Long Season Redux

After working to get into second place with a 20 wins and 21 loss record, including winning 2 of 3 from the Yankees, the Mariners won only 7 of the last 23 games, including being swept in a few series to now have 27 wins and 37 losses. This after losing 3 of 4 to the Yankees this last weekend.

Why aren't we surprised? They can play above themselves and win games but then lose games they were leading going into the bottom of the last inning with blown saves and stupid errors.

So the Mariners seem to be a team which plays hard and should win more than they lose but a team which loves to either give games away to the other team when they're leading or on the verge of winning or just no show up and get shutout.

This is why it will be a long losing season again this year with the Mariners. The baseball writers picked the them to finish 4th in the division and be very lucky if they make the .500 level. That seems to be so true and by the All-Star break will be done for the season.

They've already started putting players down to triple-A Tacoma and bringing up players who have been up already and sent back down or new players who they think are ready for the majors but turn out to be only triple-A caliber players.

All you have to do is look at their starting rotation. After Hernandez and Iwakuma, they have had several in the 3, 4 and 5 spot who have yet to have a winning record. And when the first two pitchers don't win, which is becoming common now, then there's not much to hope for with the other three pitchers.

The truth is that this has been the same as the last few years. Their season is over by the all-star break with losing record. And this is showing they're going in that direction. This is a team which can win and be competitive, but they haven't shown it's a consistent effort with them.

And what's worse is that there aren't any better players in the Tacoma Rainiers, their triple-A team. They keep lauding the team's great prospects but either they get traded or aren't major league players when they get to the Mariners.

They haven't had one player drafted and brought up through the lower leagues show consistent big league play with their defense and offense. They have great defensive players but they're consistently near the bottom of the offensive catagories as players and a team.

So why should all us fan think any better of the team the owners and management put on the field? When you look at similar teams, like the Oakland A's, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cleveland Indians who are winning playing hard and often above themselves, it's hard not to wonder about the Mariners.

And when it's consistent for years, then it's not the players and it's not the team managers under Eric Wedge, its the owners and general management not wanting to give Seattle a better team. We paid for a great ballpark for the team and after the record-setting team we're waiting for great team again.

But sadly, again this year, it won't happen. And all the hype by the broadcasters, which is often nauseating at times, doesn't change the reality. Losing is losing, especially when it's the only thing they do consistently.