51):
something he works on when he's really confident in his mind,
the count, the pitch that he thinks is going to
be thrown to him in that position, there's there's that
a swing, that big time power. So we need you
put on it. We all have one. Just a Rose
Arena is a little more it's it's a little more
chiseled out at this point. Uh. You see that from
him time to time. But I'll tell you it's been
(04:11):
a rough start for this offense, really rough. A Rose
Arenas had a couple, you know, the hits that he
has had, they've been a couple of big ones for him,
so he's got a flare for the dramatic. Early it
was tough seeing, uh you know, Polonko's kind of hobbling around,
He's in and out of the lineup. It was tough
seeing what a catch he made the other day. But
(04:32):
he's gonna miss a lot of time now Roadblaze. And
then I hear Bliss with the with the bicep tear,
and and I talked to Cammi earlier today because I
have two bicep tears, but they're up in the shoulder
area and there's something that you can work through. And
I never needed surgery on him, but I think if
you have the bicep tear lower or in the lower
(04:52):
down by your elbow, those are the ones that are
unrepaired or you've got to get them repaired, and it
takes time. So you're gonna be missing Bliss. Uh man.
They've got four basically four starting players that you know
are going to be in the lineup every day, and
that's Raley Crawford or Rose Arena and Julio and everybody
else is kind of at this stage is gonna kind
(05:13):
of be mixing and matching well.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Okay, So here's the deal Brett Brett Boone with us
Courtesyavanue Kings dot Com. So they're gonna have three starters
basically out the entire month of April, with Kirby Bliss
and Roe Bliss. Two of them out for at least
the first half of the year in Roe Bless and Bliss,
and then maybe one out the entire year in Ryan
Bliss with the torn left biceps. So Jerry can't just
(05:36):
do nothing. He can't just sit on his hands and
just rely on Leo Reevas and Dylan Moore and dominant
Canzo and to fill those gaps. So what do you
do if you're him, I mean free agent? Do you
start talking about bringing up some of the kids. What's
your plan to fix this?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
If you're Jerry Depoto, well, once again, it's like beating
a dead horse with this pitching staff. And you're gonna
have Kirby now I'm reading he's now. They were real
they were optimistic about late April. It's looking like may
Matt Brash I heard through a bullet through VP yesterday
and they're thinking about whether he's going to go out
on a rehab assignment. Those are all positive things. They're
(06:14):
going to be back eventually, but I don't know it's
offty a year ago or going into the offseason. Last year,
we sat on this show and we talked about, well,
the Mariners are certainly going to go out and make
a splash this winner to compliment this pitching staff. They didn't.
We're sitting here in early April with this pitching staff
(06:34):
and key players on that team right now are down.
So one would think absolutely they're going to go out
and get somebody. But from the last few years, from
what I've seen, I hope they do. I'll believe it
when I see it.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Yeah, exactly. Brett Boone with us and Booneie. Of course
we remember you at second base, but I looked it
up here. You had fourteen played appearances as a third baseman,
and so you had to have played a couple few
dozen innings in the at third base. What is it
(07:12):
like like for Polonco to go over when you're normally
a second baseman. What's it like over there? Is it like,
whoa this thing really is? The hot corner man. That's
a long way to first base? Like, what's the adjustments
you have to make mentally and physically the playing over
there when you're used to playing second base.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, I'm kind of surprised. That's a good research there.
I didn't know I had that many appearances. I remember
one game when I was a kid ninety two, they
put me there for a part of the game, and
I remember one start against the Philadelphia Phillies in nineteen
ninety four over the Reds, But I didn't It doesn't matter.
I didn't know I had fourteen plate appearances. I'll tell
(07:52):
you today's game different. These kids come up and they're
kind of in the minor leagues. They're kind of taught
to play second, short, third, unless you're that can't miss shortstop. Uh.
There's not too many infielders now that just play one position.
They move them around a second, short, and third. Any
middle infielder, even though the game has changed a little
bit and around the bag at second base you don't
(08:14):
have to be. It's not as skilled of a position
because you don't have to turn that tough double play
anymore because they have to slide straight in and they
can't touch you. But any any fielder that can play
the middle, and I mean the middle infield, second, a
short really is gonna have no problem going over to third. Yes,
it's a different angle. It's something you're gonna have to
get used to. But a guy that can play second
(08:35):
can always play third. And I'm not saying it's overnight.
It's not something that's comfortable. Balls coming off at a
at a different angle you gotta you gotta get some
experience to read the hops. It's more of a step
and a dive, or at second base you have more
time to react. But I found in my experience that
anybody that is comparable in the middle infield can always
(08:56):
go to the corner. It seems like when they bring
you up you're a middle end, and then if you
can't quite cut it in the middle, you go to
a corner and you better hit a little bit more
than you end up going to the outfields. So I
don't worry long term about that. I just worry about
Polonko And he was out of the game the other day.
We know he has that knee issue. He's out of
the game the other day with a side issues. So
he and he's getting a little bit older, So you know,
(09:19):
I just think long term, as good as the second
baseman that he is, he's probably going to be just
as good of a third base.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Well, I hope you're right. It's not looking like that
right now. My friend and Brett Boone is with us
courtesy Avena Kings, and we were talking off the air,
and you're actually the second person today that's brought this
name up. I'm looking at a guy who's spent a
bunch of time in the American League with the Boston
Red Sox and an one hundred and fifty six plate
appearances as a career, ninety five ops at T Mobile Park.
(09:47):
That guy's name, I think I know you. His name
is j D. Martinez and he's available.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
What are we doing, Boone? I'm I'm making a phone
call right now. You're gonna get him at a really
good price right now. He's you know, from what I'm reading,
he's staying active, he's staying in baseball shape. He's just
waiting for that opportunity. Yes, he's passed his heyday as
primes long gone. But Jad Martinez, he's the type of
guy that the turner type that can come to a
(10:13):
ball club and kind of change the culture in the
clubhouse of veteran presence, a hitting savant. This guy's had
some great years and I hear he's a great guy
to have in the clubhouse once again past his prime,
But I still think he'd be a viable part and
a guy that you can count on in that DH
roll that will give you a little bit of stability.
I don't think you can expect twenty five thirty home
(10:35):
runs from him like in past years and years that
he's had, but I think he can definitely be a
presence and someone that you can pencil in that lineup
every single day, because right now you don't have too
many that you know for sure, Hey, I got him
him at short tomorrow, him catching, Yeah, you know that.
You know, Julio's gonna play center field, A Rose Arena
is going to be in left. And if Rod Blaze,
(10:56):
you know, health wise, is fine, He's going to be
out there somewhere. But adding another veteran guy like that
that you know you can put in the lineup every day,
I think it would be I think it would be
prudent and I would love to see him do that.
And it won't cost the Mariners much at all.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
For a Mariner fan who doesn't know the minor league
system system up and down from the Mariner perspective. A
lot of guys have at least heard of Harry Ford.
Is that a consideration in your mind in any capacity?
Obviously he's not going to replace cal in any sense,
but maybe fill in there is there a chance at
(11:32):
first base? There d Do you look at Harry Ford
in any way or do you just leave that alone?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
I kind of leave that alone right now. I think
you need you need guys that have been there and
done it with experience that are proven. And I think
I think right now, you've got to go outside the organization.
You know, you've got a lot of guys right now,
a lot of piece guys, a lot of role players
on that roster right now, and I just think you
got to get somebody with the little more stability you
(12:01):
know what you're getting, and go from there.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
You know.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
JD. Martinez is a is a great uh, A great
idea because I look at the available guys, Well, there's
not too many people at home staying in baseball shape
with a track record like him. Yeah, he's older, but
who else are we going to do? You got to
make a trade. It's it's April. People are feeling their
teams out. Everybody doesn't know what they have right now.
So it's not like these these offensive weapons are going
(12:25):
to be available right now in the trade market unless
you were you know, unless you were willing to, uh
let go one of your one of your pitchers, which
I don't think the Mariners are so right now. Uh,
it's kind of a patch job. And and and see
what he's got left in the tank. You know, I'm
sure he'd be excited to get a phone call at
this point when you're home and it's two weeks into
the season, you haven't been to the spring training, you're
(12:46):
still staying in shape, right, You're passionate about it, and
you want to play. So he'd welcome that phone call.
He never know, light a fire runner. Maybe he's got
one more run in him. But I don't see. I
don't see the Mariners worse for it in the short
term or the long term for giving it a try.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah. I just think the guy to bring up is Williamson.
He's twenty four years old. He'll be twenty five in November. Okay,
he was a second round draft pick for a reason.
Let this kid play third base, move Polaco back to
second with the Bliss injury, and then let's figure out
first base. I mean the first base thing for me,
rowdy to Lez, I mean, how much longer do you
sit here and let this guy go out there with
(13:24):
his fifty average, not one fifty boonie fifty average. That's
a guy who's are the agent for six months.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
And I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
I'm not saying give up on him today, but at
some point you can't let that continue. When does that
point come?
Speaker 3 (13:39):
For me? Right now? Comes?
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Right now?
Speaker 3 (13:41):
I go out and make a move right now. You know,
Now Jerry's got to go out. He's probably got to
get the okay for management to go out and do something.
But if it's possible, let's go do it. You mentioned
him coming up and playing third base. The only problem
I see with that, softy is Polanco at his age,
with the knee bothering him, it's gonna be much tough.
And I understand what you're talking about. The third base
(14:03):
transition for him hasn't been the smoothest. But from if
you're having knee problems, second base is much harder to
play than third base because there's just so much more
cutting and jiving out there, and if you've got a
knee problem, it's really going to accentuate that. So I
don't know at this point if they're thinking about moving
Paloco to second base. So this is why they signed.
(14:26):
I see what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
I'm sorry to interrupt, but this is why he's coming
off the surgery. He's gonna be fine. He's stunt last
year because he had the knee problem, and now he's
healthy again.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Well, he's not.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Healthy because you're restricted in what positions he can play.
You're restricted in who he can face on a daily
basis on the mound. He's not healthy.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Well, I mean, in a perfect world, the way he's
come out of the gate swinging the bat, he's your
DH right right in a perfect world. But now that
that kind of nix is the J. D. Martinez idea,
And now we got to go out and get a
second base or a third base. Now you can start
mixing a bring up the kid from Triple A, put
him at third, put Dylan Moore at second base. That's
not your ideal situation right now, But with all these injuries,
(15:08):
and if you're not willing to go out and get
a JD. Martinez, then you just that gives you the
option of putting Polanco at the DH position, right, but
now you've got to fill two roles. You know. I
don't think it's an easy fix. There's no easy answer
to it right now. And at this early in the season,
like I said, with the other ball clubs trying to
find out what kind of team are they, you don't
(15:30):
get a lot of teams out there in the middle
thinking are we a playoff team? Are we not? So
I don't think there's gonna be too many jams right now.
Willing to look at trades until you get into the summer.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
All right, man, Well I hope you got some good
Panelo stories ready, and I hope you don't have to bag.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Oh no, see, you know you just if you need
a ray of sunshine, guys, you know who to call.
Maybe watching the Masters. It's a good week, all right, Booney.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Great stuff week, man, alright, Brett Boone us on the
radio show. It's just amazing how there's just all these
little issues that have popped up, right. I mean, this
is what happens when you try to go in the cheap,
when you skimp a little bit and you bring back
a guy coming off a knee injury, you don't sign
any depth whatsoever. You lose a guy and everything goes
to hell in a handbucket. Man. So very frustrating that
all of a sudden they're playing behind the eight ball
(16:18):
and have all these issues they have to deal with. Hey,
Mike Homgrin just showed up to Husky Stadium. You think
we spreut him out of here? You think he's got
anything to offer regarding the sport of football whatsoever?
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Yeah, what is?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
He's been out of the game for too long?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
What does he know?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
For crying out loud? Mike hombrid is gonna join us.
He's here at Husky Football practice. We're hanging out live
until six thirty. Cracking night's pregame by the way, coming
up six thirty, face off at seven o'clock from Vegas.
The Boys three more games left to go on this
disappointing season. They'll wrap it up next Tuesday against the Kings,
by the way at Climate Pledge Arena. We're gonna get
(16:53):
a break. Gonna Master's update from Westwood One. How about
our boy Freddy couples with an eagle on fourteen today?
Great for him, man, Good job at a boom boom
update from the Masters at Augusta right now and then
Mike Holmgrid will join us next as we continue live
from Husky Stadium for spring football right here on ninety
three three KJRFM
Coming to you live from our Elliott Avenue studios of
Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM. It's
time for our weekly conversation with former Mariners all star
Bret Boone, brought to you by Venue Kings. Visit venue
Kings dot com for all your ticket needs. Now with Boonie,
here's Softie and Dick walking up with the walk our
(00:26):
roads a right.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Had a bank since loading Hawk in the night and
the Mariners winning seven to six. Well, I would say
that changed the tenor of this show, no question. Uh
big thanks to our friends over at Venue Kings. By
the way, need tickets for the weekend against the Rangers.
Lady got guys coming to town soon. Check her out
man do a Lipa and o'millan's a big fan of
(00:50):
do a Lipa. Whatever you need, venue Kings dot com
can set you up. Be sure and use coach Saftia
checkout for a discount. So I got a text you
from Boonie yesterday. When the Mariners are down five to nothing,
it says, well, it might be a good week for
some Loop Penello stories. And that's what we do when
the m's are getting crossed. We tell Loop Panello stories.
And then Booney Randy A Rose Arena said, not so fast,
(01:11):
my friend. Grand Slam of the eighth Julio where the
game tying double the ninth, A Rose Arena draws the walk,
they get to Braun and they win the game seven
to six. How about that yesterday, big guy.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
That was impressive. That was impressive. You get swept by
the Giants, You're looking right in the face and losing
two out of three to Houston. And that was a
big time rally against a tough customer. And it wasn't
just the Julio. That was a big time knock at
the right time. A Rose Arena with the walk, I
(01:45):
mean the walk for the walk, I mean that was
that was really good. I mean they needed that as
much as anybody going into this off day kind of
salvage that.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Yeah, I'm sorry, go ahead ahead. What's your thought?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Sorry?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Sorry, Boony?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, it's you know, I look at the I look
at the the positives I'm seeing right now is I
don't think this you're gonna see. I think that the
class of the division coming in this next series. And
Softie at the top mentioned you got de Gram and
a bal Da. Those are two horses right there. If
they stay healthy in Texas and that offense, we know
what it's capable. We saw it a couple of years ago.
(02:22):
I don't think the division is all that great. I
don't see that it factor that Houston's had for the
longest time. And it may be a couple of their
guys moving on and kind of change the dynamic in
that locker room. They're still good, but I don't just
see I don't see them as the Houston they have
been for the last four or five years that have
really had a had a death grip on that on
that division. So good news is I don't think the
(02:46):
division is as strong. Bad news is we're coming from
behind right now out for early. But big win yesterday, Yeah,
huge winning.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
And I'm curious your take because because you know me,
just being a fan, it seemed like a Rosarina on
that Grand Slam. I see a big, giant kick with
his left foot. I see this just unbelievable will at
the ball and this fall through like he's a long
drive competitor and golf did you see that? And is
that even you know something to comment on in terms
(03:17):
of like whoa okay, next time is he going to
get up and take those kind of cuts. Just what
about the nature of that grand slam? It was beautiful,
but man, did he put a lot into that.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well. I think that's a Rose Arena style. Everybody has
their style. I think a year ago you saw him
go up there and go in the automatic cake mode
and then all of a sudden he was stepping out
of the box. That's just kind of his cat and mouse.
He's the Jamie Moyer of hitters of twenty twenty five.
But I think that's just his style. He picks his
spots for that big leg kick, and I'm sure it's
(03:51):
something he works on when he's really confident in his mind,
the count, the pitch that he thinks is going to
be thrown to him in that position, there's there's that
a swing, that big time power. So we need you
put on it. We all have one. Just a Rose
Arena is a little more it's it's a little more
chiseled out at this point. Uh. You see that from
him time to time. But I'll tell you it's been
(04:11):
a rough start for this offense, really rough. A Rose
Arenas had a couple, you know, the hits that he
has had, they've been a couple of big ones for him,
so he's got a flare for the dramatic. Early it
was tough seeing, uh you know, Polonko's kind of hobbling around,
He's in and out of the lineup. It was tough
seeing what a catch he made the other day. But
(04:32):
he's gonna miss a lot of time now Roadblaze. And
then I hear Bliss with the with the bicep tear,
and and I talked to Cammi earlier today because I
have two bicep tears, but they're up in the shoulder
area and there's something that you can work through. And
I never needed surgery on him, but I think if
you have the bicep tear lower or in the lower
(04:52):
down by your elbow, those are the ones that are
unrepaired or you've got to get them repaired, and it
takes time. So you're gonna be missing Bliss. Uh man.
They've got four basically four starting players that you know
are going to be in the lineup every day, and
that's Raley Crawford or Rose Arena and Julio and everybody
else is kind of at this stage is gonna kind
(05:13):
of be mixing and matching well.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Okay, So here's the deal Brett Brett Boone with us
Courtesyavanue Kings dot Com. So they're gonna have three starters
basically out the entire month of April, with Kirby Bliss
and Roe Bliss. Two of them out for at least
the first half of the year in Roe Bless and Bliss,
and then maybe one out the entire year in Ryan
Bliss with the torn left biceps. So Jerry can't just
(05:36):
do nothing. He can't just sit on his hands and
just rely on Leo Reevas and Dylan Moore and dominant
Canzo and to fill those gaps. So what do you
do if you're him, I mean free agent? Do you
start talking about bringing up some of the kids. What's
your plan to fix this?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
If you're Jerry Depoto, well, once again, it's like beating
a dead horse with this pitching staff. And you're gonna
have Kirby now I'm reading he's now. They were real
they were optimistic about late April. It's looking like may
Matt Brash I heard through a bullet through VP yesterday
and they're thinking about whether he's going to go out
on a rehab assignment. Those are all positive things. They're
(06:14):
going to be back eventually, but I don't know it's
offty a year ago or going into the offseason. Last year,
we sat on this show and we talked about, well,
the Mariners are certainly going to go out and make
a splash this winner to compliment this pitching staff. They didn't.
We're sitting here in early April with this pitching staff
(06:34):
and key players on that team right now are down.
So one would think absolutely they're going to go out
and get somebody. But from the last few years, from
what I've seen, I hope they do. I'll believe it
when I see it.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Yeah, exactly. Brett Boone with us and Booneie. Of course
we remember you at second base, but I looked it
up here. You had fourteen played appearances as a third baseman,
and so you had to have played a couple few
dozen innings in the at third base. What is it
(07:12):
like like for Polonco to go over when you're normally
a second baseman. What's it like over there? Is it like,
whoa this thing really is? The hot corner man. That's
a long way to first base? Like, what's the adjustments
you have to make mentally and physically the playing over
there when you're used to playing second base.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Well, I'm kind of surprised. That's a good research there.
I didn't know I had that many appearances. I remember
one game when I was a kid ninety two, they
put me there for a part of the game, and
I remember one start against the Philadelphia Phillies in nineteen
ninety four over the Reds, But I didn't It doesn't matter.
I didn't know I had fourteen plate appearances. I'll tell
(07:52):
you today's game different. These kids come up and they're
kind of in the minor leagues. They're kind of taught
to play second, short, third, unless you're that can't miss shortstop. Uh.
There's not too many infielders now that just play one position.
They move them around a second, short, and third. Any
middle infielder, even though the game has changed a little
bit and around the bag at second base you don't
(08:14):
have to be. It's not as skilled of a position
because you don't have to turn that tough double play
anymore because they have to slide straight in and they
can't touch you. But any any fielder that can play
the middle, and I mean the middle infield, second, a
short really is gonna have no problem going over to third. Yes,
it's a different angle. It's something you're gonna have to
get used to. But a guy that can play second
(08:35):
can always play third. And I'm not saying it's overnight.
It's not something that's comfortable. Balls coming off at a
at a different angle you gotta you gotta get some
experience to read the hops. It's more of a step
and a dive, or at second base you have more
time to react. But I found in my experience that
anybody that is comparable in the middle infield can always
(08:56):
go to the corner. It seems like when they bring
you up you're a middle end, and then if you
can't quite cut it in the middle, you go to
a corner and you better hit a little bit more
than you end up going to the outfields. So I
don't worry long term about that. I just worry about
Polonko And he was out of the game the other day.
We know he has that knee issue. He's out of
the game the other day with a side issues. So
he and he's getting a little bit older, So you know,
(09:19):
I just think long term, as good as the second
baseman that he is, he's probably going to be just
as good of a third base.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Well, I hope you're right. It's not looking like that
right now. My friend and Brett Boone is with us
courtesy Avena Kings, and we were talking off the air,
and you're actually the second person today that's brought this
name up. I'm looking at a guy who's spent a
bunch of time in the American League with the Boston
Red Sox and an one hundred and fifty six plate
appearances as a career, ninety five ops at T Mobile Park.
(09:47):
That guy's name, I think I know you. His name
is j D. Martinez and he's available.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
What are we doing, Boone? I'm I'm making a phone
call right now. You're gonna get him at a really
good price right now. He's you know, from what I'm reading,
he's staying active, he's staying in baseball shape. He's just
waiting for that opportunity. Yes, he's passed his heyday as
primes long gone. But Jad Martinez, he's the type of
guy that the turner type that can come to a
(10:13):
ball club and kind of change the culture in the
clubhouse of veteran presence, a hitting savant. This guy's had
some great years and I hear he's a great guy
to have in the clubhouse once again past his prime,
But I still think he'd be a viable part and
a guy that you can count on in that DH
roll that will give you a little bit of stability.
I don't think you can expect twenty five thirty home
(10:35):
runs from him like in past years and years that
he's had, but I think he can definitely be a
presence and someone that you can pencil in that lineup
every single day, because right now you don't have too
many that you know for sure, Hey, I got him
him at short tomorrow, him catching, Yeah, you know that.
You know, Julio's gonna play center field, A Rose Arena
is going to be in left. And if Rod Blaze,
(10:56):
you know, health wise, is fine, He's going to be
out there somewhere. But adding another veteran guy like that
that you know you can put in the lineup every day,
I think it would be I think it would be
prudent and I would love to see him do that.
And it won't cost the Mariners much at all.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
For a Mariner fan who doesn't know the minor league
system system up and down from the Mariner perspective. A
lot of guys have at least heard of Harry Ford.
Is that a consideration in your mind in any capacity?
Obviously he's not going to replace cal in any sense,
but maybe fill in there is there a chance at
(11:32):
first base? There d Do you look at Harry Ford
in any way or do you just leave that alone?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
I kind of leave that alone right now. I think
you need you need guys that have been there and
done it with experience that are proven. And I think
I think right now, you've got to go outside the organization.
You know, you've got a lot of guys right now,
a lot of piece guys, a lot of role players
on that roster right now, and I just think you
got to get somebody with the little more stability you
(12:01):
know what you're getting, and go from there.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
You know.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
JD. Martinez is a is a great uh, A great
idea because I look at the available guys, Well, there's
not too many people at home staying in baseball shape
with a track record like him. Yeah, he's older, but
who else are we going to do? You got to
make a trade. It's it's April. People are feeling their
teams out. Everybody doesn't know what they have right now.
So it's not like these these offensive weapons are going
(12:25):
to be available right now in the trade market unless
you were you know, unless you were willing to, uh
let go one of your one of your pitchers, which
I don't think the Mariners are so right now. Uh,
it's kind of a patch job. And and and see
what he's got left in the tank. You know, I'm
sure he'd be excited to get a phone call at
this point when you're home and it's two weeks into
the season, you haven't been to the spring training, you're
(12:46):
still staying in shape, right, You're passionate about it, and
you want to play. So he'd welcome that phone call.
He never know, light a fire runner. Maybe he's got
one more run in him. But I don't see. I
don't see the Mariners worse for it in the short
term or the long term for giving it a try.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah. I just think the guy to bring up is Williamson.
He's twenty four years old. He'll be twenty five in November. Okay,
he was a second round draft pick for a reason.
Let this kid play third base, move Polaco back to
second with the Bliss injury, and then let's figure out
first base. I mean the first base thing for me,
rowdy to Lez, I mean, how much longer do you
sit here and let this guy go out there with
(13:24):
his fifty average, not one fifty boonie fifty average. That's
a guy who's are the agent for six months.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
And I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
I'm not saying give up on him today, but at
some point you can't let that continue. When does that
point come?
Speaker 3 (13:39):
For me? Right now? Comes?
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Right now?
Speaker 3 (13:41):
I go out and make a move right now. You know,
Now Jerry's got to go out. He's probably got to
get the okay for management to go out and do something.
But if it's possible, let's go do it. You mentioned
him coming up and playing third base. The only problem
I see with that, softy is Polanco at his age,
with the knee bothering him, it's gonna be much tough.
And I understand what you're talking about. The third base
(14:03):
transition for him hasn't been the smoothest. But from if
you're having knee problems, second base is much harder to
play than third base because there's just so much more
cutting and jiving out there, and if you've got a
knee problem, it's really going to accentuate that. So I
don't know at this point if they're thinking about moving
Paloco to second base. So this is why they signed.
(14:26):
I see what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
I'm sorry to interrupt, but this is why he's coming
off the surgery. He's gonna be fine. He's stunt last
year because he had the knee problem, and now he's
healthy again.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Well, he's not.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Healthy because you're restricted in what positions he can play.
You're restricted in who he can face on a daily
basis on the mound. He's not healthy.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Well, I mean, in a perfect world, the way he's
come out of the gate swinging the bat, he's your
DH right right in a perfect world. But now that
that kind of nix is the J. D. Martinez idea,
And now we got to go out and get a
second base or a third base. Now you can start
mixing a bring up the kid from Triple A, put
him at third, put Dylan Moore at second base. That's
not your ideal situation right now, But with all these injuries,
(15:08):
and if you're not willing to go out and get
a JD. Martinez, then you just that gives you the
option of putting Polanco at the DH position, right, but
now you've got to fill two roles. You know. I
don't think it's an easy fix. There's no easy answer
to it right now. And at this early in the season,
like I said, with the other ball clubs trying to
find out what kind of team are they, you don't
(15:30):
get a lot of teams out there in the middle
thinking are we a playoff team? Are we not? So
I don't think there's gonna be too many jams right now.
Willing to look at trades until you get into the summer.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
All right, man, Well I hope you got some good
Panelo stories ready, and I hope you don't have to bag.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Oh no, see, you know you just if you need
a ray of sunshine, guys, you know who to call.
Maybe watching the Masters. It's a good week, all right, Booney.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Great stuff week, man, alright, Brett Boone us on the
radio show. It's just amazing how there's just all these
little issues that have popped up, right. I mean, this
is what happens when you try to go in the cheap,
when you skimp a little bit and you bring back
a guy coming off a knee injury, you don't sign
any depth whatsoever. You lose a guy and everything goes
to hell in a handbucket. Man. So very frustrating that
all of a sudden they're playing behind the eight ball
(16:18):
and have all these issues they have to deal with. Hey,
Mike Homgrin just showed up to Husky Stadium. You think
we spreut him out of here? You think he's got
anything to offer regarding the sport of football whatsoever?
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Yeah, what is?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
He's been out of the game for too long?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
What does he know?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
For crying out loud? Mike hombrid is gonna join us.
He's here at Husky Football practice. We're hanging out live
until six thirty. Cracking night's pregame by the way, coming
up six thirty, face off at seven o'clock from Vegas.
The Boys three more games left to go on this
disappointing season. They'll wrap it up next Tuesday against the Kings,
by the way at Climate Pledge Arena. We're gonna get
(16:53):
a break. Gonna Master's update from Westwood One. How about
our boy Freddy couples with an eagle on fourteen today?
Great for him, man, Good job at a boom boom
update from the Masters at Augusta right now and then
Mike Holmgrid will join us next as we continue live
from Husky Stadium for spring football right here on ninety
three three KJRFM
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