Mariners Insider
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.

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Ryan Divish has been with Tacoma 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.
E-mail Ryan.

Larry LaRue has covered the Seattle Mariners and Major League Baseball for The News Tribune since 1988. E-mail Larry.

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Mariners Insider
Saturday, November 22nd, 2008
Of coaches and Cora, rumors & free agents
Posted by Larry LaRue @ 09:09:06 am

A few things worth catching up on:

- The most sought after free agent hitter on the market this winter, in terms of how many teams are in pursuit, is 37-year-old Raul Ibanez. ESPN has listed 10 teams, including Seattle, that have strong interest.

- Don Wakamatsu has been mum on candidates for his coaching staff, but one of the intriguing names he’s been linked to is former Athletics and Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson.

Before the Mariners press conference ended, there were reports out of the Bay area that Oakland hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo had been offered the same jo in Seattle.

- When Wakamatsu was hired, some folks reported Joey Cora had been the choice of some in the Mariners front office. Not true, and not close. No one involved in the interviews had Cora in his top five.

- Although GM Jack Zduriencik hasn’t shown the slightest inclination to pursue high-priced free agents, it hasn’t stopped the Mariners from being lumped into rumors. Whether it’s Jim Edmonds, Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets, whenever writers list all the teams with interest, the last one mentioned is Seattle.

Categories: General • 7 comments

COMMENTS:

SharkHawk @ 10:23 - Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 Email
Rick Peterson is a bad call. There are plenty of articles out there that will explain why. A young pitching staff like this does NOT need a guy like that calling the shots.
coovertc @ 10:43 - Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 Email
Links please? Most of what I've read about him is positive, with the possible exception of his views on Scott Kazmir before the Mets traded him away.
SharkHawk @ 12:05 - Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 Email
I will dig some up. Rick Peterson would be the equivalent in my mind of Walt Hriniak or Charlie Lau but for pitchers.

Lau and Hriniak had that top hand release swing that was an incredible discovery for some players who hadn't quite figured out major league hitting. But for those who were already good hitters they ruined some careers. They felt that EVERYBODY had to do it their way regardless of past success. I saw many careers flushed by those guys.

There is such thing as being too controlling or meddling too much with a players approach on the mound or at the plate. Peterson is notorious for changing guys whether they need it or not. Surely some guys need a change.... other guys don't. Peterson has been known to be a no middle ground kind of guy. Some players succeeded greatly under him.... others got kind of screwed up with his arm angle stuff.

Remember when he said that he could fix Victor Zambrano in ten minutes? Haha. That is the kind of stuff I'm talking about.
moo @ 16:39 - Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 Email
Really bites that we're probably going to lose Ibanez.
dave8557 @ 19:56 - Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 Email
I don't care where Rick Peterson goes, as long as it's not the Yankees or Mets. He was a main reason for the downfall of the Mets pitching staff the last two years. Willie Randolph gave him too much control.

How can one of the best pitchers in baseball, Johan Santana (and all the other starters) have a subpar year? By pitching under the guidance of Rick Peterson.
ibew191 @ 01:04 - Monday, November 24th, 2008 Email
I think Johan pitched well down the stretch.
SharkHawk @ 02:56 - Monday, November 24th, 2008 Email
Yeah, he did.... because Rick Peterson was fired in June along with Willie Randolph. Once he stopped meddling, then everybody started to just pitch and did better.

The guy is a meddler, and a "my way or the highway" kind of micromanaging coach. You don't want a guy like that around. Trust me.

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