Heraldnet.com
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2008 12:25 am
LocalNorthwestNation & WorldPoliticsSpecial ReportsPhotosColumnistsMultimedia 
RECENT POSTS:
No surprise: Ichiro elected to All-Star team  July 6

Riggleman cuts Bedard some slack  July 5

And now, a short break from the Mariners  July 3

Nothing sinister in Mariners lineup without Lopez  July 2

Searching for (an offensive) personality  July 1

Archives:
RELATED ARTICLES:
Duchscherer leads Oakland past the Seattle Mariners  July 9
Frogs, M's and other assorted musings  July 9
MARINERS UPDATE  July 9
Monster numbers this season for former Frog  July 9
Mariners shut out 2-0 by Oakland   July 8
Mariners backup catcher Burke revels in pitching debut  July 8
Questions abound after Mariners' lose in 15 innings  July 7
Sizemore is AL All-Star for 3rd straight year   July 7
AL roundup: Rays beat Royals for 7th straight win  July 7
NL roundup: Cubs rebound, beat Cardinals  July 7
 

ADVERTISEMENT

Mariners Blog


 
ADVERTISEMENT

 

It ain't over 'till it's September


Posted at 1:34 pm by By Kirby Arnold

Contrary to what we're hearing from discouraged Mariners fans, skeptics, writers and those leaping from the back exit of the bandwagon, 128 games remain. That means the Mariners still can win the American League West by 120.

They're 7 1/2 behind the first-place Angels and, to those who say it's a margin that can't be overcome, I say take a chill pill and see how the season develops. We're barely six weeks into a 26-week season.

Yeah, things haven't looked good at all. The hitters look like they don't have a plan at the plate and a few of the defenders (Jose Lopez, Yuniesky Betancourt) are way too casual at a time when nobody can ease up for even a second. Overall, this team seems to lack an edge, a mean streak, a killer instinct, a complete disdain for what has happened so far.

Losing will make it look that way, however. If they'd won 25 games by now and shown the same demeanor, we'd be saying how they're going about their business in just the right way.

Yes, things have got to change. But too many things can happen -- like injuries, trades, winning streaks, losing streaks and maybe even personnel shakeups. My guess is that the Mariners will experience most of those things, but so will the Angels.

While it's too late to say it's early, it's also way too early to say it's over, even if the Mariners fiddle away this homestand against the Rangers and White Sox. It's how the M's -- from the players to the front office -- react to such a dose of adversity that will tell us just where this team is headed.
READER COMMENTS
Be the first to comment.
You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet.

To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here.
Click here to see all Mariners Blog comments
Log in or register to post new commentLog out
  Return to Mariners Blog
TODAY'S TOP JOBS
 View All Top Jobs 
Top Cars
Top Homes


ADVERTISEMENT