So, I was looking around Lookout Landing and U.S.S. Mariner today.

First of all, I found out whose fault it is that Gerald Laird is hurt.  It is Jeff Sullivan's.  Look what he put up Friday afternoon.  Then, that night, Laird strains his hamstring.  Clearly, the Seattle Mariners suck of 2008 is so powerful, it is stretching across time, space, and interwebs...

Jeff also has a bit of a mea culpa up on Erik Bedard, and I have to say, I'm surprised that so many smart people jumped on the Bedard bandwagon this offseason.  My argument at the time, to those who wanted the Rangers to make a big push for him and give him crazy money, was that one great season from a 28 year old does not an ace make, and if you are going to sell the farm and go all-in for a pitcher, it shouldn't be for one who (along with being 28 and with only one great season) has never thrown 200 innings and has made more than 28 starts only once.

It isn't that Bedard isn't a terrific pitcher...he is, and is definitely better than anyone the Rangers have.  It is that he isn't the elite level performer that folks were treating him as last summer.

Over at U.S.S. Mariner, Dave Cameron marvels at how coaches are anonymously dropping players in the grease.  Seriously, click on the link and go read the quotes.  As he notes, what is so amazing isn't just that the coaches think that, but that they are willing to go on the record (even anonymously) to a reporter with this, and apparently want it out there and in the press. 

Cameron also, in another post, points out this Ken Rosenthal column which I had missed, which describes the M's clubhouse as "toxic" and claims there are major schisms, particularly with some players thinking Ichiro and Jumanji are getting preferential treatment, and that Bedard hangs out in the clubhouse on days he isn't pitching, rather than sitting in the dugout.

Jumanji, incidentally, is what prompted me to check out U.S.S. Mariner and LOL today, since over at BP, there's an article up by John Perrotto that includes this fascinating news:

The Mariners would like Johjima, signed to an albatross-like three-year, $24 million contract extension by Bavasi in April, to move to first base to replace Richie Sexson, a strong candidate to be released. However, Johjima wants no part of playing first and will now likely sit most of the time while rookie Jeff Clement sees most of the action at catcher.

I don't know how much of that Jumanji deal is really on Bavasi, since word is M's ownership was pushing to retain him, but still...signing a guy who isn't that great to an above-market contract, when your best positional prospect plays the same position, and neither of them are going to have much value anywhere else, doesn't seem like a great plan.