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My World Series prediction, plus thoughts on Griffey and Johjima
Posted
at
1:15 pm
by By Kirby Arnold
Been away for a few days, but thought this would be a good time to throw out my World Series prediction. I know, it's pretty cheesy to wait until now to make a predicition. But wait until tomorrow and it'll be too late, which, I guess, tells you who I'm picking in Game 6 tonight.
Not a lot separates these two teams, but I'm going with the Yankees to end it tonight for three reasons: 1, I can't pick against Andy Pettitte, short rest or not. 2, I can't pick against a Yankees lineup that has Johnny Damon creating all kinds of opportunities and the dangerous duo of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira behind him. 3, I won't pick against the Yankees' bullpen. Yes, the two Phils -- Coke and Hughes -- can be had, but behind them is closer Mariano Rivera. If it comes down to the eighth and ninth innings, and I wouldn't be surprised if it does, Rivera trumps a shaky Brad Lidge every time in my book.
So my guess is that the Series ends tonight, which means the offseason business of baseball begins in earnest tomorrow. The Mariners have an infield to assemble, plus a heavy-hitting left fielder to discover. The first move, however, could be a decision on whether Ken Griffey Jr. returns. Speaking the past few weeks with folks in both camps, there was a fairly clear indication that Griffey's status would be resolved very soon. Griffey and the Mariners spoke during the final homestand and planned to have more discussions during the World Series. Even if there was something to announce it wouldn't happen until after the Series because of baseball's unwritten rule against major announcements during that time.
Should Griffey return? I'm not going there because I've got to work with people in both camps. I do believe a good deal of the Mariners' success this year was because of the work he and Mike Sweeney did to alter the mood of the clubhouse. It would have been another quiet clubhouse without those two, and who knows how the Mariners would have responded to their struggles in May without Griffey and Sweeney keeping spirits up?
Will Griffey return? I think he will. He said after the final game that he wanted to return and GM Jack Zduriencik said in a late-August interview that he would like Griffey to be part of the club in 2010. Zduriencik didn't specify what role he'd like Griffey to fill, although my understanding is that Griffey has made it clear that role and money would not be roadblocks to his return in 2010. And besides, the recent surgery to remove a bone spur from his left knee actually might allow him to move more freely and avoid the spells of pain and swelling that plagued him this year.
One guy who won't return is catcher Kenji Johjima, who took his wont for playing time back to Japan. From the day he became a Mariner in 2006, Johjima made it clear it wants to play on a regular basis, so it was no surprise that playing time was a key issue in his decision to leave the Mariners. He spoke of that during his conference call with Japanese reporters (there was no opportunity for English-speaking reporters to talk with Johjima) after he announced he was leaving with two years remaining on his Mariners contract. But Johjima also wanted to make sure everyone understood that he harbors no bitterness toward the Mariners because of his dwindling playing time this year. In subsequent talks with Japanese reporters, he blamed himself for the playing-time predicament, saying if he'd played better he would have started more games.
Bottom line is that Johjima wasn't the choice of the Mariners' current regime and, whether you think Rob Johnson is the answer or Adam Moore is the future, it was time for Joh to move on if he hoped to get a regular job.
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