Seattle, WA

Drayer: Are big-spending Rangers ready to compete with the Mariners?

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2023

With MLB spring coaching set to start subsequent week, Mariners insider Shannon Drayer is looking across the division this week with the assistance of conversations from Seattle Sports activities’ Sizzling Range with insiders that cowl the Mariners rivals within the AL West. On this installment, it’s all in regards to the Texas Rangers.

Rangers

• 2022 document: 68-94 (fourth AL West)
• Additions: Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney, Nathan Eovaldi, Jake Odorizzi
• Subtractions: Kole Calhoun, Kolby Allard, Nick Solak, Dennis Santana, Kohei Arihara, Kevin Plawecki, Matt Moore, Charlie Culberson
• 2023 ZiPS projection excerpt: “Wild Card contenders, however till they patch up their previous few holes, they’re going to fret the Mariners greater than they fear the Astros.”

Mariners

• 2022 document: 90-72 (second AL West, third wild card)
• Additions: Teoscar Hernández, Kolten Wong, AJ Pollock, Trevor Gott, Tommy La Stella, Justin Topa, Cooper Hummel
• Subtractions: Mitch Haniger, Erik Swanson, Jesse Winker, Abraham Toro, Carlos Santana, Adam Frazier, Kyle Lewis, Luis Torrens, Matthew Boyd, Curt Casali
• 2023 ZiPS projection excerpt: “The Mariners appear to be an 85-90 win staff, with a tighter vary of outcomes than most golf equipment. That’s enjoyable and makes the M’s a critical contender.”

One of many extra pleasant strategies of pregame prep work earlier than every Mariners collection is catching up with opposing broadcasters once they come to city. Most will drop by the house broadcast sales space earlier than the primary sport to catch up, generally get a pronunciation of a participant’s title, and nearly at all times to get the within scoop on their opponent.

Very often, we’ll take a few of these conversations to the airwaves, speaking one of many broadcasters into approaching the Roundtable section of the pregame present to get their tales and what to search for with their groups. A query that we now have requested the Rangers broadcasters a number of instances lately is simply what’s the plan was for the group? With sporadic huge spending and heading into final season a farm system that had ranked no higher than twentieth the previous 5 years, it has been arduous to see what the plan was. At this time, it’s a lot clearer.

The Rangers have now had back-to-back huge greenback spending offseasons and don’t look now, however the farm system that ranked twenty fourth heading into 2022 got here out of the 12 months ranked sixth. They’ve employed three-time World Collection winner Bruce Bochy to handle the staff and moved on from president of baseball operations Jon Daniels, who took the membership to the World Collection in 2010 and 2011, totally handing the reins of the entrance workplace over to normal supervisor Chris Younger.

It in all probability shouldn’t be a shock that Younger, a former pitcher who performed for the Mariners in 2014, seems to be main with pitching. Might Younger be the subsequent to show this group round sending them to their first put up season since 2016?

“It’s his present now and he talked loads about how he was uninterested in this staff shedding,” stated staff broadcaster Jared Sandler on a latest Sizzling Range Present. “He stated he wished to spend and he stated they wanted to improve the pitching employees. They didn’t waste time getting Jacob deGrom.”

It’s one factor to wish to spend and one other to be allowed to spend, and in Younger’s case, spend huge. For a second straight 12 months, the Rangers have added a participant with an annual wage over $30 million with deGrom inking a five-year, $185 million contract. Including an ace to a rotation whose WAR ranked twenty sixth in 2022 is a substantial enhance, however the Rangers stored going, including Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Jake Odorizzi as properly.

“They’re not fairly the San Diego Padres or something, however actually they weren’t afraid to put in writing some huge checks once more,” stated Sandler. “They went from having a rotation of fellows who had little or no main league expertise and sort of attempting to push themselves to now a full rotation of fellows with huge league expertise. That is proper now, whereas everybody continues to be wholesome, the perfect rotation the Rangers franchise has ever had going right into a season.”

As sturdy a rotation has been constructed, if making the postseason is a objective, Sandler acknowledges the starters can not get them there on their very own.

“They’re going to should determine issues out with the bullpen,” he stated. “I feel if you wish to speak about them by the lens of a World Collection contender, their lineup wants to enhance. Now, their lineup’s ok to be a playoff lineup proper now. It’s not excellent, however it’s good and it needs to be getting higher with quite a lot of youth infused right here within the subsequent perhaps season, season and a half. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless I feel goes again to the pitching after which the well being.”

That’s no small query mark with the sensible however oft-injured deGrom on the prime.

“Is Jacob deGrom going to present you 25 begins or 15 begins?” Sandler requested. “Is Andrew Heaney going to have the ability to choose up the place he left off second half of final 12 months with the Dodgers? Nathan Eovaldi, can he keep wholesome? As a result of when these guys are wholesome, they’re actually good. They usually all all of them have questions. It’s not unfair to side-eye a number of the strikes due to that. But when even 60 % of their rotation can keep actually wholesome and so they could make a number of the proper discount kind strikes with the bullpen, then they’re a playoff contender. Nevertheless it’s not simple. Even with all this, the Rangers are nonetheless in all probability the third-best staff within the division proper now behind the Mariners and the Astros except the Astros lastly simply sort of collapse like we’ve all been hoping they’d have accomplished already.”

A transfer that would push them one step nearer is a transfer many followers want to see the Mariners make. There’s room within the Rangers outfield for an improve and a few within the trade have steered they could possibly be within the combine to amass Bryan Reynolds. With a now wholesome farm system Sandler believes that transfer wouldn’t be out of the query.

“I don’t suppose they should make a transfer, however they’re positively able the place in the event that they wish to improve their lineup -and I feel they positively have to, their lineup took a giant step ahead final 12 months however they nonetheless have have room to develop there-that whether or not it’s now or perhaps earlier than the commerce deadline, they’ve bought the prospect capital to make not simply the mid-level transfer however a giant time transfer and nonetheless have some depth,” he stated.

With the {dollars} which have been obtainable and a wholesome farm system the Rangers appear to be in a great place shifting ahead. It’s value keeping track of these {dollars} nonetheless as a big quantity comes from their TV deal. The supplier, Bally Sports activities Southwest’s mother or father firm Diamond Sports activities, is within the information this week as they’re at risk of declaring chapter, a transfer that would tie up broadcasting funds to quite a few groups.

For now, the Rangers enter the season improved on paper. What that appears like on the sphere and if it’s sufficient to problem the Mariners stays to be seen.

“It’s actually robust to make the playoffs if you’re the third-best staff in your division. That’s going to be an extremely huge problem,” Sandler acknowledged. “The Rangers are competing to not be the third-best staff within the division, and that’s not going to be a downhill battle by any means.”

Take heed to Sandler on the Sizzling Range at this hyperlink or within the participant beneath.

Final installment: Do Mariners have to hold shut eye on Angels in AL West?

Follow @shannondrayer

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Seattle, WA

Seattle road collapses after water main break; repairs ongoing

Published

26 minutes ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) worked to repair a road and the surrounding area after a water service line broke and caused a collapse, according to a news release.

The incident occurred at Airport Way South and South Lander Street intersection on Tuesday, January 16.

Video of the water main break and road collapse were provided by safetyvid.org.

Seattle Police notified SPU about the situation around 10:45 a.m., prompting an immediate investigation by SPU crews.

The broken water pipe resulted in water pooling in the roadway.

Despite the significant break, no SPU water customers experienced a service disruption.

City crews and inspectors will continue to investigate the cause of the incident.

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Seattle, WA

An insider's take on Seattle Seahawks OC candidate Byron Leftwich

Published

8 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

An insider's take on Seattle Seahawks OC candidate Byron Leftwich

Former nine-year NFL quarterback and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is the latest name to emerge in the Seattle Seahawks’ OC search.

Report: Another Seahawks OC candidate gets 2nd interview

NFL on CBS insider Jonathan Jones reported on social media Friday morning that Leftwich has interviewed for the Seattle job, making him the fifth reported candidate to do so.

Leftwich, 45, spent four seasons as Tampa Bay’s OC from 2019 to 2022. During that time, he directed some of the league’s highest-scoring offenses. With Jameis Winston at quarterback in 2019, the Bucs finished fourth in the league in scoring. Then after Tom Brady took over at QB, Tampa Bay ranked third in scoring during its Super Bowl-winning 2020 season and second in scoring in 2021.

However, the Bucs tumbled to 25th in Brady’s final year in 2022. Leftwich was fired after that season and hasn’t coached in the NFL since.

Rick Stroud, who covers the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times, joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Friday to share his insight on Leftwich. Stroud said it remains perplexing that Leftwich hasn’t gotten another NFL gig, especially after he was considered a front-runner for the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching job prior to the 2022 season.

“The production (was) really remarkable in terms of the passing game,” Stroud said. “And then of course, once they got Tom Brady, the team really took off and won a Super Bowl. So I think it’s unfortunate for Byron. He didn’t get much credit for what was done here, but he was the game planner. He was the play caller. And he had some of the most prolific offenses in the National Football League.

“It’s really been kind of frustrating for him and mysterious that he hasn’t gotten that attention (from NFL teams),” Stroud added.

During the Jaguars’ 2022 head coaching search, there was a report that Leftwich turned down the job because he didn’t want to work with general manager Trent Baalke. Leftwich denied those claims, according to a recent article published in The Athletic.

“There were a lot of rumors and things that he doesn’t understand – one of them being that he wouldn’t want to work for Trent Balke,” Stroud said. “He told me, ‘Rick, I never had one discussion about the general manager in Jacksonville. I would have taken that job no questions asked about who was in the front office.’

“So in this day of agents and media – and sometime media sharing the same agents, quite frankly – guys push people that they have relations with. And Byron is not a campaigner. He’s the most affable guy I’ve ever worked with. I know the players love him. (He) never had a problem with a coaching staff member that I’m aware. So I think it’s just that, in an era of self-promotion, that’s the part that he may not have done very well. … But he’s ready to coach again.”

During his four-year run in Tampa Bay, Leftwich had one of the league’s top passing attacks. The Bucs ranked No. 1 in passing yardage in both 2019 and 2021, and No. 2 in passing yardage in 2020 and 2022. However, their ground attack was lagging, ranking in the bottom quarter of the league in rushing yardage all four years. In Leftwich’s final two seasons, Tampa Bay had the lowest run play rate in the league.

That run-pass imbalance would seem to be at odds with what Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald is looking for. Macdonald and the Seahawks moved on from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after one season, citing philosophical differences that appeared to be centered around Seattle’s inability to get the run game untracked. The Seahawks finished 28th in rushing yardage and had the fifth-lowest run rate in the league.

Stroud was asked whether he thinks Leftwich’s pass-heavy background in Tampa Bay would be an issue for Seattle.

“The offense that he ran is really an adaptation of what (former Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay head coach) Bruce Arians did for years and years,” Stroud said. “And it was good enough to win a Super Bowl with a 43-year-old quarterback who wasn’t the most mobile guy in the world. They started that Super Bowl season 7-5 and they made some changes. They shored up some protections and convinced Tom to take more shots down the field, and that’s when their offense really took off.

“And look, there’s a lot of ways to get things done. And a lot of times (with) the screen game, throws in the flat are just an extension of the running game. But I’ve never known Byron to be averse to running the football when you’re doing it successfully. So there’s definitely a philosophy. It was more of a pass-first offense – there’s no question about that. But they attacked people and they created a lot of problems for the defense.”

Listen to the full conversation with the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Seattle Sports.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Insider: Why Seattle Seahawks’ 28-year-old OC candidate is ‘fascinating’
• Report: Seahawks to hold 2nd interview with Klint Kubiak for OC job
• How would Klint Kubiak fit as Seattle Seahawks OC?
• Daniel Jeremiah: What Seattle Seahawks should look for in next OC
• Seattle Seahawks OC Search: Insiders weigh in on each candidate

Follow @CameronVanTil

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Seattle, WA

Gus Williams, Seattle SuperSonics star and point guard ‘Wizard,’ dies at 71

Published

16 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Gus Williams, Seattle SuperSonics star and point guard ‘Wizard,’ dies at 71

Gus Williams, the beloved Seattle SuperSonics star who led the franchise to its only NBA championship in 1979, died Wednesday at age 71.

Williams earned the nickname “The Wizard” thanks to his speed and athleticism as a dynamic scoring guard. He played six of his 12 NBA seasons with the SuperSonics, guiding the team to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances. Both of his two All-Star selections came during his time in Seattle.

A second-round draft pick out of USC, Williams started his pro career with the Golden State Warriors and finished second in NBA Rookie of the Year voting in 1976 behind Phoenix’s Alvan Adams. After two seasons with Golden State, Williams joined the Sonics in free agency and quickly became a star once coach Lenny Wilkens made him a permanent starter in the backcourt alongside Dennis Johnson. Williams finished the 1977-78 season averaging 18.1 points in 79 games and helped Seattle reach the NBA Finals, only to fall to the Washington Bullets in seven games.

The Sonics faced off against Washington in the Finals again the following season, this time beating the Bullets in five games. It remains the only championship for the franchise, which moved to Oklahoma City ahead of the 2008-09 season.

Williams finished the championship season as the SuperSonics’ leading scorer at 19.2 points per game. He saved his best for last, averaging 29.0 ppg against the Bullets in the NBA Finals. Despite his heroics, Williams was not named Finals MVP, with that honor instead going to his teammate Dennis Johnson. Four of the five starters on that championship squad and key reserve Paul Silas are now dead, with Jack Sikma, sixth man Fred Brown and Wilkens the only surviving pillars of the team.

Remembering Gus Williams (1953-2025) pic.twitter.com/UGBFH2mq7v
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 17, 2025

James Donaldson, one of Williams’ SuperSonics teammates beginning in 1980, started a GoFundMe account on behalf of Williams’ family to raise funds for his burial.

Williams lived in a care facility in Maryland and died five years after suffering a stroke in 2020. Donaldson wrote on GoFundMe that he remained in contact with Williams “throughout most of this terrible journey” that included Williams battling pneumonia and meningitis after his stroke.

“He has spent the last 5 years, flat on his back and bravely battling this terrible misfortune,” Donaldson wrote of Williams’ health. “He fought a good fight, but alas, it just became too much to overcome.”

Donaldson said Williams’ family asked him to set up the GoFundMe account to bring Williams’ body to his hometown of Mt. Vernon. N.Y., so he can be buried next to his brother Ray, also a former NBA player who died of prostate cancer in March 2013. Donaldson said the Williams brothers’ 100-year-old mother and other relatives would like to be able to visit their gravesites together.

“(Williams) was gregarious, funny, always upbeat and (very) charitable with his time and money. Plus, he was always friendly with the fans and they loved him in return,” Donaldson wrote of his former teammate. “Super fast and super quick on the court. Could stop on a dime and outrun everyone out there. With a deadly jump (shot) to boot. Gus was one of a kind!”

Williams’ one-of-a-kind style extended off the court, too. He refused to back down in a contract dispute with Sonics management ahead of the 1980-81 campaign, ultimately sitting out the entire season. He returned the following season and averaged a career-high 23.4 points in 80 games, earning his first All-Star selection, NBA Comeback Player of the Year and first-team All-NBA honors.

Williams’ time in Seattle ended in 1984 when the SuperSonics traded him to Washington. He spent two seasons with the Bullets, followed by one with the Atlanta Hawks before retiring in 1987.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Washington Bullets alumni, Gus Williams.
Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/zhKV1lS5Pw
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— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 16, 2025

Williams finished his career with 14,093 points, 4,597 assists and 1,638 steals. He averaged 17.1 ppg in 825 regular-season contests and 19.5 ppg in 99 playoff appearances.

He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

(Photo: Focus on Sport / Getty Images)

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