Incompetence--you want socialism, that's what you get.

• Seattle Mariners get the bad news from Allen H. "Bud" Selig--their 2008 schedule:

"The "tentative" regular-season schedule for next season has club officials concerned, to say the least, and it has less to do with the franchise-record 55,142 miles that will be flown than other factors.

"In my 10 years [as director of team travel], this is the worst schedule I've ever seen," Ron Spellecy said. "We gave them [MLB] three revisions, none of which were much better than the previous one. We're still trying, but the chances of getting it changed are slim and none."

The Mariners are scheduled to open the season at home on March 31 against the Rangers, play three games, and then open a six-game road trip in Baltimore on April 4. That sent up a red flag.

It will be Seattle's only visit to Baltimore during the '08 season, bringing back memories of a four-game series against the Indians in Cleveland this past April. All four games were snowed out, and because it was the Mariners' only trip to Cleveland, it caused a rescheduling nightmare.

"We were assured that would never happen again," Spellecy said. "Baltimore?"

According to weather records, the average April temperature in Baltimore is 53.4 (compared to 47.6 in Cleveland), there is 3.1 inches of precipitation (same as Cleveland) and there are three days of sub-freezing temperatures (Cleveland has nine).

Other concerns:

• There are no three-city road trips to the East Coast as requested.

• There are only four games against AL West opponents in May; three in June; and six in August.

• After a seven-game road trip to Texas and Chicago in early May, the team returns to Seattle for a three-game series against the Rangers and then embarks on another six-game trek to Detroit and New York.

• There are three trips to New York prior to the All-Star Game: Yankees on May 2-3-4 and May 23-24-25, and the Mets on June 23-24-25.

• According to Spellecy, seven of Seattle's 12 road trips include series against teams in the Eastern time zone (compared to three of 11 for the Athletics and four of 12 for the Angels).

"Where's the competitive balance?" he asked."

• From MLB.com by Jim Street, 10/12/07, "Notes: Team Interested in Stottlemyre?"

Tweet Stumbleupon StumbleUpon