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1

About time, Seahawks. Seneca Wallace is not as good a pocket passer as Hasselbeck, but he sure is good when he tucks and goes. He gives you the best chance to win when given the chance to do what he does best.

Also, what's even more impressive about Ichiro's fielding success is that he moved to CF for the first time about 2 months before the season's end, and didn't skip a beat. He's a free agent after next season: make this team better, Mariners, so he isn't tempted to leave.

Posted by Gomez | November 3, 2006 10:05 AM
2

Agreed on both points, Gomez.

Posted by BRADLEY STEINBACHER | November 3, 2006 11:03 AM
3

I hope the blockers block for him. Give him some vantage room for the runs and passes.
He got pummeled in Kansas
And catch those passes Hawks. Yeah he throws like a gun spewing bullets you just got to anticipate the speed of the football is going to be fast and grab it into your body if you have to.
We got to clinch this game against the raiders. We are still in this even without our power quaterback and reciever . Give them hell Seattle Seahawks. Even in the rain. Its our house.

Posted by sputnik | November 3, 2006 11:09 AM
4

Agreed about Wallace. The few times he scrambled as the O-line broke down, it was pretty amazing to see his freakish acceleration take him around a corner you didn't think he'd beat the pursuit around. The MNF against The Raiders is a pretty damn exciting match-up for Wallace to see what he can do this week. Call me over-optimistic, but I think Wallace could pick apart a D that the Steelers (and Cards) couldn't. Esp in the rain and on field turf. Now, if he can only get some help. Deion, Deion, Deion!

As far as Ichiro goes, I like moving him to CF. Unlike you Gomez, I don't think the transition was seamless, though Ichiro did tackle the challenge quite well. From my RCF seats, I saw a lot of balls that Ichiro misjudged. He was on the curve, I know, and he adapted very quickly, but you def did see him bringing his RF game to CF on a good number of plays when he moved over. Esp going left and into either alley. Too, I like CF'ers that will dive for a ball. C'mon Ichiro, I know you're fast, but lay it out, dude. Just splitting hairs...

I hope Ichiro will take his under-the-radar attitude up a notch to take control of the D and really run things (more of a leader) out in center this year. I'm looking forward to it.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | November 3, 2006 11:11 AM
5

Diving for a ball is a sign that a fielder misjudged a ball so badly that he can't get to it. When you leave your feet, you give up your motive power and thus slow way down, making it harder to get to where you need to be. The best fielders are the ones who always seem to be hanging out nonchalantly under the ball, and the worst are the ones that have to run fifty yards and dive. A great centerfielder already knows where the ball's going before it's hit.

Diving also makes it difficult to make any further play, and would thus take Ichiro's accurate arm out of the game. Diving also increases the chance of injury, and Ichiro contributes when he's playing, not when he's sitting. Leave that "give 110%" B.S. to the football team.

Fielding percentage isn't a statistic, it's a red herring.

Moving Ichiro from RF to CF, though, instantly converts him from a good player to a serious perennial MVP candidate.

Posted by Fnarf | November 3, 2006 12:35 PM
6

I don't think it's bs, fnarf. You are correct in that diving isn't always necessary, hence you see the swift-of-feet OFs like Ichiro running almost every ball down. Ichiro loves the knee slide, and he makes it look pretty. He likes to use the knee slide to -- as you correctly point out -- not let in-between balls get by him, giving up extra bases.

He obviously (to me) plays like a guy who will forego anything that may injure himself, which is, you know, smart. But I think that he assumes that any type of dive is going to hurt his temple of an athletic bod, so he doesn't do it. He's given away outs with that attitude. That's what I'm saying.

And, fnarf, balls that any player would have to dive for are either short -- where you have to leave your feet to get your glove to where the ball is -- or hit too hard to cut off on the run. Ichiro made both of these mistakes in CF last year, giving outs away.

He uses all of his weapons well -- arm, speed, positioning. I'm just saying that he also shows you what he's unwilling to do to make a number more outs in the outfield that the limber wee lassie would make by leaving his feet.

Ichiro: You're Ichiro! You can do it!

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | November 3, 2006 12:58 PM

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