Mariners rout Rangers 21-8!
The Mariners are a top notch organization and the people they employ are as well. I cannot take credit for digging up these gems, but before I forget to share, here they are.
The M’s crushed the Texas Rangers 21-8 in their place last week. One of the more shocking display of offenses you could ever see.
Reliving the 21 Runs:
A conversation with a co-worker this morning sparked my interest to see how much the Mariners home game attendance has dropped off since the amazing-never-to-be-duplicated-once-in-a-franchise season of 2001. Not shocking at all, they’ve declined. 2001 was the last time the Mariners reached the postseason.
How does a franchise remedy this? Simply put, put a winning product out on the field. The Mariners fans that are out there… will show. They have proved it before. *IF* the Mariners have a chance for success, they will get behind this team once more. This town will never be like Miami; a franchise that has had great success with an almost non-existent fan base since their inception.
If the Mariners can consistently win more, “The Safe” will be rockin’ again. But like with many sports franchises, if the product on the field is lacking, the casual fan will tune out. When the winning ways return, you’ll see the slew of fans (some say ‘bandwagoners’). It’s hard to breakdown and analyze what a “true fan” is without ruffling some feathers… but the long and the short of this post… just win, baby!
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2012:
17 games = 338,577 total attendance (19,916 AVG)
— 20-25 overall (8-9 home record)
2011:
81 games – 1,896,321 total attendance (23,411AVG)
— 67-95 overall (39-45 home record)
2010:
81 games – 2,085,488 total attendance (25,746 AVG) Continue reading
When the news came down on Wednesday that Michael Pineda was hurt and going to miss all of the 2012 season, I felt bad. Michael Pineda was incredibly enjoyable in his lone season in Seattle and from everything I’ve heard from co-workers and other caveats of the media, he was a great kid. You never wish for injuries to players… because if you do, you’re just a little inhumane.
Pineda historically had arm problems while he ascended through the Mariners farm system. If my math and memory serves correct, Pineda was “shut down” three different times at the end of a season. One can say “yay” or “nay” this created a blueprint for what was to come.
Pitchers and their arm injuries can happen to the healthiest of ballplayer at any moment in time, so I cannot fully co-sign to the idea that this injury was projected or predictable. However, I wonder if the tear in Pineda’s shoulder might have been avoidable if he chose to speak up about initial soreness during Spring Training. Pitching hurt can lead to very very bad things; career-ending surgeries.
Every young ballplayer that crosses the white line is a competitor. Whether the player is competing for a 25-man roster spot or is attempting to make a splash in front of the organization’s bigwigs, they’re competing. Despite his amazing rookie season and accolades, Pineda was Continue reading
The Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox played a semi-rare day game on Saturday April 21, 2012. The game was televised by what we call “big FOX” in the world of sports television. (Simply put it was on the local FOX affiliate – channel 13 in Western Washington). In other words, I had the day off from work.
So what did I do on this beautiful sun kissed day? I went to the game… as a fan. It was the second time I had done this in a week. Either my life is seriously getting one dimensional this time of year or I love the game. I hope many of you think the latter of the two. But this didn’t just start out as “some regular game”… it started out as the first Mariners game my girlfriend and I ever attended together. It was special from the get-go.
Some of my friends have called me the biggest Mariners fan they know. I take that as a Continue reading
On Tuesday night, I got to do something I absolutely love to do; attend a baseball game. I’ve been to countless games in my life for work but the nostalgia, the enjoyment, and the passion of going as a fan… will never die. For me, it’s entirely different.
The last few months have been incredibly hard for my family. My grandmother, the heart and soul of the Boyd family, lost her fight and passed away in March. It was incredibly tough. And truly, it still is. Not a day goes by without me thinking about her. Baseball season adds to that. She loved baseball.
The last ten years or so, my grandmother entrenched her April to October free time with baseball. She loved the Mariners. She’d know the players by first and last name. She would remember who did well and who which team was in town playing. It would be a conversation piece almost every Continue reading
Down in the desert! My first ever trip to Spring Training has hit its third day and the Mariners are now 2-1 in my presence. I’m down here for work but squeezing in some “down time”, in my first ever visit to Arizona (sans an airport stop years ago).
The vibe here is great. It’s definitely filled with fans that want to be here, as opposed to back home where a percentage of fans go because their employer offers free kickass seats. If you’re here, it’s by choice and it shows. Mid 70′s weather also adds a nice touch.
Tomorrow is a split squad day and we’ll be covering both games, one in Peoria at 1 PM and one in Scottsdale at 7 PM. It’s gonna be a long day. But a new ballpark I’ve never seen before awaits Saturday night and some of the Mariners best young talent will be on display. Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton… all starters, all high prospects. It should be fun but it will be a really long day of baseball. I wish it was leisurely.
I’m impressed by this youth movement. Jack Z. is adding more and more nice pieces to this franchise. I have no choice but to believe in him, but I really see his vision now more than ever. It might not be in 2012, or 2013, but I believe good ball will come back to the Emerald City very very soon.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 16,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
“Though I’ve never met you
And we’ve spoke not a word
I’ll never forget you
Through the stories that I’ve heard”
- “Unknown Brother” by The Black Keys
August 26, 1987 – November 21, 2011
I could not write this post yesterday. I was too pissed off. Too sad. Too hurt. It took me awhile to gather my thoughts on Greg Halman. I’m not sure if I can really pen it all out but I’ll try my best.
Greg Halman was a product of the Seattle Mariners since he was a young teenager. He came to this country as the rawest of the raw in regards to baseball prospects. You don’t have to look too far into your Google search to know not many players come from The Netherlands; Halman bucked that trend.
For a minor league system that struggled for much of the 2000’s, the Seattle Mariners did great by landing Halman. June 26, 2004 to be exact. Two days after I turned 21 years old. Yes, I still had (and still have) much ahead in my life but Greg Halman was two months to the Continue reading
One year ago today, the city of Seattle lost its most iconic sports figure of all-time. The voice of the Seattle Mariners Dave Niehaus passed away from a heart attack. The city was left with a giant hole in its stomach. His passing completely gutted me that day and it still does now. The man may be gone but he can never ever be replaced.
For me, Dave Niehaus was a huge part of growing up. He was like family. Or a friend I knew I could rely upon. I knew where to find him when I needed him.
Continue reading
The day the Seattle Mariners win the World Series.
Where will I be? At what stage in my lifetime does this happen? For all that we’ve been through, jealous of those who did it before, no more wasted time. All I’d see in my vision is “champions”.
I want this so bad. I want that uncanny feeling of enlightenment that comes in sports when winning a world championship. To taste from the cup of victory as a fan, at the highest level within a sport I would never want to live without. Baseball has kept me going my entire life. In good times, in bad times, in just passing the time times; it has been my rock. The Seattle Mariners have me Continue reading
