It’s Oktoberfest In Marinersland

Wed., Oct. 1, 1997

D.F. Oliveria For The Editorial

FROM EDITORIAL page B4 (Thursday, October 2, 1997): Correction Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez appears in television commercials for Eagle Hardware. An editorial Wednesday misidentified the sponsor.

The house that Ken Griffey Jr. and the 1995 Seattle Mariners built will open in less than two years.

Who can forget those magic moments of 1995 that saved baseball in the Pacific Northwest? The M’s won their first division title. Veteran announcer Dave Niehaus shouted himself hoarse describing one home run after another. Randy Johnson pitched the Mariners past California and New York in the playoffs.

And the Kingdome rocked with rejuvenated fans.

Before the park with a retractable roof opens, however, there’s plenty of baseball left to be played in the old dome. And possibly a World Series banner to hang. The Big Unit’s ready again. So is Junior, The Edgar, Bone, Alex, Lou - and the fans. The Mariners of recent vintage have taught Northwesterners that the good times don’t start rolling until October.

By not resting on their laurels, by winning another division title, the M’s have provided another bandwagon to jump on. We suggest you do so. You’ll enjoy the ride.

If you’re a newcomer to Mariner mania but want in, there are a few things you should know to be accepted as a fan by friends and co-workers. Here’s a primer:

You’re sure to be included in office conversations if you drop any of the following lines: “I hope Bone continues his late-season flurry.” “The bullpen worries me.” “My, oh my.” “The O’s made a mistake by not resting Ripken down the stretch - record or no record.” “You can mail it in if The Big Unit’s dealing.”

That’ll get you to first base. Then, it’s important to know the nicknames: “Junior,” of course, is American League home run champ Ken Griffey Jr. “Bone” is Junior’s best friend, Jay Buhner. “A-Rod” is Alex Rodriquez, the young shortstop with matinee-idol looks. “The Big Unit” is Randy Johnson. “The Edgar” is Edgar Martinez, two-time AL batting champion who makes bats in those True Value Hardware commercials. And “Lou” is Lou Piniella, the grizzled manager who brought a winning attitude to Seattle when he arrived five years ago. (You’d really impress if you mentioned that Lou’s favorite movie is “The Godfather.”)

Finally, every Mariner fan must know a few basic statistics from the 1997 season: The M’s set a club record for most wins (90), had their first 20-game winner (Johnson, 20-4) and established a major league record for home runs by a club (264). Simple, huh? We’ll see you around the television set at 5 tonight (NBC) when The Big Unit begins throwing gas. Now, repeat after us: “Go, Mariners.”

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria For the editorial board

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