I think this blog's been silent lately because no one quite knows what to write about the Mariners this year. Every time you want to believe they're legit contenders, they stab you in the neck with back-to-back losses to the lowly O's. And every time they do that, they come back with a huge, and for seven innings, seemingly unlikely, victory.
The last three games represents the epitome of this Mariner baseball club.
But I'll tell you what, the M's looked more pumped and fired up about this comeback then I've seen them in years. Since 2000-2001, for sure. And this team has a youthful talented spirit, much like our mid-90s teams. They have swagger. Swagger. It's such a vague, almost undefinable term, but you know it when you see it. Ichiro knows nothing but swagger.Griffey was born with it and still exudes it. He earned that 8th inning walk with swagger.
And I see it in Felix and Franklin and its rubbing off on others like Lopez and Aardsma and even Cedeno -- the most swaggerly .130 hitting player in the history of Mariner baseball. I hate him, but I somehow think he'll come through. It's weird.
As you can tell, I'm a tad bit excited. I can't help it, I'm a believer. I sat here watching the game getting more pissed with every swing and miss, every feeble dribbler to second. But I kept with it, kept thinking Ichiro or Griffey or, most definitely, the talented Mr. Guti. I believed. And I believe we'll take two out of the next three from Texas. Momentum and swagger are decidedly on our side.
One last thought. My friend Graham, an admitted and mildly self-loathing Yankees fan (one of my top three favorite Yankee fans), slapbet (when the loser of the bet gets slapped, for those not familiar with the term) one of his friends that the M's would win the West. At the time, the M's were playing out of their minds toward the end of April. I still thought it was a bad bet. And probably a bet made under the influence of obscene amounts of alcohol.
My initial thought was reinforced with steel by our putrid play at the end of May and beginning of June. But we're back, Baby. And playing better than ever. We've improved. We've got swagger. Graham, you may yet become the slapper.
