Wired has an article up on sliding titled, "Physicists Say Headfirst Slide to Base Faster, Maybe."

Here's an excerpt...

According to Peters, it's simple physics: As a runner slides headfirst, the body's center of gravity -- and therefore its momentum -- is thrust forwards. Slide feet first, and the body's center of gravity falls backwards, away from the base.

"It's basic, fundamental angular momentum and Newton's laws applied to a body in motion being flung through the air," Peters said. Fellow physicist Alan Nathan agreed, noting that it's easier for a runner's churning legs to generate force with head and arms leading, not trailing.

But...

Of three published studies to test the physicists' hypothesis, none found a significant headfirst advantage, and one a disadvantage.

"We found no statistically significant difference in speed between headfirst and feet-first sliding at all levels of play in this study," concluded University of Texas researchers in a 2002 American Journal of Sports Medicine analysis of base-stealing techniques.

 

 

Kicking ass for Newton to the tune of 10 million a year

Here's the M's excerpt from the latest Rumblings and Grumblings...

Northwest Clearance Sale Dept.: Here's an interesting development: Clubs that have spoken with the Mariners report they're back-burning their attempts to deal Erik Bedard, for the moment at least, because they have more pressing priorities.

And what might those priorities be? Moving the likes of Richie Sexson, Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista and Adrian Beltre. That's what. Not surprisingly, unloading Sexson heads that list -- not that they're getting anywhere. Seattle is even expressing reluctance to deal Raul Ibanez -- at this point, anyway. One club reports the Mariners would like to package Ibanez with someone like Washburn or Batista, in hopes of maximizing the return. Otherwise, they're saying they would move their left fielder only "for a quality young outfielder" and another piece.

The inclusion of Beltre would seem to contradict the recent notion that the M's would like to keep him.

Unrelated bonus: This little blurb in point four of the primary topic.

...former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker, now a senior vice president for baseball operations in Tampa Bay. He made two of the best midseason deals of the past decade -- snagging Carlos Beltran in 2004 and Randy Johnson in 1998.

I know Randy Johnson was lights out with the 'stros for those two months in 1998, but the return of Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen and John Halama wasn't exactly chaff.

I wonder how far would the Mariners get if they moved the decimal point one place to the left and claimed clerical error on Silva's original contract? If Nintendo's lawyers pummelled Universal Studios over a copyright claim, shouldn't they be able to turn a contract of 48 million dollars into 4.8 million? Apples and space oranges I know, but one can hope.

Note: I realize the important information in the first image is repeated in the second image, but I didn't want to cover up the absurdity of Washburn and Batista's contracts with red markings.

The excerpt from today's chat (ESPN Insider only)...

Jerry (Albany, NY): Hey Keith, As someone with experience working in a big league front office, what do you think about the current state of the Mariners organization and their prospects for the future? The organization is a mess, and Bill Bavasi saddled the club with a lot of bad contracts. Who do you think are the best GM candidates who might be interested in the job? And what needs to change to get this club back on track?

 Keith Law: I think it's a pretty appealing job - great city, great stadium, high payroll, probably the best international scouting operation in the game, and some talent on the big league roster. This ain't Pittsburgh. #1 thing that needs to change is the win-now-right-now philosophy - they need to restock a little instead of making abortive runs at the Angels.

The other M's related answer from today's Klaw chat...

Brian (Austin, TX): Can you talk about Phillipe Aumont of the Mariners. He has good numbers this year and a 6'7 pitcher with a mid 90's power sinker sounds like future number one, will he climb up your top prospects list at the end of the year?

 Keith Law: It's not so much a power sinker as a pitch with natural sink from his low arm slot. The problem is that his secondary stuff is all below average, so he's a good ways off.

And a bit of hilarity to boot...

Jacob (Brooklyn): Sabathia for Billingsley, Kershaw, Loney and Kemp- WHO SAYS NO?

Keith Law: Well, every Dodger fan with two connecting neurons.

Woo! Best international scouting! Maybe? Awesome. We need more players from New Zealand though.

Alright then. Ken Rosenthal is taking the pulse of the M's clubhouse (some scrolling required)...

Meanwhile, the Mariners' clubhouse remains toxic, sources say, with both Japanese players, Johjima and Ichiro, drawing resentment. Several starting pitchers dislike throwing to Johjima, and his new contract is a source of envy. Players also are jealous of Ichiro, who follows his own training regimen and is perceived by some to be selfish.

Johjima's contract remains a point of envy? Seriously? Nearly a third of the team makes more than Joh does.

If this is even remotely true then the only proper course of action is to turn the M's roster into a Japanese All-Star team. That should fix the resentment right quick. Yes indeed.

Yahoo! Sports Jeff Passan has elected Ichiro into the overpaid outfield as part his article titled Passan's all-overpaid and under-paid teams. Interestingly enough, Beltre was not nominated to the third base post. Is someone outside of the M's blogosphere aware of his value?

Here's the excerpt on Ichiro...

Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle, $17.1 million – Much like Jeter, Suzuki lands here because his persona made it such that his team overpaid to keep him. Mariners manager John McLaren hopes a move to right field will invigorate Suzuki, whose average is still below .300 and can’t even eclipse a .400 slugging percentage.

He just compared Ichiro to Jeter. That's just...that's not right.

And of course, there's always Sexson...

Richie Sexson, Seattle, $15.5 million – With general manager Bill Bavasi fired Monday, the Mariners could finally cut ties with Sexson, the biggest mistake of Bavasi’s tenure. He’s been even worse than last season, striking out once every three at-bats, getting on base less than 30 percent of the time and slugging below .400. A disaster in every manner possible.

Hilariously, three of the pitchers the M's have pursued over the past two or three offseasons made the overpaid list as well. Is the three headed monster of Pavano, Schmidt and Zito worse than Silva, Washburn and Batista? Maybe we should be thankful.

No M's made the underpaid team. Freddy Garcia trade element Miguel Olivo did though. Awesome.

Sidenote: I'm pretty sure Passan broke his own rule of excluding players who aren't yet eligible for arbitration with Ian Kinsler.

From food critic, ESPN writer and uber badass Keith Law ...

The first round had a few head-scratchers, but two of them really stand out. One is Josh Fields. He actually has good value for when he was picked, but it makes absolutely no sense for the worst team in baseball to take a college reliever whose value is tied up in "now." The Mariners' best prospects are all in Class A ball, years away, and they're light on both power bats and high-probability starting pitching. Their big league club is second-to-last in the AL in scoring, third-to-last in ERA and dead last in starters' ERA. This is a team that has to be thinking about the future. You look at that club, and that organization, and decide that the best thing to do in the draft is take a reliever who can come to the big leagues right away?

Klaw throws the Twins into the pit of suck as well, so I suppose there's some small consolation to be had in that. Maybe?

Buster Olney, esteemed reporter of the four letter's website and Baseball Tonight, says thusly...

"They may ask Jose Vidro to go to Triple-A at some point, or perhaps cut him altogether, and they've tried to install Jeff Clement into their lineup as a designated hitter. As we sit here today, there is one very obvious solution that could serve as an upgrade for either the Detroit Tigers or the Mariners and their hitting problems: Barry Lamar Bonds, who is sitting at home by a silent phone. But the Mariners reportedly have no interest. If Wladimir Balentien can't establish himself in right field, you wonder if Seattle will pick up past threads of Griffey trade talks." (Bite me 75 word limit)

                                                                                     ^^^ The Olney in quesiton ^^^

Griffey and Ibanez in the same outfield? Ichiro could have a heart attack. And I swear if Bavasi gives up Aumont or Triunfel to pry away KGJ when everybody knows bloody well he's coming here next year to retire anyway then I'll never buy a Nintendo product again.

Thoughts on what has already been relentlessly discussed since the beginning of the '08 offseason?