I was already annoyed by the M's bench selections, not having Norton or any other left-handed pinch hitter.  I mean, given this lineup, what's the #1 thing you're going to want to do with your bench?  Have a LH PH to hit for Lopez or Betancourt in key late-inning situations!

So you can't do that with the current bench.  Dumb, dumb, dumb.

But today I realized there's one more level of the insanity. You've got TWO backup middle infielders, in Bloomquist and Cairo.  But you're never going to PH for Lopez or Betancourt, since you don't have anyone to do so.  So having the TWO backup middle infielders is even dumber than before, cause they're primary use isn't going to happen either.

But boy, we sure do have the pinch runners available.  WOOOooooooo.....  um, yeah.

Burning bench questions:

1. Will Jimerson ever be used as a late-inning defensive replacement for Ibanez??  Or is Ibanez too holy for that, just like he's too holy to platoon?

2. Will Morse be used as a pinch-hitter for Lopez/Betancourt against a LH pitcher?  Or is Morse saved to only hit for Wilkerson?

3. Why can't we just make Cairo a coach and be done with it?

In AK1984's diary about what else happened in 1995, the M's greatest season, it came up that both "12 Monkeys" and "Se7ven" came out that year. "Pretty damn good year for Brad Pitt," I thought to myself.  Then, hmmmmm, let's examine this some more:

1991 - M's break .500 for the first time, Brad Pitt breaks out to the public in a supporting role in "Thelma and Louise"

1995 - As mentioned before, best year for both.

1996 - Not much happens for either

1997 - M's make playoffs but lose decisively in first round. Brad Pitt stars in "Devil's Own" with Harrison Ford. Both are promising at the beginning, but fizzle in the end.

1998 - M's losing record; Pitt, "Meet Joe Black" ugh.

1999 - Pitt stars in "Fight Club", another hint of greatness to come. M's still lose, but sign Olerud, Javier, McLemore, and Snelling

2000 - M's make playoffs, Brad Pitt marries Jennifer Aniston.

2001- M's historic season, extremely entertaining for all their fans, but no big prize at the end. Pitt stars in two very entertaining movies, "Ocean's 11" and "Spy Game", but neither are Oscar-bait, so no big prize at the end.

2002/2003 - M's have winning years, but no playoffs. Pitt appears in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", a pretty good but not great movie.

2004 - M's go 63-99, their worst year since 1983. Pitt stars in "Troy" and "Ocean's 12" -- double ugh.

2005 - Not much better for either.

2006 - M's go 78-84, showing improvement. Brad Pitt produces and stars in "Babel", an improvement over his movies of the past few years.

2007 - M's break through and win 88 games.  Pitt acclaimed in "The Assassination of Jesse James...", and "Ocean's 13" is, at least, better than "Ocean's 12"

So the big question, what's up for Pitt in 2008? Tidings are good, Mariner Fans!  Pitt has two films scheduled to release this year:  "Burn After Reading", by the Oscar-winning Coen brothers, co-starting Oscar winners George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand. Also "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", directed by David Fincher ("Se7en", "Fight Club"), co-starring Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton (again).  So, Mariner Fans, make sure your October is clear....