The M's are looking pretty good. I hate to get my hopes up but it's to late, any chance they're not horrible this year?

It's the Mariners don't hold out hope.

chris98251 wrote:It's the Mariners don't hold out hope.

Seriously. Don't do this to yourself, man.

They will fail like a starfish on a pier piling.

M's 9-1 is the 2nd best in the MLB. This is the year! Deep run, like a .525 season. I think they have a shot for winning it all every year, but this start looks good.

Largent80 wrote:They will fail like a starfish on a pier piling.

This is the first time L80 has been wrong, we all know starfishes do not fail. Ours does not

Who are the Mariners and why do I care??:smile:

I have not seen this much effort out of the team since lou piniella
Undefeated on the road - 2nd highest runs scored so far!
Yes it Is just cactus league, but its rare that the M's are the winners at anything so I am taking it.

Spokane wrote:M's 9-1 is the 2nd best in the MLB. This is the year! Deep run, like a .525 season. I think they have a shot for winning it all every year, but this start looks good.

oh.... you're one of those fans

They're hitting the long ball this spring, fences at the Safe have been moved in too. Yup, you can't talk me out of it. I'm excited!

I think the chances of the Mariners winning something still is as remote as Ichiro going into profanity laced tirade during an interview without a translator.

chris98251 wrote:I think the chances of the Mariners winning something still is as remote as Ichiro going into profanity laced tirade during an interview without a translator.

Ichiro's been there, done that

Well I was saying Tirade as in all pissed off, but that was good I have to say.

The importance and relevance of baseball spring training games makes the preseason in other sports seem like playoff games. None of any of this matters at all.

Spokane wrote:M's 9-1 is the 2nd best in the MLB. This is the year! Deep run, like a .525 season. I think they have a shot for winning it all every year, but this start looks good.

.525 season = 85 wins. If things break well enough I could maybe see 85 wins happening, but 85 wins being enough to win the West or a wildcard would be stunning.

I expect more like 78-80 wins.

SeaTown81 wrote:The importance and relevance of baseball spring training games makes the preseason in other sports seem like playoff games. None of any of this matters at all.

Not exactly true. The record doesnt mean much, but the individual performances can be encouraging (or misleading).

Ackley. Montero and Smoak are hitting well against MLB pitchers(not just the AAA ones). Thats good. Our young pitching prospects are hitting high velocity with great command. Thats encouraging.

Morales and Bay are acting like professional hitters. Thats good.

Being 9-1 (the only loss was a charity game) is fun, but as you said matters little. But there is alot of encouragement in the performances of key guys. Weve hit 22 HRs in 10 games, tops in the MLB. For a team that couldnt golf a ball past the pitchers mound in the air last year and has just moved the fences in this is a good sign.

Im not saying 85 wins. But competitive baseball may be a real possibility.

eh, they're not tricking me again.. they do this every year.. come out of the gate and play competative ball, then after a couple 2,3 weeks the bats go away as does the offense... and felix is forced to win games 1 - 2 0r 1 -0... but i hope i'm right.

They will be much improved this year. I'd say at least 85 wins this year.

The Mariners have been spring training champions in the past only to stink it up come regular season.

At any rate, hope burns eternal.

They end up breaking our hearts every year.

425HawkSpark wrote:They end up breaking our hearts every year.

You're the exception. Mariners fans as a whole are eternally pessimistic. Our hearts are never broken since the only thing we expect is a bad team.

I don't understand how a sports town that bred Sonics fans and Seahawks fans also bred Mariners fans.....

Where did this blind naivete come from? Is it the fact that most Mariners fans, comparatively, are pretty young fans?

Actually I think it's the other way around, Many Mariner fans are pretty senior, most probably remember the 69 Mets.

seahawk2k wrote:I don't understand how a sports town that bred Sonics fans and Seahawks fans also bred Mariners fans.....

Where did this blind naivete come from? Is it the fact that most Mariners fans, comparatively, are pretty young fans?

Out of curiosity what blind naivete do you speak of? Not only are the general core of Ms fans quite realistic (and therefore pessimistic) about the squad but the fanbase has also produced one of the most bland, emotionless and nationally popular sports blog in alkl of the league that educates its fans and celebrates the absolute specific details with which why our team isn't good.

To that point Mariners fans might be the most educated, and therefore hopeless fans of any team in any league.

I have not been following spring training but I hope to get up to Safeco to watch a few games this year, as always I remain optimistic of a winning season 82-80 maybe?

Uncle Si wrote:

seahawk2k wrote:I don't understand how a sports town that bred Sonics fans and Seahawks fans also bred Mariners fans.....

Where did this blind naivete come from? Is it the fact that most Mariners fans, comparatively, are pretty young fans?

Out of curiosity what blind naivete do you speak of? Not only are the general core of Ms fans quite realistic (and therefore pessimistic) about the squad but the fanbase has also produced one of the most bland, emotionless and nationally popular sports blog in alkl of the league that educates its fans and celebrates the absolute specific details with which why our team isn't good.

To that point Mariners fans might be the most educated, and therefore hopeless fans of any team in any league.

USS Mariner? Is that what your talking about?

therealjohncarlson wrote:

Uncle Si wrote:

seahawk2k wrote:I don't understand how a sports town that bred Sonics fans and Seahawks fans also bred Mariners fans.....

Where did this blind naivete come from? Is it the fact that most Mariners fans, comparatively, are pretty young fans?

Out of curiosity what blind naivete do you speak of? Not only are the general core of Ms fans quite realistic (and therefore pessimistic) about the squad but the fanbase has also produced one of the most bland, emotionless and nationally popular sports blog in alkl of the league that educates its fans and celebrates the absolute specific details with which why our team isn't good.

To that point Mariners fans might be the most educated, and therefore hopeless fans of any team in any league.

USS Mariner? Is that what your talking about?

Probably Prospect Insider.

Yeah, I don't get calling Mariners fans naive. I mean, it's gotten to the point now where you can't even talk baseball with a lot of people in Seattle, especially here. Everybody is on the "everything the M's do sucks" bandwagon before they even really look at the merit of any move or decision. The hatred is oh so fashionable.

To all the negative Nancys out there, how many people thought we would win 116 games after losing Arod, Griffey, Randy. You need only look at playoff teams last year and few of them were picked to make it.

therealjohncarlson wrote:

Uncle Si wrote:

seahawk2k wrote:I don't understand how a sports town that bred Sonics fans and Seahawks fans also bred Mariners fans.....

Where did this blind naivete come from? Is it the fact that most Mariners fans, comparatively, are pretty young fans?

Out of curiosity what blind naivete do you speak of? Not only are the general core of Ms fans quite realistic (and therefore pessimistic) about the squad but the fanbase has also produced one of the most bland, emotionless and nationally popular sports blog in alkl of the league that educates its fans and celebrates the absolute specific details with which why our team isn't good.

To that point Mariners fans might be the most educated, and therefore hopeless fans of any team in any league.

USS Mariner? Is that what your talking about?

Probably. But he should be talking about Lookout Landing--good stuff over there.

In the 80's I used to make the long trek from Lake Stevens to the Dome for a meaningless wed. game

I guess I fit into that weird category of pleasure/pain.

I just wish they could win the prize. 2001 should have been that year but they blew it.

So I stopped following the Mariners last year because I can't stand the people running the club. I decided to take a look at a box score the other day because I saw they won a game 16-6. When did they re-sign Raul Ibanez?

pinksheets wrote:

therealjohncarlson wrote:don't understand how a sports town that bred Sonics fans and Seahawks fans also bred Mariners fans.....

Where did this blind naivete come from? Is it the fact that most Mariners fans, comparatively, are pretty young fans?

Out of curiosity what blind naivete do you speak of? Not only are the general core of Ms fans quite realistic (and therefore pessimistic) about the squad but the fanbase has also produced one of the most bland, emotionless and nationally popular sports blog in alkl of the league that educates its fans and celebrates the absolute specific details with which why our team isn't good.

To that point Mariners fans might be the most educated, and therefore hopeless fans of any team in any league.

USS Mariner? Is that what your talking about?

Probably Prospect Insider.

Yeah, I don't get calling Mariners fans naive. I mean, it's gotten to the point now where you can't even talk baseball with a lot of people in Seattle, especially here. Everybody is on the "everything the M's do sucks" bandwagon before they even really look at the merit of any move or decision. The hatred is oh so fashionable.

I kind of disagree, the hatred of those that run the franchise see Howard and Chuck has been MORE than earned. Statements like the "the M's will suck until the end of time!" I do however agree with your point.

Who knows maybe the M's will shock the world this year despite the two clowns that run this club, I think they will be a .500 club this year, next year, and the year after is when I expect them to take off as long as Chuck and Howard don't throw any monkey wrenches into the good ship Mariner. One thing that isn't debateable is the M's are loaded with almost ready major league talent!

Oh no, I hate Lincoln and Armstrong with every fiber of my being. I cannot wait for the day this team is sold to new ownership.

I just bemoan how baseball talk around here has devolved into hating on any trade or move the Mariners make simply because it was the Mariners that made it. Every thread about anything Mariners seems to come out 90% posts that are just generalized Mariners complaints.

I don't know what to expect this year, but I think spring training is showing that the M's made some decent moves this offseason. They may not be world beaters or have found a franchise superstar bat, but they've got some hitters, some of the young guys are doin' a little better, and those fences are moving in. Should be some fun baseball this year.

SeatownJay wrote:So I stopped following the Mariners last year because I can't stand the people running the club. I decided to take a look at a box score the other day because I saw they won a game 16-6. When did they re-sign Raul Ibanez?

Oh man, you've got some serious catching up to do:

http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/search_archive.jsp?c_id=sea&category=news_features&month=03&year=2013&pg=1

You might want to start in December. That's when we signed Ibanez. You know we have Jason Bay, Michael Morse, and Kendrys Morales now too, right?

"Bland, emotionless..."~ USSMariner. I do like Lookout Landing, very funny and the posters are allowed more freedom to post. Point being is the writers at USSMariner, which I like to read, base everything on the myriad statistics of baseball to assess the team. And even a Mariners team undefeated in Spring Training over 11 games still looks terrible according to the basic baseball statistics.

Anyways, id like to think we win 75 to 85 games. At the very least, I'd like to see our younger players progress. Last year was disappointing in the steps backward so many of our players took (importantly: Ackley, Smoak and Montero). If those three can start hitting again, Seager remains consistent and improves and players like Walker, Huxton and Franklin make it up than i'd be happy with 70+ wins.

Trrrroy wrote:

425HawkSpark wrote:They end up breaking our hearts every year.

You're the exception. Mariners fans as a whole are eternally pessimistic. Our hearts are never broken since the only thing we expect is a bad team.

Don't get me wrong every year I think yeah this is the year our young guys produce. And this is the year that we can contend with teams like the Yankees, angels, Texas, ect... And every all-star break we are 8-18 GB and it only gets worse from there, you can hear every heart of mariners fans slowly shatter. Then the season ends and offseason comes around again. And hope comes back.
GO HAWKS.

chris98251 wrote:Actually I think it's the other way around, Many Mariner fans are pretty senior, most probably remember the 69 Mets.

Amazing!!
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Ron Swoboda, Cleon Jones, Jerry Koosman, Tom Seaver, Nancy Seaver in the stands......naw I don't remember them. Just read about 'em.....yeah, that's it.
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Considering how good the division they're in is, 75 wins for the Ms would be a good year this season.

we have the Astro's in our division now....thats worth at least 8 more wins !

m0ng0 wrote:we have the Astro's in our division now....thats worth at least 8 more wins !

Fair point but I still don't see anything beyond 75 Ws. Hope I'm wrong.

Every one forgets the angels and rangers and even the A's will get 8-12 more wins against the Astros too.

425HawkSpark wrote:Every one forgets the angels and rangers and even the A's will get 8-12 more wins against the Astros too.

Beat me too it!

425HawkSpark wrote:Every one forgets the angels and rangers and even the A's will get 8-12 more wins against the Astros too.

How does that impact how many wins the Mariners get (which is what he was talking about? I don't think anyone is picking the Ms to top the division, just be better.

Brahn wrote:To all the negative Nancys out there, how many people thought we would win 116 games after losing Arod, Griffey, Randy. You need only look at playoff teams last year and few of them were picked to make it.

We had a few things going that year, steroids, Lou, a veteran team not a wheel chair baseball team. Oh and what did they do with those 116 wins?????


The had a bigger crash then anything at Daytona.