Seattlites do not seem to respect Tacoma terribly much. Tacoma houses the Mariners top-level farm unit, the Rainiers. That makes Tacoma the AAA to Seattle’s major leagues. But to hear an average Seattlite say it, Tacoma is the dumpster to Seattle’s five-star restaurant. You might find something edible in there, but you’re playing odds against your own health.
↵Well, if you’re brave enough to venture southbound, you might want to check out Michael Pineda. Pineda is the top pitching prospect in the Mariners farm system. After a mid-season promotion, he’s been kicking the teeth in of AAA batters. On the season, he has 46 strikeouts and 10 walks in 40 innings pitched. His improved pitching and improved velocity landed him on the recent Baseball America Hot Sheet:
↵↵↵Team: Triple-A Tacoma (Pacific Coast)
↵
↵Age: 21
↵Why He’s Here: 0-1, 1.64, 11 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 15 SO
↵The Scoop: After topping out at 94 mph a year ago, Pineda’s fastball has blossomed into a 70 pitch on the 20-80 scale, sitting consistently in the mid-90s and ranging from 93-98 mph. Pineda has been excellent in six of his seven starts since getting promoted to Triple-A in late-June, proving that he’s not far from earning a spot in Seattle’s rotation.
In season filled with high-priced failure, a little down-home, dodge the bullets, affordable success might do Seattle Mariners fans some good. Sometimes a flower blooms in Tacoma downwind from a Seattle waste treatment facility.
Loading comments...