Season ends: Retirees, HOF - HadlerT's Blog

HadlerT's Blog

Season ends: Retirees, HOF

Posted on August 20, 2014 at 06:59 AM.

(0)

Well, it was a good season.

The Mariners handed the ball to King Felix in game 7 to all but ensure a ALCS victory and the franchise's first ever trip to the World Series. But that's just not how it was supposed to be.

Felix was his dominant self, going 8 IP and giving up no runs on three hits. He also had 15 Ks.

However, him giving up 0 runs in 8 IP doesn't matter when the offense doesn't score any runs in NINE innings. Top of the ninth, Ichiro just hit a triple to lead off the inning off of Joe Beimel. Wow. Okay. He comes back to strike out Brett Gardner looking. But then Captain Derek Jeter comes up. In his final season, possibly final at bat of his legendary career. What does he do? Serves up a 3-2 FB into the gap, easily scoring Ichiro and easily coasting into 2B with a double. To top it all off? He steals third off of the lefty. I was so frustrated, lol. So we go into the bottom of the 9th down 0-1. They're pitching Robertson. We have the 4/5/6 hitters (Morales, Seager, Smoak) coming up. How great would it be to see a two-run walkoff from Seager or Smoak?

Nope.

Morales strikes out on three pitches. Then, Kyle Seager, the best hitting 3B in the AL, hits a ROCKET that looks like it's about to go over the fence, however it bounces off of the top of the wall for a double. I almost got thrown out at second because I was admiring it and didn't run to second as soon as I could of. Next hitter? Justin Smoak. Draws a walk. Okay, winning run on first, Mike Zunino coming up with one out. I decide to pinch hit Willie Bloomquist and I bunt to advance the runners. He gets it down the third base line. Chase Headley stays home and Robertson THROWS OUT SEAGER AT THIRD BASE. OKAY.

So now there's two outs, runners at 2nd & 1st (Chris Denorfia PR for Justin Smoak at 2nd, Bloomquist on first. Dustin Ackley is up. He works the count to 3-2, and I'm so scared, I swing at a pitch outside of the zone for strike three. There goes the entire season.

New York goes on to beat Atlanta in 5 games to win the WS. Unbelievable. I'm just happy they didn't go on to lose, because now DJ and Ichiro go out on top.

Speaking if going out, here are the retiring players:
SS Derek Jeter - NYY
RF Ichiro - NYY
SP Hiroki Kuroda - NYY
1B Jason Giambo - CLE
LF Raul Ibanez - KC
INF John McDonald - LAA
OF/IN Emilio Bonafacio - ATL (injury)
SS Adeiny Hechavarria - MIA (injury)
RP Kyuji Fujikawa - CHC
RF Gregory Polanco - PIT (injury)
RP LaTroy Hawkins - COL

I'm pissed that Hech, Bonafacio, and Polanco are all retired due to injury. I wish I could do something about it but I already saved/don't know when the injuries occurred.

2014 inductees to the HOF:

RF Ichiro Suzuki
.316 AVG, 2846 H, 117 HR, 480 SB, 729 RBI

SS Derek Jeter
.310, 3446 H, 266 HR, 350 SB, 1311 RBI

Next update will be guys I've resigned, and let go of. as well as notable FAs and who we could potentially pickup.