Disappointed, Mate

I tuned into the spring contest between the Mariners and WBC Team Australia this evening. One might ask, "Of all WBC teams to take a look at, why Australia?" Well the obvious answer would be for the novelty of it. The other reason would be lack of options on MLB.tv. But MLB.tv is another story for another day.

I picked up the action in the bottom of the 4th. For the nearly the entire broadcast, our friends at Fox Northwest (I'm talking to you Dave Simms, Mike Blowers, Dave Niehaus, and Rick Rizzs) said zero things about Team Australia. Aside from recalling stat lines from the night's action, nothing was said about the visiting team or its players. No information on home ballclub, possible minor league affiliation, favorite ice cream flavor, no nothing.

As Mariners announcers, I can understand a deficiency of information about the opponent. This could be especially deficient due to the obscurity of the international team. But not one thing? Even I know, as a casual baseball fan that both Grant Balfour of the Rays and Ryan Rowland-Smith of the Seattle Mariners are sitting out for the Aussies.

Finally in the top of the 7th, there's hope! The guys in the booth interview aforementioned Aussie Ryan Rowland-Smith. After one softball question about how tough it is to be watching the game from the sidelines (to which the announcers tell him he made the right decision...what?!), they go straight into last season with the Mariners and what we can expect from him this year.

There are homers and then there are homers. Don't get me wrong, it's going to take a lot to unseat Mark Grace and his pom-poms, but this was pretty silly. If they won't talk about the land down under, let's see what MLB.com has to say about the one of the guys in action tonight.

Naylor, who could be one of the top starters for Australia, combined to go 8-10 with a 3.86 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 165 1/3 innings last summer between Lakewood and Class A Advanced Clearwater. He ranked 11th in the Minors in strikeouts and also had three complete games in his first full season.

Signed in 2004, he pitched in his home country's sanctioned league for two seasons before making his American debut in '06. He has combined for a 3.78 ERA in those three summers.

The 22-year-old throws a fastball that sits around 90 mph and is offset by a good curveball, which has become an out pitch, and a fast-developing changeup.

"Drew's very tall and lanky and when he first came to us his secondary pitches were just OK," recalled Steve Noworyta, the Phillies' Minor League director. "But the next year he came in and became a man. He just matured and got stronger, and his secondary pitches had him blossom to where he is today."

For Naylor, the key to making the next logical jump will simply be the two big "Cs" of pitching, command and consistency.

We couldn't find time for any of this during the broadcast? Did we really need to watch Rick Rizzs awkwardly stare down Adrian Beltre in the dugout instead? I could sense by Beltre's lack of eye contact that he felt there were some personal boundaries issues. The whole thing just looked uncomfortable. But I digress.

It's now the top of the 8th, and we've just had out first and second actual pieces of information outside of Rowland-Smith in quick succession - Australia won the bronze in the Athens summer games in 2004 and our starting pitcher this evening, Travis Blackley, was a former Mariner (I give this one half credit).

**EDIT** Reader majorleaguebaseball has pointed out that Australia won the silver medal in Athens, not the bronze. Full credit has been deducted from the Mariners homers, leaving them half a credit for recognizing a guy who used to be on their own team. For shame, gentlemen, for shame.

Ironically, the MLB.com otherwise informative article started out with the following.

Forget about the blooming onions at Outback Steakhouse. The Philadelphia Phillies have a few blooming Australians of their own.

Frankly I'm shocked the boys at Fox Northwest didn't go this route.

"Naughton hits one high and deep! And Naughton says 'No rules, just right!'"
"Risinger with a drive to left...the dinger ate my baby!"
"Roneberg makes a diving stop! Roneberg, Australian for 'leather!'"

I should stop.

...Crocodile Hunter.