Emperor Iwakuma and Reichs Chancellor David Stern
King Felix is the Mariners first ace, he with the Cy Young, the perfect game, Felix’s Court out in left field, and his love for the city of Seattle. But the Mariners have a second ace and one not up their sleeves, but out in the open for all to see. At the rate these two are pitching it would be a major crime akin to David Stern killing the Sonics for them not to make the all-star team.
English: David Stern, commissioner of the National Basketball Association (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Emperor Iwakuma’s numbers are a royal flush. In nine starts he is 5-1 with a 1.84 earned run average. In 59 innings the opposition is batting .183 against him and he has struck out 55, walking only 8.
While some still doubt his ability, the game he is dealing is not one where the jokers are wild. Mariner fans remember his 2012 start when he was in the bullpen, used as often as David Stern uses Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” By the all-star game he was 1-1 with an earned run average of 4.84 with one start on July 2nd. But after the all-star break he was 8-4 with a 2.50 ERA.
Since he joined the rotation July 15 of 2012 he has started 24 games with a 13-5 record and a 2.23 ERA. His performance since then puts him in the ace category. A good record, even better when you consider he has pitched for a team that scored runs last year as often as David Stern fly’s to Seattle for a cup of Starbuck’s mocha java.
In this five card stud game, the Mariners have two in King Felix and Emperor Iwakuma. It is up to Brendon Maurer, or Joe Saunders-on the road as well as home- to step up and become the third stud. I would mention Aaron Harang, but he is an old war horse, a Seattle Slew soon to go to the stud farm, or the glue factory. He can still be effective, but is too wizened to be a stud pitcher.
As far as Chancellor Stern, he is as much of a stud as Pee Wee Herman in a porn theatre. I look forward to Stern’s retirement to the bunker with Eva.
Balls and Strikes 