Where Are They Ner? (August)

Ever wonder where that one prospect who never panned out ended up? What that one reliever you used to hate is doing now? We could tell you.

In every off-day newsletter, Mariner Muse takes a look at where old Mariners are these days - but with a slightly unique approach. First, we take a look at when they were on the Mariners, then at what their best moment as a Ner was. Third, we make a collective guess at what their life is like now…and then finally, we research (and reveal) where the once-upon-a-Ner is now. At the end of every month, we will release each that were examined in previous newsletters.

Here are the ones from August:

Jose Lopez | Second Base

Ner from: 2004-2010

Best Ner Moment: On the field, the thing I most remember him for is scoring the tying run in the 2006 All Star Game, which means you’re reading this right: Jose Lopez made an All Star Game. He was one of those players that simply was a quality contributor for the team for some of the worst years in its history. Off the field, it’s easily his commercial with Yuniesky Betancourt, fondly remembered as the “Double Play Twins.” The 2007 ad featured a corny jingle and Jose and Yuni playing Connect Four, brushing their teeth together, and riding a tandem bicycle while wearing matching bowling shirts. An onlooking Adrian Beltre adds a nice touch with an incredulous glance.

Where MM guessed he is Ner: My thought was the typical retired baseball player route of coaching somewhere where his Spanish, as a native Venezuelan, would be an asset to an organization. He was always kind of pudgy as well, so that combined with the lasting image of him in a bowling shirt makes me picture a retired, out-of-shape golfing dad. But that prediction is way off, as I seriously misjudged Jose’s age.

Where he actually is Ner: Did you know Jose Lopez’s last season with the Mariners was his age 26 season? That blew my mind when I found that out. Lopez’s career with the team kind of went on a downward trajectory that you’ll see from most players getting past 30, and he washed out of the league two years later, so I always figured that was because he was past his prime. But Lopez is only 33, and has made quite a career for himself as a first baseman in Japan since leaving the States. He made his NPB debut at age 29 in 2013 and hit .303 in 121 games for the Yomiuri Giants. He struggled a bit in his second year, but has since found a more permanent home with the Yokohama Bay Stars, where he a career-high 34 dingers last season and has 25 already this year.

Yuniesky Betancourt | Shortstop

Ner from: 2005-2009

Best Ner Moment: This is a sequel to our last “Where are they Ner,” in which we profiled Jose Lopez, Yuni’s Double Play Twin. Unlike Jose, Yuni doesn’t really have a positive memory on the field…so:

Worst Ner Moment: Nearly killing Endy Chavez in 2009. Screwwww that. Chavez was hitting .273 in 54 games when Betancourt took out his legs on a fly ball that was definitely Endy’s to call and catch. Endy didn’t play in the majors until 2011 after that and only returned to the Mariners at the very end of his career. Also, Yuni never fucking walked. The most he ever walked in a major league season was 23 times. One of our editors once went to a game where Yuni saw 12 pitches and swung at 11 of them. Eleven! Take a pitch and take a free pass every once in a while, my guy.

Where MM Guessed he is Ner: Since I associate him so closely with Lopez, I’m going to assume Betancourt has headed to Japan after his time in the MLB ended in 2013, and is still playing there. Also, he probably still doesn’t know how to walk and he’s definitely not a shortstop anymore.

Where He Actually is Ner: He’s in Mexico, not Japan. He went to Japan very briefly in 2014 to play for Orix, Ichiro’s old team, but lasted only 18 games. He hit a big boy in .141 and – guess what? He didn’t draw a walk. Yuni quickly jumped to Mexico after that failure, where he’s played for Mexicali, Tijuana, and Yucatan. This year, with Yucatan, he’s played 1B, 3B, and SS in 50 games and has just one dinger and 24 RBI. He’s hitting .270. In his three (THREE) seasons in Mexico, he’s drawn just 43 walks. Old habits die hard.

Miguel Batista | Pitcher

Ner from: 2007-2009

Best Ner Moment: Batista is not remembered fondly in Seattle. His three-year tenure with the Ners was less than ideal, as his $24 million contract saw him go 27-29 with a 4.84 ERA and 0.8 WAR. He never threw a complete game, nor did he ever have that one staple win for Seattle – so his best moment in a Mariner jersey was probably his first whole season with the team, when he went a respectable 16-11.

Where MM Guessed he is Ner: Miguel is one of those players who never really found a home in the bigs, having bounced between 11 teams during his 18-year career. Therefore, we assume that he’s buried deep in one of those teams’ A or AA affiliates, perhaps as pitching coach of the Visalia Rawhide.

Where He Actually is Ner: This one may be our best surprise yet! Miguel Batista, it turns out, is a simply wonderful human being. After his nomadic MLB career ended in 2012, Miggy returned to his native Dominican Republic and pursued his other life passion: poetry. His impressive Sentimientos en Blanco y Negro (“Feelings in Black and White”) is a volume of verse that attempts to convey the many emotions and politics that surround being Hispanic in the modern world. While he has also published a thriller novel, poetry and philosophy remain his primary focus. Take a second and stare deep into those eyes…what do you see? I see deep contemplation, heart-felt sympathy, and the aggravating pain of many, many losses in love…and in baseball.

Julio Mateo | Pitcher

Ner from: 2002-2007

Best Ner Moment: When the Mariners got rid of him. Anything good that Mateo might have done was immediately overshadowed by his worst moment as a Ner – and probably worst moment as a person, as well. On May 7, 2005, while the team was in New York City playing the Yankees, Mateo turned himself into NYPD after a fight with his wife. He was charged under third-degree assault, and his life never turned up from there. He is the Milton Bradley of middle relievers.

Where MM Guessed He is Ner: Mateo moved back to his native Dominican Republic to try and start again, but failed to do so as the ghosts of his terrible past actions constantly swarmed him. He is in and out of jail for weapons charges.

Where He Actually is Ner: Not too far off – but his cause for jail time is far more hysterical (and easier to swallow than battery or weapon possession). When the Ners let go of Mateo, he signed a minor league deal with San Francisco and began pitching somewhere in New Mexico. But only the following year, he was arrested after trying to pay for a cab ride with a counterfeit $100 bill, after which the police discovered loads of fakes Benjamins in his hotel room. Mateo is in and out of jail not for further domestic abuse (thank god), but instead for cash fraud.

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