Mariners Sure Could Use Hole In The Roof Now
Where’s that retractable roof when you really need it?
You know. So it could be cranked open.
Rain is in the forecast here for the next day or two, and you know what that could mean if the Seattle Mariners only had an open-air stadium.
Delays. Postponements. Lineup revisions. Headlines.
Big Unit Gets Game 1 Start After All!
Remember “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain?” Its ‘90s offspring is “Randy and Andy and an earthquake would be dandy.”
And make Bobby Ayala scanty.
Sorry.
Has it been established that the Mariners are overwhelming underdogs - again - in this next leg of their voyage through the baseball playoffs, the American League Championship Series against the big, bad Cleveland Indians?
After all, a few overwrought typists have compared the Tribe favorably to the ‘27 or ‘61 Yankees, which is what happens when you indulge in too much ‘95 Budweiser.
The Mariners, meanwhile, have been running on fumes for a week just to get this far and had to resort to a little sleight of hand - all perfectly legit - to come up with a live arm to throw at the Indians tonight.
That would be grizzled 22-year-old Bob Wolcott, who certainly has seen it all in his seven-game major league career.
But even with the overworked pitching staff in disarray, the M’s are not exactly the ‘62 Mets. Who knows? They may have enough to be the ‘87 Twins?
Hey, you heard it from manager Lou Piniella first. On Monday, he stood on a balcony at Westlake Center, folded his arms and told a rally of maybe 10,000 fans that, “Believe it or not, we’re going to the World Series.”
He must know something you don’t, so here’s what you should know - a few reasons the Mariners have to keep on refusing to lose:
- The season series with Cleveland. It’s inconclusive. The Indians won it five games to four, outscored Seattle only 44-42 and were outhomered by the M’s 13-10. The teams split two four-game series, then the Tribe won a single in Cleveland a month ago.
- The starting pitchers in two of Seattle’s losses: Salomon Torres and Bill Krueger. You’ll note that Lou Piniella thought about 30 seconds before leaving them off the playoff roster.
- Two other losses were suffered by Chris Bosio, who has been shuffled to the bullpen for the ALCS.
- Ken Griffey Jr. played in exactly one of the games against Cleveland. His replacements hit .257 with no home runs and one RBI.
- The first eight games were played before Vince Coleman joined the Mariners, and of course the M’s went 28-15 after he was acquired on Aug. 15.
- The Indians hit .291 as a team during the season, but only .258 vs. Seattle. Their pitchers had a 3.83 ERA, which the Mariners fluffed up to 4.33.
- The ex-Mariner factor. The Indians have a significant one in shortstop Omar Vizquel, who fans here still treasure, but who was part of the crew during the worst of times.
“I’m impressed,” Vizquel said of Seattle’s playoff run, “because I’ve been on that team and we never showed that, how do you say it, that happiness or that craziness of all the players. I think they’ve really changed in these last couple years.”
Meaning since he left. A coincidence? You decide.
- Guilt. On opening day of 1994, Game 1 starter Dennis Martinez threw a fastball that broke the right wrist of Seattle’s Edgar Martinez. Now, after beaning Minnesota’s Kirby Puckett during the last week of the season, how comfortable do you think Dennis will be pitching inside - particularly to Edgar or Seattle’s other Martinez, Tino?
“I watched them in the series against the Yankees and I was proud because the Martinez name is doing well in baseball,” Dennis said. “Hopefully, the Martinez here will take care of them because I am the oldest one and I guess they’re supposed to have respect for their elders.”
Uh-huh. Elder this.
- Too cocky. The Indians flew to Seattle on a Champion Air charter.
- The stars. No, not Griffey, Johnson and Belle. Pluto. Seattle astrologer Lucy Pond told a television station that the M’s Pluto aspect “is potent, and will continue through next week.”
OK, maybe that’s a stretch. But is there anything wrong with reaching for the stars?
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Blanchette The Spokesman-Review