Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Why James Jones Matters

If you are a Mariners fan, anything like me, you probably lost confidence in the word prospect. After seeing countless Mariners minor leaguers hailed as the next big thing, only to fail in the majors, you've given up hope. You probably roll your eyes and make some sarcastic comment about how they will just fail anyways. Prospect are something for those other clubs, like the ones in Tampa or Oakland. Here in Seattle we rely on mediocre veteran role players for our 70 wins a year.

Well if you are like me, you need to open your eyes to Mariners rookie outfielder James Jones. He is currently batting .286/.351/.400. He came out of the gate like a bat outta hell and he has slowed down since then. Even so he has provided something we haven't seen in Seattle in a while. A confident, fun to watch rookie who is actually having success. Instead of looking scared or over-matched at the plate or in the field, Jones looks like he belongs. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but if Jones can keep it up even a little (say .275/.330/.400) he might be able to restore at least some of my faith in prospects.

So, let's not judge him early or look for weakness. Let's just settle in and enjoy the ride. Be thankful that the baseball gods are giving us at least a few months to watch a young player succeed.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Oops

Well shit, that went poorly. In soccer, it can't get much more embarrassing than a 0-5 ass whooping. The Sounders just got plain demolished. I guess I couldn't have picked a more inopportune time to write a blog post about the Sounders resilience and never say die attitude. They sure made me look silly.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Seattle Sounders FC: The Comeback Kids

The Sounders are currently on a six game unbeaten streak, including five straight wins. During this amazing streak, they have come from behind, after giving up the lead to the opposition, five times. This has shattered the old American stereotype that coming back to win a soccer match is essentially impossible and it has provided super exciting soccer to watch.

The streak was started with a 4-4 draw against their arch rivals, the Portland Timbers. That game was really crazy. It was much different then any other soccer game I have seen. There were eight total goals scored. The Sounders struck first but fell behind 2-1, battled back to 2-2, gave up 2 more goals, then tied it up 4-4 in the waning minutes. Literally scoring in the 85' and 87' minutes.

Looking back at it, this epic game, against the Timbers, seemed to galvanize the Sounders, who, up until that point in the season, had looked sluggish and mediocre. Since their draw, Seattle has been a completely different team. The team's body language on the pitch shows they never feel defeated and never give up fighting. They truly believe there is always a chance to win and the results prove them out. As mentioned, they have come from behind four of five games to beat their opponents. It has become sort of a self replicating cycle as more come from behind wins build confidence and let them comeback again the next week.

The key to the Sounders success has been the unflinching play of their forwards. The two designated players up front, Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, have been proving, with their play, why they get paid so much. Dempsey has 8 goals and 2 assists while Martins has 4 goals and 6 assists. The two of them are constantly attack and making runs that provide the Sounders with scoring chances. They also seem to have developed a chemistry with each other, allowing them to make jaw dropping connections with each other.

The string of amazing games has also built up the confidence of the fans. Like the team, conceding an early goal barely even faze us. There is confidence about the team and their ability to battle back that overrides any fears about being down on the scoreboard. These are must watch games. The Sounders are showing us exactly how exciting soccer can be.