And Then There Were 33...

...Redlegs left in camp.  And PTown's Jonny Gomes is among them despite a rather cool week at the plate.  Let's all conjur up some good karma for #31.  Would be nice to see him hit 'em where they ain't this week and nail down a roster spot with a swagger and plenty of momentum going into the regular season.  The Reds trimmed the roster sending two competitors for the LF spot to AAA (where there is probably only room for one).  Chris Dickerson has kept up the pace all Spring and appears to be a lock as the starter patrolling left field for the Reds on Opening Day.

Meanwhile, Rohnert Park's Brandon Morrow has announced that he will be returning to the bullpen not to build strength and return to the rotation later this spring (last week's speculation), but to be the Mariners' closer. There was some chatter last week that Brandon might start the season in the AAA Tacoma rotation and return to Seattle as a starter once he developed "starter stamina" so I've been waiting to see which way it was gonna go. Personally, I think it's all a grand conspiracy.  A back room deal struck by Billy Beane  who knows that with Morrow as a closer, North Bay baseball fans will have to buy tickies to more than one game in Oakland to improve their chances of seeing Morrow on the mound.  No word on the Players To Be Named Later that Seattle is poised to receive at the Trade Deadline, but hopefully it includes at least half of the truckload of guys pencilled in for 1B.  Gotta make some room for Sonoma's Tommy Everidge! Or maybe Billy will engineer a blockbuster three-way with the Giants to deliver Lincecum back to the embrace of his hometown homies.

But for an actual account of what's really gonna happen, Tim Smith (AP Sports) and Dead Cats' Bounce dig into the nitty gritty.

Brandon Morrow Bobblehead Day - June 19th

The 707 will celebrate another Bobblehead Bestowal on Friday, June 19th as the Seattle Mariners treat the first 20,000 fans to Brandon Morrow bobbleheads.  Wonder if it will include a flamin' fastball.

Brandon will join CC Sabathia and Jonny Gomes on the Shelf Of Glory.  Who's up for a roadtrip?  Maybe a little whale watching on Puget Sound?  Game Day will start with Marion Berry Pankcakes at The Maltby Cafe (an absolute must if you're ever within a hundred miles of Snohomish, WA.  An afternoon in Pike's Place Market always makes for good pre-game fun.  Might have to juggle the itnerary if Brandon gets off to a hot start though.  In 2001, Ichiro Mania and Bobblehead Mania collided in a big old slumberparty.  Fans camped out for 24 hours just to snag one.  Sheesh.  That would require a lot of Starbucks.  And I'm a Peet's fan.

Maybe we can talk the Mariners into saving a few bobbleheads and a 100 mph fastball for the 2009 Camp For A Cure Silent Auction. Major amounts of good karma.  I gotta think the Mariners are looking under every rock for that.