The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT October 2, 2010
Way back in December, all that Kool-Aid Seattle Mariners fans were drinking tasted great.
And why not - the signing of Chone Figgins and trade for Cliff Lee had the team looking like a team destined for greatness in 2010.
When the team concludes the regular season on Sunday afternoon, they'll likely finish 25 or more games behind the AL West champion Texas Rangers, leaving a sour taste in fans' mouths.
AS THE Mariners started the season, it seemed like they were just stuck in neutral and at any moment, they'd bust loose and start winning some games.
I'm still waiting on that.
It wasn't even two months before problems started to mount - with rumors of players falling asleep in the clubhouse, arguments in the dugout and the eventual firing of manager Don Wakamatsu.
Most overlooked - the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr., who after getting off to a slow start, abruptly left the team a few days after Memorial Day.
The losses continued to mount, as did injuries to Milton Bradley, Jack Wilson and Erik Bedard, who were expected to play key roles in the team's run toward the West Division championship.
With the team well out of the race by the All-Star game, Lee was traded to the Rangers for Justin Smoak and couple other players.
Smoak only recently rejoined the Mariners after spending two months in Triple-A, helping Tacoma win the PCL championship and has been playing well as of late, but just not soon enough to make a difference for the team.
THE ONLY bright spot on an otherwise disappointing squad was pitcher Felix Hernandez.
Hernandez started 34 games for the Mariners in 2010, with 30 quality starts this season, including multiple wins over teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers. In his 12 losses, the M's managed to score a total of eight runs.
His numbers continued to drop from May to September, and he finished the season with a 2.27 ERA and a 13-12 record.
His final start could have been on Sunday, but team officials opted to shut him down for the season after he pitched 250 innings during the regular season.
Although he wanted to pitch the final home game, team officials believed it was in the best interest of the team if he didn’t make another start. Time will tell if he missed out on some awards due to the move.
WHEN I traveled to the home opener, there was an optimism this could be the year the Mariners made a serious run toward the playoffs.
Two weeks ago, the only thing that seemed serious around Safeco Field was the ticket attendant giving out $13 tickets to a Monday night game with the Boston Red Sox, who actually found themselves in a pennant race until Tuesday.
The term “wait until next year” comes to mind — but who am I kidding?
Drinking Kool-Aid makes you just as restless.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached via telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020, or via e-mail at [email protected].