Seattle Mariners Taylor Motter picked off, sent to the minors

Seattle Mariners utility player Taylor Motter was picked off first in a crucial situation on Sunday and optioned to the minor shortly thereafter.

Taylor Motter and his hair had a rough day on Sunday. The Seattle Mariners were playing the final of a four-game series with the New York Yankees, a series that was very important to the team’s playoff hopes. They had already lost two of the first three games and were down 6-4 in the ninth against Yankees’ closer Aroldis Chapman.

Nelson Cruz led off with an infield single. The legs of Nelson Cruz are 36 years old. They aren’t particularly fast legs, but they have allowed Cruz to beat out seven infield hits so far this year and 17 last year. Still, fresh legs were desired by Mariner manager Scott Servais, so he summoned Taylor Motter and his hair to run for Cruz.

Early in the season, Taylor Motter and his hair were the most exciting thing happening for the Mariners. Through his first 18 games, Motter and his hair hit .262/.318/.623. Through April 26, they had blasted five home runs in 66 plate appearances. Those were glorious days.

Then Ben Gamel and his hair showed up and took away all of Motter’s powers. There seems to have been a transformation. Everything Motter had done well jumped like lice from his luscious locks to the flowing mane of Ben Gamel. Since April 27, Motter and his hair have hit just .180/.253/.247. Meanwhile, Ben Gamel and his hair arrived on April 26 and haven’t stopped hitting (.320/.371/.458).

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It all came to a head on Sunday. After Cruz led off with an infield single and Motter was sent in to pinch-run for him, the Mariners had some hope. Kyle Seager was up, Mitch Haniger was on deck, Ben Gamel and his hair were in the hole. Perhaps the Mariners could rally and salvage a split in this important four-game series with the Yankees.

Alas, it was not to be. Even before Seager could settle into his stance, Chapman fired to first and picked off Motter and his hair. Sure enough, Kyle Seager would follow with a double, which would have put runners on second and third. Seager than moved to third on a passed ball. If not for Motter and his hair, the Mariners would have really had something going. Instead, Haniger popped out to second for out number two and Ben Gamel and his hair struck out to end the game, perhaps to absorb some of the criticism that would be directed at Taylor Motter and his hair. Hair bros stick together.

Retribution was swift following the loss to the Yankees. Taylor Motter and his hair were option to Triple-A Tacoma, banished to the “City of Destiny.” That’s a better title than Stenchtown, Washington, which aptly described Tacoma for many years. They’ve cleaned things up since then.

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Also, getting picked off didn’t actually cause Motter and his hair to be sent to the minors. The Mariners recently signed Danny Espinosa and he will be their utility infielder option. He doesn’t have great hair.