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Seattle Mariners

Grip on Sports: What could have been for Mariners

The biggest draft flop of the Jack Zduriencik era? That would be Dustin Ackley. (Associated Press)

Friday: Why is it when I heard the news yesterday that the M’s had  traded Dustin Ackley to the Yankees, I immediately thought of the “Sound of Music?” You know,  that scene in the movie in which the kids sing so long, farewell, goodbye.

Maybe it’s because it’s been so obvious for so long Ackley’s time in Seattle was numbered.

Before we get into the why, let’s make sure everyone knows this isn’t personal, it’s just business. By all accounts, Ackley was a model citizen for the M’s, a good guy who worked hard and treated his co-workers – of all stripes – well.

It’s just he could not hit. Not at the major league level, anyway. And he’ll probably go down as the biggest draft screwup of the Jack Zduriencik era in Seattle – if Mike Zunino doesn’t grab that mantle down the road.

The M’s had the second pick of the draft back in 2009, a pick that could change the face of the franchise. In a sense it did, but not in a good way. Everyone knew the Nationals were selecting Stephen Strasburg with the top pick and they did. But who would the M’s take? The choices were numerous, with even a couple of Pac-12 players with great credentials available.

But the M’s, in Zduriencik’s first draft as general manager, decided on Ackley, a star at North Carolina who looked as if his sweet swing would ensure stardom for years. Or at the very least mean he would be a serviceable major leaguer. He was neither. And let’s be honest, when you have the No. 1 or 2 pick, you aren’t really looking for “serviceable.” You want Ken Griffey Jr., or Alex Rodriguez.

Instead the M’s got Ackley. When they could have had Mike Trout. OK, maybe it’s not fair to bring up Trout’s name. After all, 21 teams passed on the New Jersey high schooler before the Angels took him with the 24th pick. Heck, even the Angels bypassed him once to take Randal Grichuk (who?) in the 23rd spot. But even taking Trout out of the picture – though, really, how can you? – the M’s had a lot of other choices and bypassed each one.

Guys like A.J. Pollock, who is hitting better than .300 for the Diamondbacks. He was the 16th pick. Or Mike Leake, the ASU pitcher who was traded to the Giants yesterday. He was the eighth selection and has won 62 games in the bigs. Or reliever Drew Storen, the Nationals second selection that year, who went 10th and has a 2.78 ERA in his major league career.

When you consider the M’s also had the 27th pick in 2009 and used it on Nick Franklin, you can easily call the first round that year “wasted.” And a big reason why the M’s are where they are.

Just think if the M’s had used their two picks on, say, Trout and lefty reliever Rex Brothers (taken 34th by Colorado). Or any of the handful of names I’ve mentioned already. You don’t think their trajectory the past few years would have been different?

Yes, the draft is a crapshoot. It’s also the lifeblood of teams like the M’s and the Royals and Pirates. The latter two have done OK recently and have had some success. The M’s under Jack Z? Not so much.

Wednesday:  If your cellphone contained evidence that exonerated you, you would keep it around, right?

After all, even if you wanted to fight the good fight, to exert your rights to privacy, to tell your boss to shove it, you would know, intuitively, somewhere down the road you might need the backup. Right?

But there’s another side to this coin as well. We will call it the Tom Brady side. You can exert your principles all you want but when you destroy the cellphone you used to send text messages that may or may not implicate you in breaking rules, you look freakin’ guilty.

No, you don’t just look guilty. You are telling the world you are guilty.

And then to say you always destroy your cellphones to protect your personal information? That’s a great defense, if you had destroyed the one you used previously. But you didn’t? OK.

Let’s get past this.

Brady had a hand in breaking the rules. He was trying to gain an advantage. He knew he was afoul of the NFL. He tried to cover it up. Four games isn’t enough. A year would be better.

But he’s the golden boy.

He’s out for four.

All the money he’ll spend fighting the decision in court won’t help.

He’s guilty of breaking the rules, he’s guilty of trying to cover it up and, inarguably, he’s guilty of being stupid as heck.