Jeff "The Weave" Weaver

And here I thought I was going to run out of blog-worthy topics…

A couple weeks ago, my friend JB (yes, we share the same initials) and I were sitting at the Wing Master watching the most disgusting sports display since…well, since the Seahawks home loss to the 49ers last year (the first home game I have ever left early, it was that gross). I am speaking of course of Jeff Weaver’s last outing for the Seattle Mariners in which “the Weave” was hammered for six runs before he could get the 2nd out of the 1st inning.

My God, it was terrible to behold.

So, after recovering from the shock and horror of it all (and the media coverage, gotta’ have that), I later had some time to think about the whole Weave situation. I called JB up on the phone (this is about 8 or 9pm, May 1st) and said: the M’s need to play Weaver again. They need to START him again. And they should commit to having him pitch at least 5 innings, no matter how bad it gets. ALSO, they need to do it on the road, not in Seattle.

JB (the other JB) did not share my sentiments.

Here’s what the hell I’m thinking:

First off, Weaver still has some pride…otherwise he wouldn’t be playing in the ML. Really, nobody at this level is that bad…he’s just hit a bad slide. However, I am not saying “play him ‘cause he’s due.” He may get shellacked again.

But here’s the second thing…whether you give up six runs or 15, you’re going to lose. FINE. It’s not like you don’t have a hundred more games in the season. This isn’t the NFL where one loss can finish your season (ah…the NFL).

Weaver needs a chance to “pitch through” his slump…at least get to the point where he can throw a decent five or six innings and keep us in the game. He doesn’t need to be an ace (despite the ridiculous salary)…he needs to be competent professional starting pitcher. That’s it. The Mariners are showing this year that they can win with a little competence despite the dearth of heavy hitters. Just beating the A’s a couple times is a marked improvement over last season.

So astrologically, how does Weaver stand?

That’s a toughie. Mr. Weaver’s birthday is August 22nd, what some might call “on the cusp” between Leo and Virgo. This of course is bunk…in astrology you are either one sign or another. Unfortunately, without knowing his exact time of birth, we can’t say for sure which sign his Sun is in, nor his Moon (it traveled between Cancer and Leo) the day he was born.

What we do know is that he may have a lot of both in Leo and Virgo in him. Certainly, his Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all in Virgo and his Saturn is in Leo. Chances are that if his Sun is in Virgo, his Moon will be in Leo. And while we don’t know his Ascendant (that would require the time of birth), he certainly shows up with a golden, leonine mane framing his face. If Gauquelin’s “Mars Effect” holds accurate, Jeff’s Mars may very well be in the 1st house (as a pro sports player), giving him a good chance at a Leo rising sign.

So what does that mean to have so much Leo and Virgo in you?

Well for one thing, it makes you pretty darn self-critical. Leo wants to look good (and doesn’t want to look bad) and Virgo wants to analyze (translation: criticize) everything, including himself. This is an intelligent, deep individual with a flair for the dramatic…and one who’s more likely to puncture his own ego before someone else gets the chance to do it for him.

The M’s need to show a little faith in the Weave, because he himself may be on the verge of losing complete faith in himself. Leo wants to be the best at something…we (Seattle) do not want Weaver to be the best, biggest joke in the Major Leagues! We don’t want him to be the best at pointing out his own flaws, self-sabotaging and self-destructing!

We’d much prefer Weaver to be the biggest comeback of the season…as he was last year in winning the final Series game for the Cards. The Virgo mind can be likened to a forge…it is the sign of the blacksmith, the craftsman, who refines himself first and foremost. This is the reason for the critiquing and analyzing. Their major pitfall is getting TOO wrapped up in the details (analyzing for the sake of analysis). At some point they need to take that leap of faith that leads them to “perfect enough for right now.”

The M’s can help Weaver make this leap by putting their faith in him. Give him the chance to pitch through the BS going on in his own mind. He’s not washed up yet. But he needs a chance to find his groove again…to get back to being a decent, competent, professional starter. In other words, “perfect enough for right now.”

Today’s game against the Tigers is a great arena for it. If he was playing in Seattle, he’d have to deal with an unruly crowd, devastating for the Leo’s ego and simply fueling the criticizing fire of Virgo’s forge. However, Detroit is the team against which he had his greatest glory (Game 5 of last year’s World Series), and his mind knows this is someone he can beat.

Hopefully, the M’s will see it my way.