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Riggleman has made a difference
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When Jim Riggleman was named the Mariners' manager on June 20, I didn't think it was a good idea. He didn't have much of a winning history previously as a manager. He didn't have any past connection to the ballclub, which is why I would have preferred Sam Perlozzo instead. And I didn't really know him or what he could do.
But after a couple weeks in charge, I like him. He's a quality guy. He knows the game and I think can get this dysfunctional family to play good baseball again.
His successor John McLaren wasn't the reason why the Mariners were so bad. It was the vastly under performing players. But the team had the worst record in baseball when he was canned. That's a fact. Mac was the fall guy.
For whatever reason, the players have clicked with Riggleman. A couple nights ago, I asked Adrian Beltre why.
"He makes you feel comfortable,'' he said. "He lets you know what your role is and keeps you loose. When you do something wrong, he tells you early. The guys like that and so far the guys have responded to him.''
When McLaren was fired, Jarrod Washburn said at the time that neither his departure nor the firing of General Manager Bill Bavasi would turn the team around. "If we start playing better,'' he said, "it means something happened, we figured something out.''
So I asked Washburn this week why the team has played so much better under Riggleman.
"It's frustrating because we're playing right now the way we envisioned ourselves playing (under McLaren),'' Washburn said. "I don't think we're doing anything different as far as our approach or how we're playing the game.
"It's just that things are clicking. We're pitching well. We're playing good defense, we're getting big hits when we need them. It seems like a different guy every night. It's frustrating that it took so long but we're all happy we're finally playing the way we're capable of playing.''
From a attitude perspective, it could be the McLaren, as much as I like him, wasn't the leader he needed to be. This is a clubhouse devoid of leadership and no one stepped up. Riggleman, a no non-sense guy, may command a little more attention.
But I also like his management of games. The hardest thing for a manager to do - and the one aspect of the game that generates the most second-guessing - is handling the pitching staff. When Riggleman took over, closer J.J. Putz had to be shut down with a sore elbow. Erik Bedard and Miguel Batista came up with injuries to miss appearances. Then Felix Hernandez injured his ankle and is sitting on the disabled list.
A further complication is the fact that the Mariners finished 17 straight games up to the All-Star break so they don't have the luxury of an off day to rest or readjust the rotation.
So Riggleman had to use Brandon Morrow as his closer and virtually his entire bullpen to start and finish Tuesday's game because of the sudden starter shortage. That kind of turmoil can temporary destory a bullpen and set a team back for a week but Riggleman did a masterful job working around the mess.
He used guys just long enough for them to be effective while not overextending them so they'd be unavailable for the next game or two. He rotated his relievers through the games, an inning here, a batter there, two innings here, so that the bullpen didn't blow up.
The same scenario presents itself Sunday when erstwhile reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith starts against the Tigesr inevitably followed by a series of relievers. Watch how Riggleman handles it to see if he gives his team a chance at an effective bullpen for next week.
The other thing I like that he's doing is rotating Jeremy Reed and Willie Bloomquist in center field. Reed needs to show he can play consistently up here. It's time for him to step up and this is his chance. It also will be interesting to see if Bloomquist, who has always wanted extended time on the field, can handle a surge of at-bats.
Riggleman is not going to turn this team around this year. There will be no miracles but I think he can show that he's capable of being a winning manager. If this team plays .500 under his watch, he just might earn another couple more seasons in Seattle.
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