Eric Wedge benches Brendan Ryan
Apr 10, 2012, 1:38 PM | Updated: 4:37 pm
By Shannon Drayer
I said this on the radio this morning but it bears repeating: Eric Wedge in year two will be different — and has been different — than Eric Wedge in year one. He told us it would be this way and early on we see it. It is about accountability and not just behind closed doors.
In game two against the A’s in Japan Wedge was not shy about pointing out the home run Shawn Kelley gave up as the determining factor in the loss. He wasn’t concerned with ruffling feathers then and he wasn’t last night when he said that Brendan Ryan absolutely has to make the play that he failed to make in the first inning and turn two to get his pitcher out of the inning.
No ifs, ands or buts. It is a play we have seen Ryan make hundreds of times and will see him makes hundreds more times, but he didn’t make it at a crucial time and his manager was vocal about it last night, less than 30 seconds into his postgame interview. Today Ryan is not in the starting lineup.
“When I talk about certain things that need to happen this year, and there are conversations that have been had, and there is a level of accountability and a level of responsibility that I feel everybody has,” Wedge said of the benching. “I am not going to dive into details on that, I will leave it at that.”
Wedge said that the failure to turn the double play was not the only reason why Ryan was “watching a game” tonight. When asked if he had a conversation with Ryan about the benching or if that was even necessary, he answered: “I think it is inferred.”
Wedge did say he expects Ryan to be back in the lineup tomorrow.
Here is the group that will look to break up Neftali Feliz’s streak of retiring 48 straight Mariners:
9 Chone Figgins (S) LF
13 Dustin Ackley (L) 2B
51 Ichiro Suzuki (L) RF
17 Justin Smoak (S) 1B
15 Kyle Seager (L) 3B
63 Jesus Montero DH
55 Michael Saunders (L) CF
30 Miguel Olivo C
61 Munenori Kawasaki (L) SS
