The heat is on and we’re not talking about the temperatures outside
A GRIP ON SPORTS • The air conditioning is about ready to kick in, but it probably won’t cool us off. Nope. We’ve got some bones to pick. Read on.
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• Let’s start with Roenis Elias. What’s up with the seven-run fourth inning, pal? Here we are, feeling really good about our column from yesterday as Elias rolls through the Royals lineup for one, two, three perfect innings. We know the M’s are going to be stuck trying to figure out what to do when Hisashi Iwakuma comes of f the disabled list and then, boom, a built in reason (excuse?) to send Elias to Tacoma rears its ugly head. “Work on his consistency,” will be the phrase used in some form. J.A. Happ should send Elias some flowers or something.
• Before we leave the Mariners, let’s bring up yesterday’s call-up. Franklin Gutierrez has returned to the major leagues. It’s not that we’re down on Guti, as he’s called (though we expect to him to be on the disabled list within a week, 10 days tops), it’s just that James Jones wasn’t given much to do in his short stint back in the bigs. Give the guy a chance, will you? Though maybe Jones served a purpose. His presence seemed to have lit a fire under Dustin Ackley. Though it will probably smolder and die out soon.
• Watching soccer can be a bit of chore in the best of circumstances. But when Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey are clicking together, the game is a bit more unpredictable and, thus, better to view. You never know when either of them will do something jaw-dropping, even if it doesn’t result in a goal. Which makes the Sounders right now about as exciting as buying a new Buick. Dempsey is out on suspension, Martins is out with an injury and the Sounders’ offense is out, period. They hardly threatened last night against Philadelphia, building attack after attack only to see it squandered due to the lack of a finish. Someone call me when Dempsey is back please.
• It’s hard to get excited about minor league baseball being back in town for the summer right now. Oh no, I love baseball and there is no better experience than sitting out at Avista on a warm summer night, taking in the ambience, watching future major leaguers learn their craft and eating hot dogs and drinking a cold beverage. That’s what ticks me off right now. I’m off the hot dogs and cold beverages until I reach a certain number on the scale. So it just doesn’t seem right to hit the park. It’s enough to make me want to hit something else.
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• WSU: The Cougars landed another wide receiver for 2016 yesterday and Jacob Thorpe has his background in this blog post. Josiah Westbrook played at Bellingham’s Squalicum High, where his football coach last season was Nick Lucey, a former WSU graduate assistant. Wonder if that played a part in the decision?
• Gonzaga: Matt Santangelo is not only running Hoopfest, the former GU star wants to win it too. John Blanchette’s column delves into the motivation. ... Santa Clara hired a new athletic director. I guess I'm not the only one who wonders why the school would pick Renee Baumgartner.
• EWU: Today may be a big day for Tyler Harvey. Or not. He hopes to hear his name called in the NBA draft. Jim Allen has the story. ... Speaking of the NBA draft, there is a proposal before the NCAA to give college players who declare more time to make a decision and then the ability to return to school if they feel they aren’t in the right situation.
• Indians: Spokane’s offense seemed to take the night off yesterday. Tom Clouse was at Avista and has the game story.
• Chiefs: Tuesday it was the preseason schedule. Wednesday the Chiefs released their regular season schedule.
• Shock: Arvell Nelson actually did go to work each day at the salt mine. It wasn’t a figure of speech. But he lost that job and now he’s back with the Shock. Jim Meehan has more in this notebook.
• Golf: I guess we are really not done talking about Chambers Bay.
• Seahawks: After taking a look at the defense the other day, Bob Condotta now has a look at the offense.
• Mariners: For three innings, Elias was perfect. Then the wheels fell off and he crashed in the M’s 8-2 loss to Kansas City. He couldn’t explain it, Lloyd McClendon couldn’t explain it and there is no way I can explain it. ... Gutierrez is just happy to back in the big leagues. It’s been a couple years. But he’s ready now. ... Got a long email from a baseball fan yesterday ripping into the Mariner organization. I can’t say I can argue with any of his points.
• Sounders: The best Seattle was going to do last night was a 0-0 tie. But the hope of even that disappeared in the second half on C.J. Sapong’s goal. The 1-0 loss means the Sounders have dropped back-to-back MLS matches for the first time this season. ... The comments from the Seattle players and Sigi Schmid seemed a bit fatalistic. And the ones from the Union were upbeat as one might expect. ... L.A. is playing as well as anyone in the league and pounded Portland, 5-0, last night. ... Shorthanded Real Salt Lake lost to the New York Red Bulls, 1-0.
• NHL: The league has decided it just may be ready for expansion. But it may be too soon for Seattle and its arena projects.
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• I’ve spent some time the past couple days at Gonzaga’s team camp, watching high school teams from all over the Western U.S. play (including Lone Peak, one of the nation’s best teams last year, and American Fork, with Thurl Bailey’s son Brendan, who just may be playing in the Kennel a lot in the near future), though my focus has been the locals. It’s been interesting, that’s for sure. Until later ...
