No doubting it: The Seattle Mariners are legitimate pennant contenders. The Seattle Mariners are legitimate pennant contenders. THE SEATTLE MARINERS ARE LEGITIMATE PENNANT CONTENDERS!!! Sorry, we like writing that so much we had to do it thrice.
The Weekend in Sportsball
Mariners Open Season, Can't Get Much Worse
Erik Bedard and Adrian Beltre will probably be traded by July 31. Hopefully, Jarrod Washburn will go as well. They don’t even have to trade him; they can just leave him behind the counter at a Panda Express, or pretend to throw a tennis ball and drive off when he tries to find it.
Mariners Begin Second Half of Season; Request a Do-over
Our Mariners begin the second half of the 2008 season hoping to avoid the history books. No team in history has lost 100 games in a season while fielding a team with a payroll over $100 million. (For that kind of cash, we could buy TWO hoops teams.)
And Then There Were Four
Last night the Colorado Rockies won the National League pennant and removed themselves from the dreaded list of franchises that have never made it to the World Series.
Mariners Won't Fire Their Manager or General Manager
The Mariners announced yesterday that Manager John McLaren and General Manager Bill Bavasi will both be back next year.
Here Comes a Pennant Race
Got an email from a friend the other day: "My boss says he's officially back on the Mariners bandwagon."
Today's Target: Tim Wakefield
Vitals: 40 year old RHP. Born in Melbourne, FL. 6-2, 204 lb. 151-135, 4.21 career. 0-1, 1.50 this year. Signed as a free agent in 1995. $4 million salary.
Today's Target: Paul Byrd, Righty
Vitals: 36 years old, born in Louisville, signed as a free agent by the Indians in '05. 82-73 career record. $7 million salary.
Taking the good with the bad
The Mariners announced in a letter to fans yesterday that Mike Hargrove will be back as manager. The man has now led his charges to six consecutive losing seasons--two here, four in Baltimore. Over at USS Mariner, the masses are in revolt--if "revolt" can be defined as "leaving angry comments on a blog."
Mariners Living La Vida Mediocra
Something happened yesterday that hasn't since April 16th. No, not Dino Rossi waking up before noon, but the Mariners getting to .500. After an 11-7 victory over Arizona in their 78th game, the M's are once again treading water at 39-39.
Hargrove Mixes Up Mariners Lineup
Mariner Manager Mike Hargrove deviated from his heretofore stone-set lineup yesterday, moving Adrian Beltre into the #2 spot and sliding Jose Lopez to #3. Richie Sexson sat in favor of Roberto Petagine.
Fox Sports NW Plays Good Reporter Bad Reporter
Does Fox Sports NW have two hiring managers? One who is a brilliant mind, the other an evil genius...or just one with Jekyll and Hyde characteristics?
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.
One More for the Road
All-time catchingest Mariners catcher Dan Wilson announced yesterday that he will retire--but not before he attempts to don the tools of ignorance one final time.
The Finer Things in Life
Yesterday's Mariner win was the most satisfying game the team has played in months. Why? A six-run seventh inning.
NL Dilemma
The Mariners begin interleague play tomorrow, in Florida against the Marlins. Because the designated hitter is not permitted in these games, manager Mike Hargrove faces a dilemma--which of his nine regular hitters to sit.

