2009 Mariners: What They're Saying
With the Seattle Mariners playing the first of 162 games today, season predictions are the order of the day. We've heard Seattlest David's take, now let's take a hop around the interwebs and see what people are saying:
- "This is a mediocre team, but a mediocre team in a mediocre division is a mediocre team with a prayer. If you're going to dream, dream big, motherf***ers."--Jeff Sullivan, Lookout Landing
- "The Mariners under Wakamatsu are trying to transition into a different team. All spring, they’ve run with abandon, hit-and-run, squeezed, bunted and manufactured runs with a little-ball attack at the front and back of their batting order. Wakamatsu is quite willing to let his boppers bop, but he wants everyone to do the simple things Seattle teams haven’t done well in years."--Larry LaRue, Tacoma News-Tribune
- "They have obvious limitations in the present, but they have grand dreams for the future. They're kind of stuck in time right now. Yesterday was awful. Tomorrow looks promising. Today is some strange hybrid of both. It's a good season to sit back and let the moment carry you wherever it wishes."--Jerry Brewer, Seattle Times
- "Seattle can contend this year if Felix Hernandez continues on the path of becoming an elite starter (his ERA has fallen in each of the past three seasons) and Erik Bedard stays healthy (the lefty is fully recovered from shoulder surgery)."--Albert Chen, Sports Illustrated
- "More likely, the M's will be out of the race by the end of July and the pressure will be on new general manager Jack Zduriencik to make the right trades for Bedard and Beltre. More likely the Mariners are two full seasons away from being contenders. The rotation certainly doesn't inspire confidence, and the bullpen is frightening. The season is about to begin and questions hover like vultures."--Steve Kelley, Seattle Times
- "There are just so many things that can’t be known in April that matter throughout the year that predictions are basically worthless."--Dave Cameron, USS Mariner
Not only that, but last year's team was full of the most obnoxious and unlikeable personalities imaginable--like Richie Sexson, who was pulling down a $14-million salary, yet complained about being booed. The team also contained a cabal of backstabbers who criticized fellow players--most notably, Ichiro--in anonymous media interviews. Classy!
This year's team brings back Ken Griffey, Jr., who besides being our childhood hero happens to be a pretty decent dude and will call shenanigans on clubhouse bullshit. This may not make a difference to the win-loss record, but it will at least make the team more likeable.
You don't see too many changes on paper that will make this team better than last year's was--but at least we won't find them so personally distasteful.
The M's debut tonight in Minneapolis against the Twins, game time is 5:10 p.m. and the game will be on FSN and 710 ESPN radio. The home opener is a week from tomorrow.
