October has arrived, and the Mariner’s are putting away their bats for a few months’ rest. Suffice to say they didn’t make the playoffs; it’s hard to make the playoffs when you’ve got the worst record in both leagues.
But a fan’s a fan, so I attended one of their last games this season to show my support—and to enjoy one more order of garlic fries before winter sets in.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the stadium roof was open, and we were playing the Texas Rangers. Texas was leading the league, and we were, as I said, dead last. Miracle of all miracles, at the end of the game, the score was 2 to 1, and we had the 2!
It leaves a good taste in your mouth to wind up the season by being at the field for a great game like that. A few days later, Ichiro became the first player ever to have 10 consecutive seasons with 200+ hits.
Beating Texas on Sunday, and Ichiro’s awesome batting record, ought to be enough to garner some early respect for Seattle next spring.
At least that’s the plan.