ALL CARP, ALL THE TIME >>>

Since our last Rainiers minute, the Rainiers (15-24) have looked pretty much... well, like the Rainiers. They've won a couple games, including an 18-6 beat down of the New Orleans Zephyrs. They've also lost a couple of games, including a one-run loss to those same Zephyrs.

But the big news of the past couple days isn't the Rainiers' wins or losses. It's that outfielder Mike Carp was named the Pacific Coast League's Player of the Week for the period of May 9-15.

We here at the Volcano love Mike Carp.  Maybe it's because he's a hell of a baseball player. Maybe it's because he shares the same name as a freshwater fish species. We can't exactly say why we love him, but we do. 

To express our undying appreciation for the Rainier's outfielder, we bring you a variety of facts, rumors, and useless nuggets relating to the 24-year-old badass that is Mike Carp.

- Carp attended Lakewood High School in Long Beach, California. Other notable stars to come out of Lakewood are short track speed skater J.R. Celski and ex-Entertainment Tonight reporter Bob Goen. 

-Carp hit three home runs in Sunday's 18-6 rout of the Zephyrs. He nearly hit a fourth in his final at bat, but doubled to center field instead. According to Curto, if Mike was able to get a tiny bit more of that last ball, he would have become only the second player in Tacoma history to hit four home runs in a game. That's OK, Mike. Three is good enough for us.  

-Carp was drafted out of high school by the New York Mets.  Lucky for us, he was traded to the Mariner's organization in 2008.  The trade included RHP J.J. Putz, who, like Carp, has an awesome last name.

-Carp's 2010 season was cut short by a bout of plantar fasciitis; swelling and pain around the thick tissue at the bottom of the foot. Plantar Fasciitis has many causes, not the least of which is wearing shoes (cleats?) with poor arch support. Better buy some insoles for those puppies, Mike.

-There is a www.mikecarp.com, but it has nothing to do with our lovable Rainier. Apparently, this Mike Carp lives in Reno, Nevada and likes to draw. The animation on the site is actually fairly amusing. Not nearly amusing as watching Mike Carp hit a dinger, though.

-We found this YouTube video which we mistakenly thought was titled ‘Mike Carp's Candy'. Now we're wondering what Carp's favorite candy is. Milkyway? Butterfinger? Is he a Skittles man? Or is he on some sort of strict, candy-free diet to insure he stays in peak physical condition?

-We also found a Mike Carp Sucks web forum.  Ready to raise hell, we were pleasantly surprised to read posts that praised Carp. One poster even suggests Carp grow a, ‘wicked mustache' to ensure a spot on the Mariners. We think this is the most intelligent, thought provoking, prophetic idea ever posted on the Internet. Ever.  

-The current world record for largest Grass Carp ever caught is 87lbs 10oz. That's, like, 140 pounds less than the Rainiers' Mike Carp. 

That's it for the nuggets of information. Congratulations again to Mike Carp for a great week of baseball. Keep hitting dingers.

And, we beg you, please grow that mustache.