Recent Stories with tag ryan rowland-smith

The Florida Marlins hired Creed's Scott Stapp to compose and sing a team song. It's called "Marlins Will Soar," even though it really sounds like he's singing "Marlins Will Suck." FEEL THE POWER!

Well, isn't that...Creedy. Here in Seattle we have no official team troubadour, but we do have YouTuber ErinBev, who's written a ukeleke ode to Ryan Rowland-Smith.

Extra points for this line: "When he throws his change-ups are they to Rob Johnson's glove, or are they straight to my heart?"

The centerfield wall at the Mariners' spring training stadium is a joke. No, really, it literally is a joke. Prankster Ken Griffey Jr. had the wall covered with a 60x30 foot photo of him jostling notoriously gruff coach Roger Hansen. See? (via @theRealmariners)

Impressive, huh? The joke being that no-nonsense Hansen, the M's catching coordinator and Griffey's minor-league roommate, isn't one to let another man embrace him. Now, proof positive that Hansen's a big softie. Hansen got his revenge by calling Griffey's mom to complain.

Other hilarity highlights from spring: Milton Bradley leaving a box of "Just for Men" hair coloring in graying Griffey's locker. Ryan Rowland-Smith interviewing teammates after an ESPN The Magazine photo shoot (video!). A "Mariners Idol" singing competition, with Ichiro and Griffey serving as judges. (Three minor leaguers won by singing in grass skirts and coconut tops.)

Yesterday, the Mariners played a game of "backwards baseball." Right-handed hitters had to bat lefty, and vice versa, and players ran the bases clockwise. Ha!...

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Probably you know that the Mariners have been doing "funny" commercials for more than a decade now. The spots had been getting a little stale, but rely on Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro to bring back the funny.

No embed, but here's the link to the legitimately hilarious commercial called "Meaningful Moments." Simple concept, really well done.

There are a couple of other winners among the other four commercials, by Seattle agency Copacino+Fujikado, and shot and directed by Mercer Island's Blue Goose Productions.

Don Wakamatsu and Jack Zduriencik have their golf game interrupted in "Running Catch."

David Aardsma has a dubious idea for his bullpen mates in "Immortalized."

Then these two, which didn't really do it for me.

Ryan Rowland-Smith once again gets questionable advice from a marketing exec in "The Next Big Thing."

And Cliff Lee gets ribbed about his name by Felix Hernandez and Chone Figgins in "What's in a Name."

After you're done, check out the blooper reel.

The M's have replaced their bats with those little wooden replicas, I guess, because they go down so quickly I'm never home in time to see the game. Tonight: Five hits. No baserunners past second. Ryan Rowland-Smith pitched well, but even 1986 Doc Gooden would lose with this offense. Ichiro was 0-4, he's still four hits shy of 200 on the year, and the Japanese media horde will continue to follow him. Box score.

The M's are en route to Texas, tomorrow it'll be Luke French vs. Kevin Millwood.

Someday Scott Hairston will tell his grandchildren that he once batted clean up in the major leagues. His grandchildren will say "Wow, Pee-Paw, that must've been one shitty team!"

The A's are atrocious, with Billy Beane's dice-rolling on Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi as his power sources not having paid off. They are an easy mark, and Ryan Rowland-Smith dominated them last night, save one Nomar Garciaparra homer.

Ichiro got two hits, he's now at 1,996 for his career and 191 for the season.

Today it's Luke French vs. Brett Anderson.