SOUNDERS FC: Fucito on six game injured reserve

Michael Fucito had the game winning goal against
the Wizards earlier this season. Jane Gershovich / NSS

Press Release

RENTON, WASH. - The Seattle Sounders FC announced today midfielder/forward Michael Fucito has been placed on injured reserve due to a right knee contusion.

As a result, Fucito is required to miss six games. He is eligible to return to league play for the June 27 game in Philadelphia against the Union.

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Fucito, 24, has appeared in two Major League Soccer games, both as a reserve with Seattle, and has one goal. He scored the game-winner in extra time of a 1-0 win over Kansas City on April 17.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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SEAHAWKS: Forsett most elusive back in NFL, according to PFF

Justin Forsett

Standing just 5-8, Justin Forsett isn't imposing when compared to "average" sized running backs. But, what he lacks in size, he makes up for in quickness, with the ability to shed would-be tacklers weighing 50+ more pounds.

Some might sum up Forsett as the prototypical "elusive" back.

And, according to a formula concocted by Pro Football Focus, Forsett epitomizes that term.

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Forsett came in no. 1 in PFF's "elusive rating," which is a formula that takes into account numerous stats, including yards after contact and tackles shed.

Forsett was noticeably shifty and tough as a runner and receiver, and it will be interesting to see where he fits in 2010, with Seattle having added LenDale White and Leon Washington in the offseason.

He finished with a 70.19 elusive rating. The second most elusive runner was Jonathan Stewart at 67.66. Forsett had the least amount of carries of the top 10 most elusive runners by more than 30, which may say something about the former coaching staff's ability to evaluate players.

Forsett forced 23 defenders to miss tackles out of just 114 carries, according to PFF. He also shed 11 tackles on 41 receptions.

Here is the formula from Pro Football Focus:

(MTrush+MTrec)/(Rec+Att)*(YCo/Att*100)

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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MARINERS: M's lose 6th straight in 8-0 shutout vs. Rays

By Jacson Bevens
The Mariners have more than lost the wind in their sails, they're just slightly closer to finding a leak in the ship. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith had command issues all night as the AL's best offensive lineup beat up on him, earning 6 runs with solid extra base hits all over the park. Seattle's offense was business as usual, compiling only 4 hits and failing to score any runs yet again.

Here we present you a time-log of Thursday's massacre, from start to finish as the game progressed.

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7:08pm -- The first pitch of the game interrupts Mike Blowers’ introduction of the Mariners’ starting pitcher, Ryan Rowland-Smith. Official start time was listed as 7:05. I wonder how hard the umpires try to start the game “on time.” And if not, why bother listing such a specific start time?

7:21 -- A 1-2-3 bottom of the 1st for the Mariners. Could just as easily have been three straight hits, as Ben Zobrist made two nice plays on groundballs by Ichiro and Chone Figgins, followed by a 370 ft line drive off the barrel of Casey Kotchman’s bat that nestled softly in center-fielder BJ Upton’s glove.

7:28 -- Upton’s bat lands a right cross to the Mariners’ chin with an RBI double, following up the inning-ending jab he stuck with his glove to end the bottom of the 1st. 1-0 Rays.

7:33 -- Gabe Kaplar poops a little flare between Franklin Gutierrez and fill-in shortstop Josh Wilson. When you’re on a winning streak, it always seems like you catch those ones. 2-0 Rays.

7:41 -- Interesting side note: Dave Neihaus just relayed the info that Jaime Moyer has allowed 498 homeruns in his career. Moyer’s collective opponent is a borderline Hall-of-Famer.

7:47 -- Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann walks Ryan Langerhans after giving up a single to Lopez with two outs in the 2nd. When this happens, I find myself thinking not “Hey, we could score here!”, but “Hey, Ichiro gets to bat next inning!”

7:52 -- Niemann ends up striking out the side in an inning in which he threw 11 consecutive balls. I wonder if that’s ever happened before. Also, the pitch-tracker says that the bases-loaded, full-count pitch that the ump called for strike three on Rob Johnson was three inches inside. Man, I bet umpires freaking hate the pitch tracker.

8:04 -- Kotchman hits a line drive to the exact same spot as last time and Upton flags it down again. Figgins, who was on first, tags up and gets to second. When the Mariners start winning games again, Figgins will be the most annoying reason why. I love him.

8:06 -- Franklin Gutierrez is beautiful.

8:10 -- The “R” and the “H” on the back of Ryan Rowland-Smith’s jersey are down by his elbows. I bet seeing him stand next to Laynce Nix is funny.

8:17 -- Another run for Tampa Bay. 3-0. Dave Sims just said that Ryan Rowland-Smith has the only hyphenated last name in the history of Major League Baseball. Is he serious? If so, that gives the M’s some serious name-trivia. David Aardsma supplanted Hank Aaron as the alphabetical first name in MLB history. Ichiro has his first name on the back of his jersey. If the Mariners were 16-11 instead of 11-16, I bet I wouldn’t bother writing about this.

8:26 -- Former starter Ian Snell is warming up in the bullpen. The Hyphen has recorded 12 outs. Snell may get more innings in his new role than he ever would have in the rotation.

8:28 -- Tampa Bay scores on a safety squeeze (where the runner at third doesn‘t break for home until he‘s certain that the ball is fair). The Mariners don’t get anyone out. 4-0 Rays.

8:29 -- 5-0 Rays.

8:31 -- My roommate’s girlfriend just walked into the house, sat down, looked at the TV and said “Wow, good game.” She has perfect posture.

8:41 -- The Rays are up by 5 runs and still trying to steal bases. This is not them rubbing it in. This is good baseball. The Rays are the model Major League franchise and even a cursory observation of a Tampa Bay game provides plenty of reasons why.

8:44 -- John Jaso is batting for the Rays. Has anyone ever heard of John Jaso before? Has John Jaso heard of John Jaso? Would John Jaso be one of the three best hitters on the Mariners? Has anyone ever asked this many Jaso-centric questions before? 6-0 Rays.

8:50 -- Ichiro singles to right. I wonder what percentage of the Mariners’ hits this season have been singles with two outs.

9:12 -- Spent the last little while cleaning up around the house. It looks like Ian Snell is pitching well.

9:19 -- Over the last six games on this home-stand, the Mariners, a collection of highly paid, highly skilled baseball players, have combined to hit one more homerun than I have.

9:25 -- I’m in the middle of explaining my baseball crush on Carl Crawford to my roommate when Crawford jacks a two-run homer. If nothing else, I’d like to thank the Rays for their timing. 8-0.

9:28 -- Shawn Kelley is pitching for the Mariners. He has been a demonstrably better pitcher than Sean White, yet White continues to throw batting practice in high-leverage situations while Kelley is relegated to mop-up duty.

9:38 -- Ichiro flies out to shallow left. The hopeful sound made by what’s left of the crowd when the ball goes in the air is more depressing than anything.

9:42 -- It’s 8-0 Rays in the 9th inning. If any player tells you that they’re interested in anything other than their stats in these situations, they’re lying. Rays manager Joe Maddon looks like Eugene Levy after an eyebrow waxing.

9:45 -- I’ve always loved it when pitches that are fouled straight back to the screen behind home plate scare the people on the other side. The bored usher in the front row looked like someone dropped a rat on her face while she was sleeping.

9:48 -- Ken Griffey Jr. lines out to right field to end the game. 8-0 Rays.

9:52 -- The FSN broadcast takes us to Brad Adam after the game for an update. If my name was Brad Adam, I would be tempted to shorten it to “Bradam.”

Summary Haiku:
Empty stadium
Mariners shut out again
I still love Milton

Reach Jacson Bevens at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

SEAHAWKS: Team making drastic improvements in the weight room

Mebane, like other Seahawks, has been
exhibiting impressive growth in the weight
room this offseason.

When defensive end Brandon Mebane sprawled out on the bench press back in February, he put up 255 pounds. Three months later, he had strapped on an extra 110 pounds to that barbell, pushing 365.

Mebane's drastic improvement mirrors the changes going on around the VMAC lately with an almost complete coaching overhaul. Chris Carlisle is one of those new coaches, who heads up the strength and conditioning for the Seahawks.

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Carlisle was the head strength and conditioning coach for USC under Pete Carroll for nine years, where he won the 2006 National Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society.

Proper strength and conditioning is the most important method to avoiding injuries. If your body is not prepared to take hits then you'll probably be limping off the field.

Incidentally, injuries have been one of the major problems facing the Seahawks the past two seasons, which saw an entire offensive line filled with backups and star players benched on injured reserve.

Some believe strength and conditioning has been one of the major factors affecting Seattle, and Carlisle signed on with the team to hopefully alleviate the problem.

Other examples of Seattle's improvement in the weight room came via the Seahawks.com official blog.

Safety Jamar Adams benched 315 pounds today, a spectacular number for a defensive back, according to Carlisle. And defensive lineman Red Bryant, who was putting up 75 pounds per dumbbell in February, lifted 135 pounds per dumbbell on the incline bench press this morning, a 53 percent jump in three months for the third-year lineman.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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SEAHAWKS: Reading the field - White criticizes Tennessee's 2009 running game

Lendale White

New Seahawks running back LenDale White, formerly of the Titans, insinuated during an interview with FOX Sports Radio that Tennesee's drastic drop-off in 2009 was partially due to the team's commitment to getting Chris Johnson past 2,000 rushing yards.

“I think what happened was in Tennessee they probably got a little too carried away with the Chris Johnson thing,” White said. “The year before that, we were 13-3 when I had 200 carries and we split the rock. Chris went to the Pro Bowl and we had the first-round bye. They did things different the next year, and we struggled to make the playoffs. It is what it is.”

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White said he had quit drinking and improved his conditioning for the 2009 season, only to be benched in favor of Chris Johnson as the work horse.

Seahawks team to beat in NFC West
While most pundits seam to point to San Francisco as the top dog in the NFC West now that Kurt Warner has retired, a Fox Sports article thinks otherwise.

With a revamped offense and a healthy defense led by former Carroll protégé Lofa Tatupu, the forecast predicts sunny skies for rainy Seattle, as the Seahawks will once again be the team to beat in the NFC West in 2010.

The article goes on to discuss Carroll's mediocre stint in the NFL 10 years ago and what has changed since. It also goes on to explain why Carroll's second stay in the NFL may be more promising than past championship college coaches who floundered in the pros.

GM Schneider helping lead Seahawks back to relevance
NFL.com has a long article detailing GM Scheider's ascension to Seattle and what roll he plays alongside the charismatic head coach Pete Carroll.

Schneider discussing his relationship with Carroll:

"He's a very trusting guy, and I think for me being a first-time general manager, he's great for me because I've always been aggressive on the risk-taking side, and, 'Let's roll,' and he's kind of even more that way.

"So now I have to be kind of the guy who's like, 'Whoa, let's slow down a minute here. Let's think this through.' And we've had a blast, so much fun late at night, eating late meals watching tape and listening to music, talking about players and football philosophy and life philosophy.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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SEAHAWKS: Jim Rome interviews Matt Hasselbeck

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SOUNDERS FC: Shorthanded Seattle faces hottest team in MLS

The Sounders FC might decide the fate of their season when they face the L.A. Galaxy at Qwest Field on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. A win over the best team in the league could boost Seattle, fueling them through the heart of the season. A loss might push the sophomore team deeper into their current slump, hurting the opportunity of a second post-season birth.

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The Sounders (2-2-3, 9 points) have improved their cohesion with each match, insists Freddie Ljungberg, they have just come up short in the last few matches. Coach Sigi Schmid has echoed his designated player’s positive review. Even casual fans watching their first game of the season noticed how sharp the boys in Rave Green were looking against Columbus, but the wins have not been coming.

Saturday would be a perfect time for Seattle to peak, despite still being shorthanded. Several players have been nursing injuries, notably defender Tyrone Marshall, and forwards Nate Jaqua and Mike Fucito. Jaqua, rehabilitating after surgery to his abdomen, is key if the Sounders plan to convert scoring opportunities. Seattle recorded a surprisingly high number of corner kicks in the last two matches and having a 6’4” target in the goal box would be a welcome asset to a team having trouble finding the net.

The same cannot be said for L.A. (6-0-1, 19 points) who are playing better each week. Their leading scorer, Edson Buddle, has netted nine times in the last seven games. He alone has scored more goals this season than the entire Sounders roster combined.
If you are not already worried about their front line, the other end of L.A.'s formation is equally daunting.

By the numbers, Donovan Ricketts has been the stingiest keeper in the league thus far (0.29 GAA), allowing just two goals in seven games. Speaking of stingy, L.A.’s best player currently, Landon Donovan (sorry Beckham) has plenty of assists (6), but has yet to find his scoring touch. When he does, look out, because the Galaxy will be practically impossible to beat.

The Sounders cannot sustain high spirits on draws and losses for long, and at some point, their accumulated record will hamper the growth of the team. A well-timed victory against L.A. would go a long way towards building confidence. It could be the turning point of the season. Columbus, despite a slow start in 2009, turned it on late in the season, earning the Supporters Shield for the second consecutive year and nabbing a playoff spot to boot. If Seattle wants a successful second season, now would be a great time to start.

Just under 80 percent of the season remains. With hard work and a whole lot of luck, the Sounders still have an opportunity to win the Western Conference and gain the top seed in the playoffs. History looks to be with Seattle in the series versus L.A. In their first two meetings, the Sounders outscored the Galaxy three goals to one earning a win and a draw. The way L.A. is scoring, Seattle will need to play perfect football to earn a victory.


Reach Galen Helmgren at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

MARINERS: M's fall again to TB 8-3, lose 5th in a row

The M’s achieved their longest losing streak of the year Wednesday evening, suffering an 8-3 loss to Tampa. Seattle gained an early 2-0 lead in the 4th off a Franklin Gutierrez homer to right, but the advantage was short lived when Cliff Lee gave up two runs in the top of the 5th. A late surge by the AL leading Rays left the Mariners in the dust once again.

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No question, the Mariners have been a big disappointment this past week losing 5 games in a row and 8 of the last 10. Currently, Seattle is struggling to keep their record near the .500 mark (11-16) and is in the bottom of the AL West, three games behind Oakland (15-14).

To their defense, the M’s faced one of the best young pitchers in the league last night in Matt Garza. The Rays’ ace shined last night finishing with 8.0 IP and allowing only 2 ER off of 5 hits. His only mistake occurred in the 4th with the aforementioned HR given up to Gutierrez.

Cliff Lee hosted Safeco Field for his second start last night, and was very impressive for 7 innings maintaining a 2-2 tie going into the 8th. Wakamatsu didn’t have anyone in the bullpen getting loose for the 8th, and figured Cliff could finish what he started by keeping the offensively-powered Tampa squad at bay.

The ultimate decision was imminently a bad one, as Cliff Lee lost his composure and allowed three more runs in the 8th (only two of which were earned), and the Rays earned a 5-2 lead moving into the bottom of the inning. Lee finished the night as followed: 8.0 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 10 H, with 0 BB. With the showing of Matt Garza, however, there was little chance of any comeback the Mariners could compose.

The 9th inning immediately got out of hand when reliever Sean White entered the game, throwing a total 22 pitches and only 7 of them finding the strike zone. The Rays scored three easy runs off White, which essentially was the seal on the envelope for Wednesday’s game.

The Mariners will hope to avoid a sweep Thursday evening at Safeco, providing Ryan Rowland (Hypen) Smith (0-1, 5.28) as Tampa Bay will offer Jeff Niemann (1-0, 2.76). Hypen is coming off of two effective starts on the road, both of which earned no decisions, and it most certainly looking forward to a humble homecoming, and hopefully will receive some run support from the bats in return.

Reach Jacob Kehle at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Carey, Nyassi co-chairs of fundraiser to prevent malaria

Seattle Sounders launched a six-week fundraising campaign to raise money for malaria prevention in Africa, starting May 1. Sounders FC owner Drew Carey and midfielder Sanna Nyassi are serving as honorary co-chairs of the fundraiser that will run until June 10th. Teaming up with the United Nations Foundation, Nothing But Nets, a global grassroots campaign, the Sounders are hoping to help prevent malaria in Africa.

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Insecticide-treated bed nets are long lasting and an effective way to prevent the spread of malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. A $10 donation purchases a net for a family and includes delivery and directions on its use. One net provides protection for a family of four for up to five years. Sounders fans who donate $30 or more will receive a Drew Carey bobblehead.

The fight against the malaria hits home for Nyassi, a native of Gambia, who contracted the deadly disease when he was 16 years old. Lucky to have survived, Nyassi and Carey were eager to be involved in the campaign.

“I was alarmed to learn that malaria is a leading killer of children in Africa and even more surprised to learn I know someone who had been diagnosed with the disease,” said Carey. “So it was easy for me to say yes when I was approached about doing a bobblehead to help raise money and awareness to combat this disease.”

With the upcoming World Cup taking place in South Africa, Nothing But Nets and the Sounders are hoping to raise awareness of the disease as well over the next six weeks. For more information on the campaign and how to donate, visit the Sounders FC web site.


Reach Andi Williamson at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

MARINERS: Milton Bradley indefinitely inactivated to resolve personal issues

Mariner OF Milton Bradley is taking an indefinite leave of absence in attempts to resolve and address personal matters. Bradley has asked Seattle Mariners management for help in dealing with what manager Don Wakamatsu says is “emotional stress” from personal issues, ESPN.com reports.

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The mutual decision comes one day after an altercation Bradley instigated after striking out twice in crucial situations during Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay. Several teammates reported that his head and mind set prior to Tuesday’s match-up was “not good.” Milton affirmed this by complaining and yelling at the home-plate umpire several times throughout the game, despite instruction from his manager to “cool off.”

Reports indicate that Wakamatsu pulled Bradley after the sixth inning, to which he then packed his bags in the clubhouse and left the stadium. ESPN cites direct text messages from Bradley, however, stating: “Any reports that I said I'm packing up and leaving are 100 percent fabricated.”

What we do know is that Bradley requested a personal meeting with Wakamatsu and GM Jack Zduriencik Wednesday morning. At said meeting, the former All-Star came forward and admitted he needs help and is dealing with personally inflicted pressure to perform.

The Mariners lost their fourth consecutive game Tuesday evening after Bradley’s absence. Most notably, the M’s biggest demon is production at the plate (although their defense made its worst appearance last night with 4 errors, three of which from SS Jack Wilson).

No question, Bradley has not exceeded nor lived up to expectations, but for anyone to place the blame completely on Milton Bradley is certainly out of line. The M’s are second to last in the majors in batting average, only able to produce .235 as a team, and have only one player hitting over .300 (Franklin Gutierrez - .337).

There is no indication on Bradley’s return to the lineup, but ultimately we can all hope that he is able to gain stability and confidence moving forward, regardless of whether or not he is able to perform well upon his return.

Reach Jacob Kehle at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

SEAHAWKS: Team acquires QB no. 4 off waivers

Mike Reilly
The Seahawks acquired a fourth QB Tuesday as they picked up former Central Washington QB Mike Reilly off waivers.

Reilly was heavily scouted by the Seahawks leading up to the 2009 draft, and he was slotted to go anywhere after the third round. However, Reilly was picked up by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent.

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He also has a connection to GM John Schneider, formerly of Green Bay, after the Packers signed him to their practice squad in November 2009. The St. Louis Rams signed him a month later but waived him in May 4.

While at CWU, Reilly broke many school records, including the passing yards mark held by former CWU QB John Kitna.

Expect Reilly to push Mike Teel for the third QB spot on Seattle's roster.

Scouting Report
Strengths

Reilly has ideal size for the NFL at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, and he combines this with excellent quickness and speed. While setting numerous passing records at Central, he was enough of a running threat to lead his team in rushing in 2008.

As said, he broke many school and conference records, including the career passing yards mark of former Seahawk quarterback Jon Kitna.

A four-year starter, Reilly displayed solid knowledge of his team's offense, as he routinely picked apart opposing defenses systematically.

He does a great job of making progressions and can make the accurate throw in the short to intermediate range.

Weaknesses

Unlike Kitna and Flacco before him, Reilly does not have ideal arm strength, which may relegate him to strict West Coast offenses only in the NFL.

Furthermore, he has run a spread offense at Central. So not only do scouts need to evaluate his talent versus a low level of competition, they have to do so in an easy stats-happy system.

At 24 years old, he won't have the luxury of youth and potential to drive up his stock, either.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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MARINERS: Defense sub-par in home loss to league-leading Rays

By Kyle Fosnes

The Mariners’ struggles continued Tuesday night, both offensively and defensively. Pitcher Justin Vargas could not stop the M’s losing streak as they fell to the Rays 5-2 at Safeco Field.

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The Seattle offense continued it’s hibernation during the homestand and the usually superb defense did little to help Justin Vargas on the mound. Vargas pitched a decent game, giving up only three runs and four hits, while striking out eight over 6 and 2/3 innings against the dangerous Rays offense. The typically strong M’s defense committed four errors, a total of three by shortstop Jack Wilson, in the loss.

The struggling offense did manage eight hits off the Rays pitching, which is an improvement upon the weekend series sweep by the Rangers. However, the M’s have only managed to score five runs in the past four games, all at Safeco. If the Mariners cannot hit while at home, it is going to be very difficult to win games.

The only positives that can come from the recent struggles are that the AL West is a struggling division, and Seattle is only 2 and 1/2 games out of first place. Also, newly promoted Ryan Langerhans, who pinch hit for Milton Bradley, singled in the bottom of the ninth inning against Rays starter James Shields.

The Mariners send Cliff Lee (0-0, 0.00) to the mound tomorrow night against the Rays, who counter with Matt Garza (4-1, 2.06). The Mariners offense will be challenged in this series against the Rays strong pitching, but improvements are desperately needed, for the fans and players alike.

Reach Kyle Fosnes at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Photo Slideshow from Columbus Match

Reach Jane Gershovich at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

MARINERS: Roster Moves Hope to Strengthen both Offense, Defense

Following the offensively disappointing sweep by the Texas Rangers in Seattle over the weekend, the Mariners front office has designated for assignment Eric Byrnes (.094 batting average/.237 on-base percentage/.156 slugging percentage) and optioned Matt Tuiasosopo (.182/.182/.182) to Tacoma. In their stead, Ryan Langerhans and Josh Wilson have been called up as respective replacements.

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Both moves help the team in two key ways.

First, Langerhans: With Milton Bradley being notoriously injury-prone, and Eric Byrnes struggling at both the field and the plate (seriously, who pulls back on a squeeze bunt?), Langerhans offers a left-handed bat that can give Bradley a break in the field and more time in the designated hitter slot without a staggering loss of power.

The more time Bradley can spend getting at bats without having to run in the field, the more time he can spend producing for the Mariners instead of riding the bench. Byrnes’ anemic production created dead spots in the lineup, ultimately leading to the rally-crushing at-bats seen in late innings.

He won’t be the best hitter on the roster (.231/.332/.379 career), but he will provide another speedy set of legs to create an even further frustration for pitchers when runners get on. It’s no secret that the Mariners are being aggressive on the base paths, and Langerhans has done well in Tacoma this year (.282/.391/.410).

For Josh Wilson, the move is more defensive. Jack Wilson, regular shortstop, is one of the bats in the lineup that lead to more rally deaths than advances, but bringing in Tuiasosopo as a pinch-hitter led to a decrease in defensive production.

With Josh Wilson, a pinch hitter can be brought into the game with the knowledge that there’s a glove on the bench able to perform on the field.

There is still the issue of the Mike Sweeney/Ken Griffey, Jr. designated hitter platoon (that can’t hit), but these are proper steps in the right directions. Hopefully Tuesday will bring with it some more offense and hope that the team can be able to rise above the fray in the AL West with these moves and any possible future steps.

Reach M. Wend at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

MARINERS: Lee unlikely to remain in Seattle after 2010

By Kyle Fosnes

After the excitement of Cliff Lee’s superb pitching performance on the Safeco Field mound Friday, Seattle was treated with some displeasure regarding one of their aces.

Lee’s agent, Darek Braunecker, announced on Saturday that a deal to keep Lee in a Seattle uniform after the 2010 season was unlikely. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Braunecker stating, “I wouldn’t anticipate a deal [with the Mariners].” Cliff Lee is likely to be the most coveted free agent in the 2010 off season.

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This is highly unfortunate for M’s fans, who witnessed one of the best outings of the season on Friday. Lee threw seven scoreless innings while striking out eight batters in a twelve inning loss to the Texas Rangers.

The statement solidifies two key points of focus for the Mariners going forward; (1) make the most of the time you have with one of the best pitchers in baseball in a Mariner uniform, and (2) establish a more consistent offense that can power the M’s to the top of the AL West and into October.

So what are the future options for Trader Jack and the Mariners front office? Well, seeing as how the pitching staff has been better than expected through the month of April, the answer lies in finding more offense. Through 25 games, the M’s have been outscored by only four runs, so the team has been in almost every game played. However, playing baseball this way will turn a 162-game season into a much longer and more difficult ordeal.

The Mariners should be looking to add offense, but don’t want to modify the defensive alignment that has served them well so far this season. As of Sunday, Jermaine Dye is still a free agent, and has the ability to provide the Mariners with a solid DH, bringing both power and consistency to the lineup. Also, if Mr. Z is looking to make a blockbuster deal, a strong push could be made for Brewers’ slugger Prince Fielder. Prince would be a strong addition to the Mariners and has connections with Zduriencik who drafted Fielder back in 2002.

Keep posted to Next Season Sports as the M’s welcome the high-powered Rays to town for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday.

Reach Kyle Fosnes at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Seattle draws Crew on controversial flop

Composed by: Galen Helmgren
All Photos by: Jane Gershovich/NSS All photos property of NSS. Do not copy or redistribute.


Honestly, the Sounders FC should have won tonight’s match against the Columbus Crew. Were it not for a late flop by Ohio’s defense, Fredy Montero would have scored the winning goal with moments left in stoppage time. Although the scoreboard read 1-1 after 93 minutes, Seattle played perhaps the best football of their entire season.

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From the first whistle, the Sounders were obviously the better team on the pitch. Sharp passing from defense to the midfield, excellent vision and a few lucky runs gave Seattle the momentum early.

In the fourth minute, Steve Zakuani corralled a chip pass from Freddie Ljungberg and drove toward the goal. Crew defenders threw hands in the air, pleading for an offsides call, but none came. Zakuani shot a quick look at the referee’s assistant, made a move to his right, upsetting the keeper, and uncorked the first goal of the game. Ljungberg, who was at the heart of most of the Sounder’s scoring chances, almost made it 2-0 in the eighth minute of the match, but his shot failed to reach the net.

The early score gave the Sounders, who were in their lucky, blue uniforms, time to relax and execute some fantastic plays up the wings, but more impressive was how well they stayed in possession and controlled the tempo of the match.
“There was a period of time, 10 minutes where I thought [Columbus] had more control of the ball, but other than that our midfield definitely controlled them,” said Sounders Head Coach Sigi Schmid after the match.

As the game heated up, so did the player’s tempers. By halftime, Seattle had accumulated seven fouls to the opposition's five, but the Crew, like most teams visiting Qwest, came out of the gate playing rough. By the final whistle, Columbus had earned three yellow cards and one red card, while Seattle managed not to draw too much wrath from the referees. Then it happened. 30 seconds into the stoppage time in the first half, the Crew swung a pass to the outside and a few touches later, it burrowed into the net behind Keller. The goal seemed to take the wind out of Seattle’s sails in the second half. The fire, precision and intensity that marked the first half was gone, replaced with the Sounders team from May 2009. (Remember? They tied each of the five games they played that month.)

Finally, with the game in stoppage time and three points on the line, Montero made his game-winning shot… Wait, I mean would have made his game-winning shot if the flop-tacular Columbus Crew had not drawn the ref’s eye, negating the miracle goal and turning this fantastic game to a 1-1 draw.









Reach Galen Helmgren at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more