Monday, Aug. 25, 2008

Ichiro, M's still have incentives

By Eric Degerman, sportstricities.com

This certainly is not Ichiro Suzuki's best campaign, but don't look now. A third batting title is within reach of the 34-year-old right fielder.

Ichiro has bumped his average to .313, which is just eight points out of first place.

And his Seattle teammates can help him catch the leader — Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer at .321 — this week when the Twins play three games at Safeco Field.

Unfortunately, the M's will first trot out Miguel Batista (4-12, 6.55 ERA), next Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-2, 3.84) and then someone other than ace Felix Hernandez, who pitched Sunday. A significant stat is that Mauer has batted .364 vs. the Seattle staff this season.

Now, according to this dispatch by Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell, the M's have someone else to play for.

The worst record in baseball would give them the first pick in the 2009 draft. Other strong entries in the "turtle derby" include the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals.

Boswell came away from Beijing impressed by U.S. Olympian pitcher Stephen Strasburg. The 20-year-old starter for San Diego State throws 101 mph and pitched impressively vs. the Cubans in the semifinals. Discount the final score. Strasburg was gone before it became a rout.

"Seattle appears to have quit. The Padres just got serious about getting bad, trading Greg Maddux," Boswell wrote. "The path to No. 1 overall is never smooth. But the Nats might have what it takes: the worst offense, adjusted for era, ever."