Mariners Insider - McLaren reaches his boiling point

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

Posted by Ryan Divish @ 03:42:53 pm

As we waited to go into the clubhouse following the Mariners 6-1 loss, the unmistakable sound of John McLaren's high-pitched tenor of anger could be heard through the thick clubhouse walls.

After not wanting to say something he regretted about his team to the media. He told his team directly, loudly and angrily instead.

You could see it building on the horizon and since the players weren't doing it, McLaren did it instead.

We couldn't hear the exact words, and the ones we did hear, couldn't be used in print. But it had something to do with their effort, their focus, their preparation and their attitudes, all of which need some improvement.

"Everything he said, he hit the nail on the head," said Raul Ibanez. "He’s absolutely right. It’s time for us to pick it up. And we're very well capable of picking it up."

I'm trying to finish up writing, and I'll post more later.

Categories: Answers to your questions • 6 comments

COMMENTS:

Comment by snydro22 @ 17:24 - Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

It should have happened weeks ago, but I'll take it..

Comment by moo @ 17:53 - Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

Is it legitimately time to place some blame on (& consider replacing) Jeff Pentland? Most of the hitters are on pace to have career worst years,

Comment by dave8557 @ 19:10 - Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

Just for the record, my all time favorite manager, who did things the way he felt would help the team win, was Billy Martin. I hated Steinbrenner every time he fired Billy. But Bill was a winner, wherever he went.

Next would be Gil Hodges who guided my Mets to that fantastic pennant in 1969. I liked Joe Torre when he was a player-manager for the Mets in the mid 70's, but he later got mired in groupthink.

Felix was toast after he gave up that home run to make it 6 to 1. But for some strange reason, he was kept in there. Why? Because he hadn't gotten his 100 pitches yet. This is groupthink in reverse. If you are pitching ineffectively, you must stay in to get your 100 pitches. If you are pitching very effectively, you must come out after 100 pitches.

Unlees you play for the Yankees, then you come out after 80 to 90 pitches so the revolving door can operate.

Comment by SharkHawk @ 21:09 - Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

Every morning I wake up and think that it is a good day, because we are one day closer to the end of the McLaren experiment. I thought he sucked as a third base coach 10+ years ago, and his managing seems to be no different.

I think my days would be even better if I also knew we were a day closer to the end of Howard Lincoln's reign of terror in Seattle. He's a clown.

Comment by Squid @ 22:34 - Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

Dave8557: We Twinkies were treated to one year of Billy-ball in 1969 I think. Let's see, division champs and Rod Carew steals home...SEVEN times. WTF? Will there be ONE steal of home in the American League this year? Billy punches out Dave Boswell in an alley in Detroilet which results in my favorite all-time quote from Boswell: "It's a forgotten memory".

Who couldn't like Sweet Lou, but otherwise my favorite was Tom Kelly, who managed a couple of ragamuffin Twins teams to 2 World Series championships. There was a guy who managed to keep everybody in the game.

Comment by snydro22 @ 09:56 - Sunday, May 4th, 2008

Every time they show a shot of the dugout, all the Mariners players are all slouched on the bench, looking uninterested..

If after last nights tirade, these guys aren't up on the top step of the bench cheering for their teammates, I'm just going to give up on this group of losers..

That is why a guy like Mike Morse, who just loves the game (he was ALWAYS on the top step, with his head in the game) was so important to this team.. Losing him really hurts..

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Mariners Insider

Ryan Divish has been with The News Tribune since 2006, covering the Tacoma Rainiers and high school sports. Divish played baseball at Dickinson State University and also earned a journalism degree from the University of Montana. You will find news, observations, anecdotes, analysis and photographs on this blog. The purpose is to keep readers informed, but also give them a feel for the team and its players, and a place to go to read about baseball.
E-mail Ryan.

Larry LaRue, who has covered the Seattle Mariners and Major League Baseball for The News Tribune since 1988, is taking some time off for personal reasons.