Updated May 9, 2012 - 11:38 am

Jack Zduriencik on the postgame show

listen Listen: Jack Zduriencik on the postgame show

Jack Zduriencik joined the Mariners postgame show and gave his assessment of what he has seen in the first month of the season, his thoughts on Justin Smoak and an update of what is going on at Double-A Jackson.

By Shannon Drayer

The Mariners could not quite pull off a second straight ninth-inning comeback, although they did make things interesting against Justin Verlander and the Tigers. After the loss Jack Zduriencik joined Matt Pitman and me and hit on a number of topics including:

• His thoughts on what we have seen so far with the Mariners this season;

• How much of a surprise Kyle Seager's performance has been;

• Whether the team is scouting Seager's younger brother for the upcoming draft;

• Justin Smoak's struggles and what the best course of action is at this point;

• Thoughts on Jesus Montero, including his belief that he has been better defensively than what they had been lead to expect;

• Progress reports on Hultzen/Paxton/Walker;

• How much talent do they currently have at AA?

At the end of the nearly 30 minutes Zduriencik spent with us he expressed that he hoped the fans would understand what he is trying to do right now.

"There has not been one thing that we haven't said we were going to do that we're not in the process of doing," he said. "We said that we were going to build this foundation, we said we were going to change the scouting player development and build an organization, we said there were going to be things at the big league level that would make us scratch our head and we also said that there were going to be some things that you are going to get very excited about."

"It's going to be a season of streaks, a season where these kids advance and move forward, no limitations on anything," he continued. "If we aren't viewing it through that lens then we are viewing it through a false lens because the reality is we are what we are, we are where we are at. We have accumulated talent. We have some very nice pieces here, we have some very nice pieces coming and in the very near future this is going to be a fun place to play."

The podcast for the complete interview can be found here.

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Harry Johnson wrote...

interview

May 9, 2012 5:45 am

Excellent interview, thanks. It answered a lot of questions about our team and teams that some day will contribute new guys. I especially liked his explanation about Smoak's batting. Guess we'll just have to be patient there. Nothing said about Ryan. He's great defensively. Just seems he's a rally breaker. Hopefully that'll change.

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Chris from Bothell wrote...

Bigger question for me...

May 9, 2012 6:59 am

...what the he11 was Ackley doing bunting (terribly) in the ninth last night? That to me is a better question than what I will hear when I listen to the interview later. :) Totally agree that this will be a streaky team. It certainly is a lot more fun team, and easier to believe they have a fighting chance all the way to the end, than any team we have seen here for years...

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Marinerman87 wrote...

That wasn't Ackely

May 9, 2012 8:35 am

It was Wedge and his terrible late game management. Go to ussmariner.com and read Dave Cameron's post about it. It was frustrating because Wedge took the bat out of the teams best hitter with the teams worst hitters on deck (Ryan). Ackley should of been allowed to hit and Ryan should've been pinch hit for. Frustrating the way Wedge played the 9th last night.

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Edman wrote...

Dave's Managerical Experience?

May 9, 2012 11:57 am

How many years has Dave spent managing games, and no, Strat-O-Matic does not count? Would you let a math nerd operate on your kid, because they know the odds of where cut should be made for a successful surgery? And if Ackley hits into a double play, because he hit away, would you praise Wedge for letting him swing away. After-the-result criticm is filled with assumptions. Bunting was the right move, because it gives the M's a chance to tie the game with a single....the most common of hits. Because his name is "Ackley", and he holds a lot of promise, doesn't mean he gets a free pass in regard to doing what it takes to win. Dave is a math guy who only sees numbers. And, if you want to play that game, based on Ackley's current average, he has a 24% chance of getting a hit, not considering match-ups. Ackley get's the bunt down, and a single scores two runners to tie the game, do you think Dave would have cared enough to still write his article?

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Pebohead wrote...

You NEVER bunt with one of your best hitters...

May 9, 2012 11:43 pm

When the player after him is one of the worst. That is is just surrendering.

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dc_99 wrote...

I'd listen to the math guy

May 10, 2012 8:55 am

Just because he's a math guy doesn't mean he's wrong. Instead of throwing insults perhaps you could educate yourself. You may still think he's wrong but hopefully you'd come up with more to back your position than, "It's always been done this way." To use your analogy, I would listen to a math guy if he told me that the surgery my doctor was recommending was less optimal than newer options. There's a reason that medicine has advanced...the nerds didn't accept the status quo as the best way to do things and the surgeons listened.

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Mehriners wrote...

It is easy to say it now

May 9, 2012 7:55 am

but I would not have had Ackley bunting either, not with Ryan up next. Even though he has done better at the plate the last few games, he still has not been good. My bigger question is, why did no one in the stands stiff arm Kelly? I don't want to throw the whole set of first base line fans under the bus, but I blame them for this loss. I am certain Montero would have gotten a hit on the next pitch. Shannon, could you slap all the fans along the first base line today? (atleast the first 2 rows)some of the same fans may be there. Thanks Shannon, you are the best (even if you don't do it) signed, all of the M's fans watching the game on t.v. last night.

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Lainers18 wrote...

RE: Easy to say it now...

May 9, 2012 11:07 am

ABSOLUTELY correct on the stiff arm of Kelly!! I texted 710710 with that very idea. There should be some sort of intelligence test for people in the first two rows all the way around. Since we can't force it, the team should print cards for the first couple of rows that tells when to let your fielder to make the catch and when to hinder the opposing player. I'm a Cubs fan too, and I loved Rizz's comment on "Where is Bartman when you need him"

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abezx wrote...

Ms

May 9, 2012 8:50 pm

What does Jack think about moving the fence in a little bit Shannon? It's time. It's been 10 years of offense futility. If they dont, enjoy montero while you guys can, he'll leave. Seagers hit would have been a 2 run homerun, instead we had to bite our nails until the end. People been complaining about offense. Players been complaining, it's time. The hitters are glad to go on the road and leave safeco. See smoak get going again.

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Pebohead wrote...

Wow abezx...

May 9, 2012 11:42 pm

You know that you cant just bring in the fences when the home team is at bat right? Bringing them in would just mean the Rangers would beat us by 10-5 instead of 3-1.

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Sterling wrote...

Justin Smoak's eyesight

May 10, 2012 7:44 am

Have the Mariners checked Justin Smoak's eyesight lately?

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MFCEO wrote...

JackieZ may not be as advertised

May 10, 2012 7:52 am

Yes our farm system has improved a ton. That is all I can say for him though. Can we stop givin him credit for bringing in Ackley. That was a no brainer draft pick. First of all I have never heard him say that we should've expected some questionable decisions at the major league level. And even if I had, I would tell him to go find a job somewhere else. Especially with some of the moves he has made. Traded for Jack Wilson. Signed Chode Figgins, and somehow allows him to take up a roster spot to this day. Traded for Milton Bradley, instead of just cutting ties with Silva the same way he refuses to cut ties with figgy. Traded Jarrod Washburn (who looked likee an All-Star for 2 guys that gave nothing to this oranization. Traded a Cy Young winner Cliff Lee, who every single team in the playoff race was begging for, for a group of players headlined by Justin Smoak(I am convinced he will never be the guy we were led to believe he could become). Passed up on Montero last year to make the Smoak trade. Still no hope for an answer in Left Field, or a light at the end of the tunnel in Right with Ichiro(fortunately for JackieZ a lot of that falls on the Front Office). Not saying everything is bad, but I am sick of so many people talking about him like he is a genius who can't do anything wrong.

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fansince1986 wrote...

Not cutting ties

May 10, 2012 1:23 pm

Upper Management may be forcing Jack Z to hang onto guys who still have time left on their contracts. It's all money with them, they don't seem to care as much about winning.

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JBWilcox wrote...

Switch Hitters

May 10, 2012 6:21 pm

I have never understood the philosophy of switch hitting. I have seen players who hit 325 from the right and 215 from the left, yet they continue to switch. I don't understand this. Do they think they would hit a left hander less than 215 if they did not switch? I will bring this back to Smoak. I think he is a natural righty. Then with all the struggles he is having, why do they not have him hit righty all the time? I can't believe that he would do any worse than he is doing now. Mr. "Z" says because he is a switch hitter he needs twice as much time to prove himself. I think that is nuts. I have heard on the radio that he cannot recognize the difference between a fast ball and a slider. Is that true? If so, then maybe he is not cut out to be a major league hitter. Anyway, if you can explain the philosophy of switch hitters that have such discrepancies from left to right and why they continue to do that. I could understand if they hit about the same from both sides of the plate. Sorry to take up so much time, but this question has always bothered me, even when I was playing little league baseball.

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soo purletiv wrote...

@ JBWilcox

May 10, 2012 10:41 pm

Great debate!
However....
Can I introduce you to Pete Rose? How about Chipper Jones? Remember the spitter, Roberto Alomar? Does Mickey Mantle ring a bell?
Today's switch hitters may not bring the same weight as some of the old timers....... but they certainly play a role in the pitchers head. Even in today's game. Not to mention the manager's head, late in the game.....
To equal Smoak as a TRUE switch hitter, is like saying Randy Johnson is a starter AND a reliever!
If Smoak ever pans out as a hitter, then we can debate whether he "WAS" a true switch hitter. Until that time comes, leave the switch hitter debate to those who can hit both ways!
As much as I despised him, (a Yankee, none the less) I would add Bernie Williams to the switch hitter list.
Keep in mind: A batter can change the side of the plate that he swings from, even after being announced! The pitcher can't!
Imagine for a moment that the Mariners had a switch hitter that could hit from both sides of the plate, consistently.
2 on, and 1 (or nobody )out. A true switch hitter is announced.
What does the opposing manager do? He has to take in to account not only the pitcher's successes against the said batter, but also the pitcher's stats against right handers and left handers.
As well as the batters successes against lefty's, righty's and the actual pitcher.
These numbers all play a role in the managers head, like it or not!!
The true measure of a manager, is not during the 162. Though it all counts in the end ;-).
And though the Mariners may not have a true switch hitter, switch hitters play their role in the MLB.
When all things click.... baseball gets real exciting.........

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Updated May 9, 2012 - 11:38 am

Jack Zduriencik on the postgame show

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Jack Zduriencik on the postgame show

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