Here's to Jose Lopez

If Ichiro stands as the icon of the Seattle Mariner's franchise and the Nintendo Corporation during a feast or famine run in the first decade of the 21st century, Jose Lopez certainly represents the face of sorts. The 24 year old second baseman is quietly putting together a wonderful statistical masterpiece on paper, but numbers do not always equivocate to victories at the major league level. Brushing away the periphery layer comprising the hollow achievements of Lopez's relatively young career, it becomes patently obvious that the middle infielder is actually a deterrent from the formula of baseball which transcends time itself, the formula for winning.

During Lopez's big league tenure with Seattle, the Mariners stand at 343-386, or roughly on par with the franchise's all-time mediocre winning percentage. During his rookie season in 2004, the team lost nearly 100 games, while an apex saturated in over achievement was reached in last year's 88 win total, Lopez flirted with the Mendoza line for the month of September and was eventualy banished to the doghouse by team leader Jose Guillen. In 2006 Lopez did garner the M's lone spot on the all-star team, and gained credibility with local media, including Seattle Times sportswriter Larry Stone.

It's now delightfully obvious to all concerned that Lopez went out and did it. He did it all, everything they asked, from mastering the nuances of second base, to learning how to hit to all fields, to hiring a personal trainer this winter in order to keep off the 15 or so pounds he lost at the end of last season.

The anomaly that is Lopez continues during this season's latest installment of a Seattle sports nightmare. In the team's 42 wins, Lopez is hitting an amazing .384 while in defeats, his average descends to a pedestrian .262. Delving into the raw numbers, things appear just plain ugly. Out of the starting second baseman in baseball, Lopez ranks near the bottom of the list in walks. Though his totals are comparable to Brandon Phillips of the Reds and Placido Palanco of the Tigers, Phillips hits for power, while Palanco utilizes a high average. Even the much maligned Orlando Hudson of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who was a Toronto outcast, has drawn more free passes than Lopez this season. Though Lopez strikes out at a relatively low rate, the relationship between his few walks and high k's is directly proportional to the fact that he does not take a lot of pitches. This point is clearly illustrated by the small margin of .029 separating his batting average and on base percentage. As Lopez struggles with the art of patience at the plate, he adds virtually nothing once he reaches base. At this stage in the season, he has accumulated four stolen bases, while the head scratching nature of his numerous base running blunders have infuriated the entire spectrum of the Mariner Nation.

Dissecting the content that doesn't show up in the boxscore, proves alarming. According to scouts and what is witnessed by fans, Lopez can't bunt. His jaw dropping errors in the field defy logic not simply by their frequency in occurrence, but in the crucial points in a game at which they occur. Though the eyes of the television camera, his demeanor appears to border on indifference. Former Mariner reliever Jeff Nelson expounded upon the current issues within the clubhouse on 950 KJR AM earlier this season and alluded to presence of Mariner players who were simply content with getting their two hits, regardless of the result. Of course Ichiro first comes to mind in the wake of Nelson's insight, as does a player in the mold of Lopez, who has always enjoyed a moderate rate of success at the plate. At this juncture in his career, can Lopez improve his emotional intelligence and develope a sense of accountability without the existence of leadership in the clubhouse? The Jose Guillen era (1 season), proved a success, but GM Bill Bavasi acted upon his own ideas as to the framework of winning.

Between Lopez and shortstop Yunieksy Bentancourt, the management of the organization envisioned a productive middle infield which would parallel the success of the Carlos Baerga-Omar Vizquel tandem of the Cleveland Indians in the mid 1990's. The emphasis was on speed, reaching base, and solid defense and longevity. The perfect scheme to compliment the atmosphere and dimensions of Safeco Field. Lopez was originally signed by the M's as a teenager and brought through the system as a prototypical infielder. Which begs the question; How deep do the issues of this franchise reach? If a young player cannot be groomed to a professional level through the minor leagues, does the onus fall on the ownership group, the scouting, or the absence of a comprehension of baseball philiosophy within the front office?

As yet another experiment spurred by the apparent wisdom of Chuck Armstong and Howard Lincoln fizzles in the backwash of another 100 loss season, fans can all hold steadfast to the reality that Jose Lopez will finish the season with solid statistical numbers while filling the foundation towards contention not with concrete, but with paper.