Mariners – “M” is for Mirage

Sadly, the M’s are plummeting back to earth in a major-league free fall. Despite one of the best months in years, in fact the best since 2003, reality is hitting them smack in the face like a frying pan. It’s nice to feel good about 14-4 in interleague play, but for the fact that like 8 other AL teams had at least that record, if not BETTER. Is this team the one that won 18 games in June? Or is it more likely the one that went 8 games under .500 vs. the AL?? I think it’s pretty obvious what the answer is now that they have just been absolutely embarrassed the last two games vs. the Angels, battering the two best M’s pitchers right now in Felix and Meche. I know, I know, the AL west is not good, period, and with only 3 other teams to deal with, the M’s are technically in some sort of race. The A’s are really struggling to make that patented run that they always make starting right about now, the Rangers are already starting to struggle with consistency and injuries and, worst of all for them, August and 105-degree heat is staring them in the face.

The team to really worry about is the Angels, and it’s not just because of the last couple of games. They seem to have survived playing their worst, and now they are looking like a team that could go on a major hot streak. They’ve survived the Colon injury, they’ve dumped the horrible Jeff Weaver and promoted his fantastic brother, and now their bats are starting to get untracked. We know what Vlad is capable of, just able to carry a team for weeks at a time in a way that Junior or A-Rod could do back in the day.

Maybe that’s what the M’s are really missing after all. Maybe they are just void of that SUPERSTAR of superstars, the guy that can take over a game. I know, Ichiro is fabulous, but he’s a singles hitter in reality, he’s got some pop here and there but for the most part, it’s slash-n-dash. He’s too dependent on others to drive him in, so even when he gets 4 hits in a ballgame, he still doesn’t have that “carry us home” ability.

It’s really too bad, because I was ready to get excited about a push for the playoffs and was starting to be full of Mariner optimism. June was fun, but I’m realizing all too well that it was just a hot run vs. a BAD group of teams, period.

That said, I think 2007 is shaping up as a real promising one. They have some real young talent that has a bright future (Lopez and Betancourt up the middle, Choo and Snelling in the OF, Adam Jones is coming sooner rather than later and Jeff Clement is going to make an impact when his time comes. ALL those guys are 24 or younger!). I don’t know what they’ll do with the rotation, as Pineiro has pitched his way off the team and out of their plans (I still read “whispers” here and there that he was a ‘roider, and once MLB began testing, his velocity dropped from 94-95 to 88-90, max. Hmm, you don’t usually see a sudden drop in MPH like that, just by accident). We know Felix will be around and in his 3rd year, hopefully a lot more consistent. Washburn will be good for 200 IP and 10-12 wins. They’ll have a couple of slots to fill, though, maybe Jason Schmidt, maybe someone from AAA. And I LOVE the bullpen! Soriano and Sherill setting up for Putz?? It doesn’t get much better, certainly in the division at least.