"Iceberg... Right Ahead!"
By Tracy Larsen, for Seattle Insider
Originally published by Cox Interactive Media, September 1999
With the 1999 Mariners
season winding down, I -- along with thousands of other M's fans -- am
thinking of all the usual things; woulda, coulda, shoulda. They would have
gotten to the postseason if they could have acquired some pitching, which
they should have gotten. When your team of choice doesn't make it
past the regular season, hindsight is 20/20. But hindsight and second-guessing
is neither here nor there. They're not going, and that's that. You'll get
'em next year, guys.
But will they? I'm
ending this season just where I began, with serious doubts about M's ownership
and questions aplenty regarding the future of this team.
In all honesty, I
was pleased with the recent announcement of Mariners VP of Baseball Operations
Woody Woodward's 'retirement' (a retirement just prior to the end of a
season sure sounds like a requested resignation to me). He made some very
decent acquisitions in his time -- finagling Jay Buhner from the Yankees
and luring Lou Piniella as skipper being two of the most notable -- and
oversaw the first winning season ('88) in Mariner history. But all in all
it's time to shake things up. Something must be changed if the M's intend
on becoming a playoff contender. Jay's arm is fantastic (when it's not
sitting on the DL), but clearly, more power is what we do not need.
Maybe another GM
will understand just how to lure pitchers to the Great Northwest ($20 million
and all the lattes you can drink?). As every fan knows, that's the real
key to the postseason; pitching, pitching and more (and better) pitching.
Expecting our hitters to belt out 10+ runs every game over a 162-game season
in order to eek out a win is insane. We need to find a way of keeping opponents'
runs in the single digits for at least the first half of the game. And
holding onto leads -- both large and slim alike -- must become another
priority of our pitching and coaching staffs. New blood may be essential
in more than just the front office.
So what's disturbing
about Woodward's departure is not that he's leaving (although he'll remain
in a 'special capacity' with the team, probably scouting down in Florida),
but that it has the eerie feel of someone leaving a sinking ship. The rumor
mill is alive and well: Will the team be sold to new owners? Will Lou go
with Woody, since Woody arranged for Lou's arrival in Seattle in the first
place? And the biggie: Will Ken Griffey, Jr. leave Seattle if his demands
are not met?
One crisis at a time,
please. It has become apparent that the M's have no intention of doling
out the big bucks for much of anyone. But lose Griffey? They'd have to
be out of their minds. Say goodbye to their marquee player and they can
kiss their sold-out homestands goodbye, as well.
But look closer in,
just to the left of the mound, and you'll notice a certain middle infielder
who is most likely playing his last days with the Mariners.
So enjoy watching
ARod's effortless fielding while you still can, folks, because he's the
one who'll probably
be wearing a different uniform by the time spring training
rolls around. For those still reeling from the sting of the Omar Vizquel
trade, there's a strong sense of deja vu here. How could the M's trade
away a star shortstop
twice? Easy -- money. They don't want to spend
any. Two superstars with superstar-sized paychecks will not be afforded
for another season, not if we want that phantom, miracle-making pitcher
that we're all clamoring for.
But money woes aren't
what's really holding back the Mariners organization from being world-class.
It's the "vision thing". One minute they're touting Safeco Field as the
greatest baseball stadium the world has ever seen, a single-use field expressly
for the purpose of fielding a major league team. The next they're booking
the GOP to hold a fund-raising luncheon there -- right smack-dab in the
middle of the field, just at the start of the postseason, before
they actually knew whether or not the M's would be going. What did they
expect our guys to do... pitch around George W's stetson? Ask Arianna Huffington
to please step aside while we play this little ol' game here?
That was outrageous,
but there wasn't nearly enough outrage. The people in this city are, I
believe, becoming far too accustomed to getting the short end of the bat
when it comes to dealings with the Mariners. A couple of months ago it
was cost overruns. Now it's booking Republicans to schmooze for cash while
the possibility of a playoff game still remained. What next -- the Mariner
Moose as VP? Don't even think about it.
Their lack of vision
is what has gotten Mariners leadership into trouble for years, and I don't
expect there to be an epiphany anytime soon. As long as they find a way
of making some money out of it, a so-so, mid-level team with enough names
on it (batting, pitching... whatever) to attract fans into the seats for
an overpriced dog and a beer (in their now-overpriced seats) will suffice.
Two weeks to go,
and we're right back where we started. Looking for pitching, looking to
that infamous 'next year', feeling the weight of another star's impending
departure like an elephant on our chests, and wondering... when will they
ever get it right?
If 'Wait till next
year' is the baseball fan's mantra, 'Don't get stepped on while you wait'
should be our motto here in Seattle. I'm looking forward to next season
as much as anyone, but I'm also dreading that inevitable dropped shoe that
we've come to expect here. And Woody's departure? I suspect that's just
the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
©2000. Tracy Larsen & Cox Interactive Media. All Rights Reserved.