Mike Blowers Sees All

Before each game, the radio announcers for the Seattle Mariners pick a player they think will have a good game. A somewhat silly, but ultimately harmless pregame ritual. On Sunday, prior to the first pitch of the Mariners-Blue Jays game, color guy Mike Blowers, who played for the Mariners for four seasons, from 1992 to 1995, not only picked rookie Matt Tuiasosopo, he predicted Tuiasosopo would homer to left field in the third inning, during his second at bat, on a 3-1 fastball. Harmless fun, right? Well, guess what Tuiasosopo did? He hit a 3-1 fastball into the left field bleachers in the third inning, during his second at bat. 

Check out Blowers' pregame prediction and his partner's amazing in-game play-by-play here. Seriously, with 9 games left in their season, Mike Blowers is the only thing the Mariners have left going for them. 

(Via)

Stars and Stripes and Mike McCready

Earlier this week, on May 19, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready played the Star-Spangled Banner before the Mariners-Angels game to promote the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. McCready, Pearl Jam's so-called "secret weapon," has been living with Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis for 20 years, since he was still shredding with his first band, Shadow, in Los Angeles. McCready announced his condition seven years ago, in 2002, to help raise awareness and funding for the CCFA. He recently testified before a Washington state legislative committee to mandate emergency access to private businesses' bathrooms for people with Crohn's, colitis and other related disorders. Governor Chris Gregoire signed the bill on May 12, which proves McCready is much more persuasive lobbyist than his band mates. 

In recognition of McCready's work, then, and just in time for Memorial Day, here's a clip of McCready biting into Francis Scott Key's anthem, a la Jimmy Hendrix. Please note the impressive four-set Marshall stack behind him, and, later, Pearl Jam's second-place finish in the Mariners' Fan Pulse poll. Enjoy. 



(UPDATE: I'm pretty sure McCready's performance discredits Ludovic Hunter-Tilney's facile argument. This one, too. Also this one. And, yup, this one.)