<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><o:SmartTagType
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceType"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceName"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Being, and having been, an Oakland
Athletics “fan”atic since Reggie Jackson was a rookie, I have two
things to say:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>1) I am really sorry to see Barry Zito
leave.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>2) Thank God he didn’t go to the
Yankees!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Tom Hansen<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=2
color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Moscow</span></font></st1:City><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:State></span></font></st1:place><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>"Life should NOT be a journey to the
grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved
body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the
other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a
ride!'"</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Tim Lohrmann<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, December 29, 2006
9:59 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> vision2020@moscow.com<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Vision2020] M's
Offseason "Strikeout"</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>All:</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Well, the bad news is that the M's didn't sign
Zito and traded Soriano.</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>The good news? </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>They didn't sign Zito to that ridiculously huge 7
year contract. </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>The 7 years is the really ridiculous part! </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>SF will be lucky to get three good years out of him.</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>(The Giants are guaranteeing Zito almost twice as
much $$$ as it cost to build the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Golden Gate</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bridge</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>!
Sure that was a long time ago, but still!!)</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><em><i><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>TL<o:p></o:p></span></font></i></em></p>
</div>
<blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #1010FF 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> The Seattle Times (http://www.seattletimes.com).<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
<strong><b><font face="Times New Roman">M's record another offseason strikeout</font></b></strong><b><span
style='font-weight:bold'><br>
</span></b>Full story:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2003499993_mari29.html<br>
<br>
By Geoff Baker<br>
Seattle Times staff reporter<br>
<br>
There was some legitimate optimism spouted by the Mariners on Thursday after
the team's pile of free-agent rejection letters grew even higher.<br>
<br>
The decision by former Oakland Athletics left-hander Barry Zito to sign a
seven-year, $126 million pact with the San Francisco Giants marked the latest
offseason failure by <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:City>'s
front office to land a pitching target. Zito joins a growing list of free
agents, including Jason Schmidt, Ted Lilly, Kei Igawa and Adam Eaton, who wound
up elsewhere after the Mariners tried to acquire them.<br>
<br>
Despite expressing predictable disappointment at being passed over once again,
Mariners president Chuck Armstrong was correct in stating that the impact of
Zito's new deal on <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:City>
could have been far worse.<br>
<br>
"I'm not happy that he chose another team's offer over ours,"
Armstrong said. "But on the other hand, I'm also very pleased that he's
going to the NL West and not to a team in the AL West."<br>
<br>
At least that much about the latest turn of events rings true from an
optimist's perspective. Zito winding up with either the Texas Rangers or Los
Angeles Angels might have guaranteed the Mariners finishing no higher than
third in the American League West for years to come.<br>
<br>
The rejection by Zito also means the Mariners won't have to go out on a limb by
committing nine figures over most of the next decade to a pitcher whose best
years might already be behind him. But all that saved money in ownership's
coffers still doesn't solve the problem of what to do about escaping last place
now that the team's offseason mound makeover has fallen well short of
expectations.<br>
<br>
In essence, the 78-win Mariners have shed starters Gil Meche and Joel Pineiro
in exchange for Miguel Batista -- the one free-agent pitcher <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:City> managed to sign -- and Horacio
Ramirez. And they had to give up one of their biggest trade commodities,
flamethrowing setup man Rafael Soriano, in the process.<br>
<br>
For all the talk of Zito going to the Rangers, or a team from <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:State>, he wound up staying on the West
Coast with a Giants club that -- like the Mariners -- is sub-.500 and not
viewed as a contender. Once again, the Mariners could not get a deal done,
though Armstrong insisted they made a competitive offer and were "a better
fit" for the southpaw.<br>
<br>
"We were in it," he said. "We thought we made a much better
proposal."<br>
<br>
But given the team's policy of secrecy in regards to all aspects of its
free-agent negotiations, it's tough to verify how competitive <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:City> actually was. The Mariners were
widely viewed as less-than-serious candidates for Zito and were seen as
reluctant to go as high as even six years on any offer.<br>
<br>
Does this leave the Mariners flush with enough cash to go after other big
names?<br>
<br>
"Now that all the major free agents are signed, we're looking for the
trade market," Armstrong said. "But you've got to trade something to
get something."<br>
<br>
In other words, don't hold your breath.<br>
<br>
The New York Yankees are apparently seeking three arms of varying quality in
return for one-time <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:City>
ace Randy Johnson and most of his $16 million contract for next season. <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:City> already lacks the
pitching depth to pull off that kind of deal for a 43-year-old who is coming
off back surgery and allowing an average of five earned runs every nine
innings.<br>
<br>
And despite all the trade rumors surrounding first baseman Richie Sexson and
third baseman Adrian Beltre, it's unlikely either will be moved without a
serious hitter coming back the other way. The Mariners lagged in most
power-hitting categories, and any gains from the offseason additions of Jose
Guillen and Jose Vidro would stand to be nullified by losing one of the team's
two biggest bats.<br>
<br>
Beltre is also a key component of an infield defense that helped convince the
Mariners it was worth gambling on ground-ball pitchers Batista and Ramirez.
Sacrificing part of that defense by trading Beltre would run contrary to the
team's strategy of hoping Batista and Ramirez can improve on mediocre career
stats by virtue of the gloves behind them.<br>
<br>
Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi could not be reached for comment about his
team's next move. Bavasi had been talking with lower-tier free-agent pitchers
like John Thomson and Tomo Ohka.<br>
<br>
But Armstrong's statements make it appear the Mariners are no longer being
considered. Armstrong said it's important to remember that the team also
acquired a Class AAA starting pitcher, Sean White from the Pittsburgh Pirates,
in a cash deal after he was left unprotected by the Atlanta Braves in the Rule
5 draft.<br>
<br>
The <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mercer Island</st1:place></st1:City>
native is one of a handful of minor acquisitions by the Mariners who will be
given a shot at making the roster this spring. Another is third baseman Sean
Burroughs, a faltering prospect reportedly signed to a $450,000 minor-league
deal this week.<br>
<br>
But none of the team's moves thus far would qualify as an "impact"
addition. Despite this, Armstrong insisted the team remains very competitive
within a division where other clubs have also done little to improve.<br>
<br>
That remains to be seen.<br>
<br>
While the A's have been weakened both offensively and on the mound, the
hitting-deprived Angels added Gary Matthews Jr. and Shea Hillenbrand,
strengthened a stellar bullpen with Justin Speier and will have starter Bartolo
Colon back from injury.<br>
<br>
The Rangers also added to a slowly improving mound staff by holding on to
Vicente Padilla and acquiring Brandon McCarthy from the Chicago White Sox. But
Armstrong remains unbowed.<br>
<br>
"If we entered the season right now, I'd be very comfortable," he
said of his team's starting rotation. "We're very competitive in the AL
West."<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com<br>
<br>
Copyright (c) 2005 The Seattle Times Company<br>
<br>
www.seattletimes.com<br>
Your Life. Your Times.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</blockquote>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> __________________________________________________<br>
Do You Yahoo!?<br>
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around <br>
http://mail.yahoo.com <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>