Friday, June 18, 2004
Shameless plug to new demographic
In honor of our shout out from fellow blog “At least the Red Sox have 1918,” I am devoting this entry to an outsider’s perspective on the Seattle Mariners. (Note: I am trying to be nice, but to the guy who listed Manny Ramirez as one of his most-hated players, we’ve got problems.)
The Past: Despite the fact they won no title, the Mariners have had a fantastic last decade, especially for a franchise that was the Expos of the late 80s-early 90s. Really, the Mariners had all you could ask for; a consistently competitive team with charismatic, engaging superstars, who always had some problem holding them back from year to year. (Just like the Sox!) Mariners fans can take solace that, when they are sitting on the porch in their final stages of life, they can wax poetic to their grandkids about how they saw the great Griffey, Johnson, Rodriguez, and Suzuki play in their day. Sure those pesky Angels fans might have a ring to brag about, but what players are they going to bring up, David Eckstein? (has anyone ever met an Angels fan?) Plus winning titles from 1996-2000 was impossible anyways, as God had decided Satan’s jurisdiction extended from hell to include the American League playoffs.
I took a liking to the Mariners, they became my second favorite team in the MLB. I loved Griffey like everyone else, liked Edgar and Bone (especially because he used to puke in the outfield,) and thought A-Rod was a sniveling little weenie years before everyone else did. Plus you kindly gave us Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe (want him back?) for Heathcliff Slocumb. And Pedro shut you out like 10 straight games. And you never beat the Red Sox in any important game or series, so I didn’t have to blacklist you.
And then came 2001, and the great 116-46 team. God how did you guys win so many games? And how did you lose in the playoffs? A quick look at baseball-reference gives me the answer: you started Aaron Sele (your highest paid player on team) in game 1 of a playoff series. Such a shame, then we wouldn’t have to put up with this 1998 Yankees creaming.
The Present: David Harris, our resident Mariner fan, informed me the other day that the M’s had a worse record then the Devil Rays. The Curse of Lou Pinella? Ok maybe not. Now I realize the Mariners play in a pitchers park but right now you have 2 guys slugging over .400. Even Joe Morgan could tell you that’s no good . For all the griping about Ibanez, he’s been your second best hitter. Unfortunately, Spezio has performed to expectations. That is to say terribly. Sadly it appears that several veterans like Edgar, Boone, Aurilia, and Olerud all hit the age-wall in the same year, (or had to stop taking steroids.) You guys are the 2003 Raiders of the MLB.
The Future: The M’s got problems. You can’t expect the old vets to improve too much. Moyer has to retire soon. Garcia is a free agent and on the trade block. Unfortunately I see this rut lasting two to three years. What you need is good management, someone who spends money on David Ortiz rather than Spezio, stockpiling low cost, high production players. Trade Freddy if he’s not going to resign. If he does, build around him and Pinero. Get some power in the lineup. You have a great city with great fans, when the time comes, spend the money on a great player. (Beltran?) The times may be tough, but I don’t see you returning to the days of Alvin Davis.
The Past: Despite the fact they won no title, the Mariners have had a fantastic last decade, especially for a franchise that was the Expos of the late 80s-early 90s. Really, the Mariners had all you could ask for; a consistently competitive team with charismatic, engaging superstars, who always had some problem holding them back from year to year. (Just like the Sox!) Mariners fans can take solace that, when they are sitting on the porch in their final stages of life, they can wax poetic to their grandkids about how they saw the great Griffey, Johnson, Rodriguez, and Suzuki play in their day. Sure those pesky Angels fans might have a ring to brag about, but what players are they going to bring up, David Eckstein? (has anyone ever met an Angels fan?) Plus winning titles from 1996-2000 was impossible anyways, as God had decided Satan’s jurisdiction extended from hell to include the American League playoffs.
I took a liking to the Mariners, they became my second favorite team in the MLB. I loved Griffey like everyone else, liked Edgar and Bone (especially because he used to puke in the outfield,) and thought A-Rod was a sniveling little weenie years before everyone else did. Plus you kindly gave us Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe (want him back?) for Heathcliff Slocumb. And Pedro shut you out like 10 straight games. And you never beat the Red Sox in any important game or series, so I didn’t have to blacklist you.
And then came 2001, and the great 116-46 team. God how did you guys win so many games? And how did you lose in the playoffs? A quick look at baseball-reference gives me the answer: you started Aaron Sele (your highest paid player on team) in game 1 of a playoff series. Such a shame, then we wouldn’t have to put up with this 1998 Yankees creaming.
The Present: David Harris, our resident Mariner fan, informed me the other day that the M’s had a worse record then the Devil Rays. The Curse of Lou Pinella? Ok maybe not. Now I realize the Mariners play in a pitchers park but right now you have 2 guys slugging over .400. Even Joe Morgan could tell you that’s no good . For all the griping about Ibanez, he’s been your second best hitter. Unfortunately, Spezio has performed to expectations. That is to say terribly. Sadly it appears that several veterans like Edgar, Boone, Aurilia, and Olerud all hit the age-wall in the same year, (or had to stop taking steroids.) You guys are the 2003 Raiders of the MLB.
The Future: The M’s got problems. You can’t expect the old vets to improve too much. Moyer has to retire soon. Garcia is a free agent and on the trade block. Unfortunately I see this rut lasting two to three years. What you need is good management, someone who spends money on David Ortiz rather than Spezio, stockpiling low cost, high production players. Trade Freddy if he’s not going to resign. If he does, build around him and Pinero. Get some power in the lineup. You have a great city with great fans, when the time comes, spend the money on a great player. (Beltran?) The times may be tough, but I don’t see you returning to the days of Alvin Davis.
# posted by Marmaniac @ 6:27 AM 
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How can you say you don't see the M's returning to the days of AD? Unless there are wholesale changes upstairs, current management will stockpile the team with below-league-average veterans, paying them 3 or 4 million dollars a year each, and incessantly bitch about budget constraints. Meanwhile, with each overpaid free agent signee they're losing a top draft choice, and will end up with a farm system consisting exclusively of Tuiasosopos (every Coug's nightmare, ask David what I mean). I guess I agree: the M's aren't doomed to return to the AD days. They're doomed to return to the Tom Paciorek days.
One more thing: watching Manny so many times on ESPN this year, he's off my Most Hated list. Frank Thomas is still on the list, but just barely.
Look I was just trying to be postive. When your team sucks after being good for a while, it hurts and you think you'll never get better. So I may have glossed over the fact that you are in deep shit, as your team is old, and your farm systemn doesnt have a new wave a la mid 1990s Indians, and you have the worst management this side of the Celtics. I agree that if youre mangement continues its performance of the last offseason, youre in trouble.
But you have to realize, you've still got some good young pitching and all-star caliber players, you still have Gillick around (right?), you still have a sweet new stadium, and you still have a fanbase that DEMANDS a competitive product. If management keeps fucking up, they'll get booted. When I said days of Alvin Davis, I meant 10 years of below .500 ball. No reason you cant be competing for the AL West two years from now, or even next year.
And on the Manny thing, I guess its good that you dont hate him, but I am just pissed off that you justified it based on the whole Enrique Wilson affair. I'm not pissed at you, but at the witch-hunting Boston media and the affect it has on portraying players to non-Boston baseball fans, who dont understand the paranoia surrounding the Red Sox and the way the media and fans play off each other to turn opinion against stars(ESPECIALLY with regards to minority players.) In fact, I think I'll write a post on it.
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But you have to realize, you've still got some good young pitching and all-star caliber players, you still have Gillick around (right?), you still have a sweet new stadium, and you still have a fanbase that DEMANDS a competitive product. If management keeps fucking up, they'll get booted. When I said days of Alvin Davis, I meant 10 years of below .500 ball. No reason you cant be competing for the AL West two years from now, or even next year.
And on the Manny thing, I guess its good that you dont hate him, but I am just pissed off that you justified it based on the whole Enrique Wilson affair. I'm not pissed at you, but at the witch-hunting Boston media and the affect it has on portraying players to non-Boston baseball fans, who dont understand the paranoia surrounding the Red Sox and the way the media and fans play off each other to turn opinion against stars(ESPECIALLY with regards to minority players.) In fact, I think I'll write a post on it.
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