A Grip on Sports: As Yogi might have said, it’s getting late early for the M’s as their offense is consistent in its failures
A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to write my dad a letter. But that was till possible this morning, I know exactly what it would say. “Dear Dad. I am really worried about the Mariners. And can I borrow $50 bucks? Love, Vince.”
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• The first part is true. The second part? It’s there just to make him know the letter is from me and not some scam. It’s also a lie though. He was well aware every time I wrote “borrow,” I meant “have.” I bet I still owe him a few thousand dollars.
Just like the Mariners owe the few thousand fans that walked into T-Mobile on Friday some sort of refund after the homestand began with a 5-0 loss to Texas.
The 28,253 in attendance had a poor ROI when it comes to their time. Not only did the M’s offense not show up, the whole vibe around the team, at least as it came over the broadcast on Mariners TV, seemed to be “who gives a darn.” And, yes, I cleaned up the phrase for a family audience.
And that’s what really worries me, having to clean up the fans’ reactions.
Dan Wilson’s team – for now – seems to be suffering from some sort of “we came really close last year” hangover. And it’s causing an epidemic of headaches around the Northwest. Including in my house.
Of course, the Kevin Bacon-like crew – “all is well” – that works for the team and brings the games into our homes and gathering places via the magic of streaming, keeps telling all of us it’s early. The hitting will turn around. The pitching is magnificent. And the hitting will turn around.
Besides, the M’s started 4-8 last season and look where they ended up.
Thanks for making my point for me.
What point is that, you ask? Simple. Do you know if the Mariners had begun last season 9-3 instead of the aforementioned 4-8, and everything else played out the same, the last game of the American League Championship Series would have been in Seattle, not Toronto. Ya, Game Seven, with the World Series on the line, would have been in T-Mobile. With all the advantages that brings.
The point is, all of the 162 regular-season games a team plays count. And they count exactly the same. The idea “it’s early” is a fallacy. Has been since Ty Cobb was running around in knee-high pants.
The pits dug in April can be the potholes of October. Big ones that keep a team from reaching its goals. The 8-13 Mariners are digging a tiger trap. And it’s OK to worry they might just fall in and never climb out.
The best question to ask as April turns warm is simple too: Why the lack of urgency or intensity?
In other words, instead of waiting until the end of October to figure out what went wrong, the powers that be in the organization need to determine right now what is going wrong. And try to figure out a way to fix it.
For his part, Wilson and the person in the front office that helps prepare the lineup, probably should be looking at moving pieces around. For some reason, with a team batting average right around the Mendoza Line and an OPS of .645, third-worst in the American League, Wilson keeps walking to home plate pregame with the same order on the lineup card.
It’s got that apocryphal Albert Einstein feel to it, doesn’t it? All those wise folks in the organization are telling us with their actions and words Cal and Julio and Josh and Dom and J.P. are going to turn it around soon. And you don’t want to miss the bump.
It just seems like gobbly-gook to me – or the definition of madness.
Some sort of change has to be made. Riding it out hasn’t worked. Thirteen percent of the season is gone. To win 95 games, which what it will probably take to have the best record in the league, the M’s would have to play .617 baseball the rest of the way. Not impossible, not with their starting staff, but awfully hard. And that winning percentage will have to rise with every day this poor start continues.
But by all means, keep telling yourself – and everyone who is listening at home – it’s early. And everything will work out. Patience is all that’s needed.
Just like my dad probably used to tell himself “Vince will pay me back some day.”
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WSU: For the first day in a long time, no men’s basketball players announced via social media or the like they were transferring to Washington State. But a former Cougar, point guard Abe Glass, announced he’s headed to Vanderbilt. Greg Woods has the details in this story. … Theo Lawson’s Pac-12 portal tracker has been updated with all of the week’s happenings. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner’s mailbag in the S-R explains why the legacy schools don’t often play each other in football. … Wilner also has coverage of Friday’s announcement from Bowl Season, the group that oversees the non-playoff bowls. The gist of the statement is simple: There will not be any changes in bowl affiliations for 2026. As Wilner points out in the Mercury News, though, the Pac-12 doesn’t agree with the simplistic assessment. … He also shares the Mercury News’ weekly recruiting roundup. … The NCAA has decided to make a bunch of new rules and put them into place. President Charlie Baker believes the rules are consistent with current laws. Other smart folks, including a few judges, may just disagree. … Two Oregon State transfers shined in the Beavers’ second scrimmage Friday. … An Oregon safety wants to carve a singular path. And a receiver is competing in track. … A $6 million gift is heading Colorado’s way. … An Arizona State transfer receiver has been impressive in the spring. … Arizona’s new punter and kicker are ready to contribute. … Colorado State held its final spring practice and Jim Mora shared some thoughts.
• In basketball news, the Pac-12 has suspended a scheduling rule in place since 2019. … A key Oregon State women’s player is headed back to Corvallis for her senior season. … USC added another transfer and a high school recruit. The Trojans are going to be a handful. … Arizona is aiming for an NCAA berth next season. … The Colorado men added a transfer. … A former Big Ten guard is headed to Utah. … Tommy Lloyd’s recruiting abilities are well known.
Idaho: Former Cougar Kase Wynott moved about 10 miles east this week, announcing Friday he will play for the Vandals next season. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the best story of the day? It’s this one on Montana State golfer Lauren Greeny, born in Pullman, where she also learned to play golf after other athletic doors closed due to injury. … Idaho State’s basketball programs are rebuilding, with a lot of connections to the Spokane area. … Northern Arizona has added a year to the contract of men’s coach Shane Burcar. … A Montana football player is thankful for his time in Missoula.
Preps: Dave Nichols had an Indians game to cover at Avista last night, but he still took the time to put together this roundup of a busy day in high school action. … Former Central Valley High star Dylan Darling reportedly has found his fourth college home. The former WSU, Idaho State and St. John’s player is headed back west to Grand Canyon University.
Indians: Dave’s coverage of Spokane’s 1-0, 10-inning win includes an interesting statistical nugget. The teams combined to strike out 32 times. That’s more than half the outs.
Chiefs: Jared Spurgeon was a vocal leader in Spokane. And, as the Minnesota Wild’s captain the past five years, he’s been that in the NHL as well. His leadership played a big role in the Wild making this season’s playoffs.
Mariners: Four consecutive losses. Four shutouts in the 21 games. Ten games scoring three or fewer runs. The offense is morbid. And the M’s hopes of a special season are dying. … Bryce Miller is ready to begin a rehab assignment. It will probably last a month or so.
Sonics: The path seems paved for the NBA’s return to Seattle. But Tim Booth looks at the possible roadblocks.
Seahawks: History doesn’t necessarily have to repeat.
Sounders: Pele once played in Seattle. … So did Ken Griffey Jr.
Reign and Storm: Seattle’s power couple of the past decade, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, have split. There seems to be some tears being shed over the breakup.
Kraken: The players reacted to the season’s disappointment.
Bloomsday: A lot of Spokane residents have a Bloomsday T-shirt in their house. Heck, even lazy old me has a collection. Which one is my favorite? Not sure. I would have to go through them. But, as Mathew Callaghan tells us in this story, I could do that at the Northwest Museum of Art and Culture. And then vote on the one I like best.
Golf: The LIV CEO admitted Friday the tour is only funded through the rest of this season.
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• Not sure how the M’s start would go over with the media in New York or Philly or even Los Angeles. The headlines would be spectacular, and spectacularly funny, that’s for sure. Until later …