When You're Smilin'...

During the telecast of the Mariners' 6-2 win over Oakland last night, the TV cameras captured an activity we haven't seen much of in the Mariner dugout recently--laughter.

The Mariners are having fun, and with good reason.

They're two games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2003 season, they've gotten two solid performances from the two biggest questions on the pitching staff, and the young guys--Jeremy Reed (with seven total bases in 3 games), Jose Lopez (holding his own in the #2 hole) and Yuniesky Betancourt (a solid single yesterday on a good breaking ball) are playing better.

That's the nice thing about young players. While old players either maintain their play or get worse, young players can get better. And the Mariners are young--the third youngest team in the Majors, says this morning's P-I.

They are even playing young--Mike Hargrove's emphasis on aggression demonstrated by a suicide squeeze attempt (in the second inning!) and Raul Ibanez' foolhardy but (thanks to a bad call by the ump) successful attempt to leg out a triple with nobody out in third.

Tonight, the stage belongs to the youngest Mariner of all, Felix Hernandez, pitching on the eve of his 20th birthday. Yes, King Felix was born the same month Madonna released her third album. We are ancient.