Mariners enter season with high hopes

SEATTLE – The Seattle Mariners’ 2012 season kicked off this morning in Japan at an hour when the vast majority of the team’s fans will be sound asleep.

And while a more cynical person might point out that 3:04 a.m. is a fitting time for the Mariners, losers of 196 games over the past two seasons, to quietly begin another march toward irrelevance, I’m not here to rain on anyone’s parade. So for now, why not, as the Mariners told us to before losing 101 games in 2010, believe big? Or at least believe in progress?

Here, in no particular order, are nine (obligatory baseball gimmick) reasons to look forward to the Mariners’ 2012 season:

9. They don’t play in Japan. After going 12-8 in meaningless exhibition games in Arizona, the Mariners are 0-2 in meaningless exhibition games against Japanese teams, having lost 5-1 to the Hanshin Tigers and 9-3 to the Yomiuri Giants.

8. Felix Hernandez, every five days. We shouldn’t take for granted that we’ll get to see, every fifth day, one of the best pitchers of his era take the mound for Seattle.

7. The young guns, who should be good now, and perhaps great soon. Last year we got a tantalizing preview of just what kind of hitter second baseman Dustin Ackley, the former No. 2 draft pick, may someday become. Now Seattle also has catcher/designated hitter Jesus Montero, its big acquisition in the trade that sent pitcher Michael Pineda to New York. Add to the mix a seemingly rejuvenated first baseman in Justin Smoak, a still-developing left fielder in Mike Carp and others, and this team at least can give fans hope.

6. Cheesy fish puns whenever Carp has a big game. What to do if the Mariners are out of contention by early summer? How about make a game out of keeping track of how many bad puns headline writers, TV and radio personalities, and even your friends make when Carp hits a home run or makes a nice play in left field.

5. Brendan Ryan making you laugh. Those who have seen this year’s crop of Mariners commercials got a glimpse of the shortstop’s humorous side, but he’s also good for a great quote after almost any game, win or lose.

4. The (still pending) career turnaround by Michael Saunders. Saunders finished last season with a .149 batting average, and has never hit above .221 in three major league seasons. But this spring Saunders hit .324 with an .889 OPS in 13 games.

3. Chone Figgins, inspiration to underachievers everywhere. When most people are bad at their job, they are either fired or demoted, but not third baseman Figgins. He followed up a disappointing 2010 with a downright terrible 2011, hitting just .188. So what happened to him in 2012? He was given the leadoff role.

2. Ichiro’s new role. Manager Eric Wedge has decided to move Ichiro Suzuki, a leadoff hitter for his entire career, to No. 3 in the lineup. Ichiro is well known for being a creature of habit, someone who adheres religiously to his routines, so how will a change like this affect the Mariners’ right fielder?

1. And finally, when all else is going wrong, there will still be bobbleheads. Lots and lots of bobbleheads.