After attending the Boston Red Sox’s 11-4 beat down of the Mariners last night, I left Safeco Field even more thoroughly convinced that this season was as a lost cause for Seattle. However, in the spirit of optimism, I have decided to think about the good things. The Mariners have been struggling at the bottom half of the AL West for pretty much the whole season, but their shortcomings don’t make them as unbearable as some of the other lower-tier teams in the league. Here are some positive aspects of watching this highly mediocre baseball team and what some of it could mean as the M’s move forward.
STATISTICAL ANOMALIES
Every time you go to a baseball game, you might see something that you’ve never seen before. You could even see something that’s never happened in the history of the game. At the game last night, shortstop Brendan Ryan hit a home run. He’s now hitting .202 and the homer was just his 3rd bomb of the year. Weird enough for you? After notching an 8th inning double, former prize prospect/current struggling outfielder Dustin Ackley made Mariners history. Ryan and Ackley getting hits in the same game with one of them being a home run is an occurrence that is about as rare as it gets. This marks the first time in their entire tenure with the team that both of these players have made a same-game contribution that resulted in a positive outcome. Granted it came in an utterly one-sided, 11-4 loss but I think people are going to have to take what they can get. Ackley and Ryan’s combined slash-line now sits at a lethal .206/.267/.270. In my view, this occurrence vastly overshadowed David Ortiz’s leadoff double in the second inning that vaulted him into first place all-time for hits by a DH. At this point we expect solid production from Big Papi. Brendan Ryan going yard? Now that’s impressive.
VETERAN PRESENCE
Another enjoyable aspect of watching this game was getting to see the Mariners trot out catcher Henry Blanco, who at this point in his life/career looks more like my grandfather than a major league baseball player. Everyone in my section started taking guesses at his exact age and I guessed somewhere between 58 and 62. However, upon iPhone review, it turns out that Blanco is a mere 41! Take a look at a picture of the guy though. I really don’t feel like I’m exaggerating when I say he looks like he could be in his 50s. After watching him foul out meekly in his first two at-bats, I was seriously questioning Blanco’s ability to still be viable part of a big league line-up. His .601 OPS seemed like pretty solid evidence of that. However, with the M’s down 9-0, the savvy veteran came through with a bloop single that brought home fellow senior citizen Jason Bay, eliciting a somewhat sarcastic standing ovation from the crowd. He had an RBI! Start the man.
YOUTH INFUSION
Even with the presence of old guys like Blanco, Bay and Raul Ibanez (not to mention last night’s 35 year-old starter Aaron Harang), the Mariners actually do have some young faces that can lead to legitimate future optimism. Recently called up shortstop Brad Miller is fun to watch. Miller was tearing up AAA and the M’s decided to give him a shot on the big stage, where fans have been enjoying watching his slap hitting and speed on the base paths. Second baseman Nick Franklin, a 2009 first round draft pick, has also been endearing himself to Mariners fans with solid overall play and some timely hitting. Franklin and Miller give Seattle what should be a viable 1-2 punch in the middle infield going forward. Additionally, second year third baseman Kyle Seager is having a really good season. Seager is hitting .288 with 13 home runs, but mainly I like his .351 OBP. He’s been showing solid discipline and good power, both key components of a franchise caliber third baseman. If the Mariners can get a recently improving Justin Smoak to perform anywhere near the level he was expected to play, then Seattle could have a legitimately solid all-around infield. See? All hope is not lost after all.
Overall, last night’s game was a pretty good indicator of what you can expect to get from a Mariners game these days. However, in spite of the mediocre record, this isn’t a team that’s intolerable to watch. Felix Hernandez is always a star at the top of the rotation, and Japanese import/All-Star Hisashi Iwakuma has been dominant at times right behind him (even though he has gotten knocked around a bit in his last few starts). In addition to the youthful infield, fans can also get excitement from rookie catching prospect Mike Zunino, an intriguing complement to the aged Blanco. Unless there’s a massive and unexpected turn-around this team is probably not going anywhere near the playoffs, but that shouldn’t necessarily keep you from going to Safeco to get a taste of the future. It might not be as bleak as you think.
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