The Mariners and Indians are battling to see who will draft higher in 2011.
View full sizeSome Indians players were doing an imitation Thursday of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, above ... well, at least the shoeless part.Clubhouse confidential: There's always something to play for in the big leagues. Take the four-game series between the last-place Indians and the last-place Mariners.
What's at stake? Draft position for 2011, of course.
Before Thursday's game, the Mariners (52-81) were in position to get the third pick, while the Indians (53-80) were looking at the fourth pick.
Barefootin': A Seattle reporter spied Trevor Crowe, Joe Smith and Jordan Brown standing in the grass by the third base coach's box Thursday afternoon at Safeco Field. Brown was wearing flip flops, Crowe and Smith were barefoot.
"Hey, can't the Indians afford to buy these guys shoes?" the reporter said.
He was reminded that "Shoeless" Joe Jackson once played for the Tribe. Unfortunately, no one on the Indians can play like Shoeless Joe.
Stat of the day: Indians hitters have the AL's second-lowest batting average (.248), while their pitchers have walked the most batters (496). Now that's a bad combination.
-- Paul Hoynes