My only gripe with Doug Fister these days is that he hasn’t accepted my friend request on Facebook. Not that I’m holding it against him, or anything. Hell, Fisty could rob a bank tomorrow and no one would care. He’s that good.

I could give you a game recap from last night, but that’s not really my thing. I suggest you support The Seattle Times and read what the talented reporters over there have to say. They’re truly the best in the business and they don’t get enough love for what they do.

That said, I’ll briefly sum it up by saying that any back-end-of-the-rotation guy who can carry a no-hitter into the latter stages of a game (the 7th inning, in Fister’s case) might be a little better than everyone is giving him credit for. And that’s Doug Fister in a nutshell.

Fister is clearly not the prototype. Sure, at 6’8″ he may possess ideal size, but he’s a gentle giant. If Roger Clemens was the type of pitcher who stung like a bee, than Fister is the Rocket’s distinct foil: he floats like the most graceful of butterflies.

Continue reading Enter The Fist →

The Mariners are 1-2. I’m not concerned.

We’re three games into the season and so far we’ve been done in by the most awesome non-Mariner in baseball, Kurt Suzuki. Ever since Suzuki was at Cal-State Fullerton, it was clear to me that he was the man. He’s the last person in the lower 48 still wearing puka shells, so you know he’s got some testicular fortitude. And he certainly isn’t worried about what other people think of him. You have to appreciate that. He’s straight renegade.

Anyways, we’re letting Suzuki beat us right now which is akin to saying we’re letting Chuck Norris kick our ass. It can’t be helped. But in case you’re a little nervous, not to worry. The M’s are deploying the ultimate stopper this afternoon in Doug “Enter The” Fister.

Continue reading Go Fist Yourself, Oakland →

With pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training on Thursday, February 18th, Seattle Sportsnet will be providing a preview of the 2010 Seattle Mariners in various stages over the next six weeks. This is our first installment in the series of previews.

With FSN analyst Nicole Zaloumis leaving the station’s Northwest affiliate for what we can only assume are greener pastures, Mariners fans will be left hanging when it comes to one behind-the-scenes interview we all were pining for: the Fister-Zaloumis exclusive.

There’s no doubt in my mind that a proper dressing-down at the hands of Ms. Zaloumis would have exposed the hard truth behind starting pitcher Doug Fister, a player that many Seattle faithful are curious to learn more about. As it is, we’ll have to discover more about the lanky right-hander on our own. And that’s fine, too.

A candidate for the Mariners’ vacant fifth-starter position, the 6’8″ Fister (or “Fisty,” as I like to call him) is a 26-year-old native of Merced, Calif., who was originally selected as a college junior by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2005 June Amateur Draft. Thankfully, the Fresno State alum returned to school for his senior season and was chosen a year later in the seventh round of the ’06 draft by your very own Seattle Mariners (in your face, you pinstriped bastards).

Continue reading 2010 Mariners Preview: Getting To Know Doug Fister →