Posted by Wilchiro
Those are the words of Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez after winning the American League Cy Young in mid-November. And this brought up many very interesting points in my head.
There are only two teams currently in baseball that have never won a World Series: The Washington Nationals, and the Seattle Mariners. Since 2002, the Mariners have been an average team overall, respectively. Definitely nothing huge. Not one playoff appearence since that magical 2001 season in which the M’s won 116 games, tieing the all-time record with the Chicago Cubs. Seriously, what is the reasoning for this?
King Felix's hope is to bring a playoff birth to Seattle in the near future.
Is it mediocre management? Bill Bavasi made alot of key moves to screw this ballclub. A few samples include his signing of Carlos Silva to a four year, $48MM deal in 2008, His trades that sent Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera in trades to the Indians for limited returns of Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez, or maybe even the massive haul given up for pitcher Erik Bedard, a solid pitcher at the time, but injury problems have held him back.
Or is it the ballpark? Safeco Field has been deemed by most to be one of the most pitcher friendly ballparks in baseball. When hitters come here, they faulter. Richie Sexson, Chone Figgins, Milton Bradley, Jack Wilson, the list goes on and on. This has hurt the Mariners in many ways, and has even hurt Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. in his attempt to make one final hard push.
Either way, this is a ballclub that is once again, in rebuilding mode. After a solid 2009, the Mariners have sunk again in 2010, even after one of the best offseasons in recent years. This is tough for the core of this franchise. Right Fielder Ichiro Suzuki has been here for a decade, and has never experienced a World Series game. Dave Niehaus was the famous announcer here in the Emerald City for over three decades, and never accomplished the huge feat.
So, what exactly can the Mariners do to return to the glory of the golden ’90 years?
They need to go for it. D-Dizzle, the Cardinals writer here at Pine Tar and Pocket Protectors has brought up time after time, that top prospects don’t always suceed. In fact, it is rather rare that prospects will suceed at a high level. Out of youngsters Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley, Michael Pineda, and Nick Franklin, it is extremely unlucky that all four will turn into MLB stars.
Bringing in a proven talent like Colby Rasmus could really help the Mariners in competing now.
The Mariners need to stay a little loose. They should feel comfortable to set these prospects on the trading block for the right price. The Mariners should go after talent such as Colby Rasmus, Justin Upton, Shin-Soo Choo, or someone of that caliber, that will not only produce in the future, they will produce now. And they have proven themselves.
What exactly would it cost to get someone of that caliber? Likely at least two of the four prospects mentioned. But that’s ok. This is a move that not only brings excitement to fans and sells tickets, it makes an immediete difference. These are proven prospects. They are star ballplayers at the some of the most affordable salaries around baseball.
So, Felix Hernandez, it is not only your hope that this dream comes true, this is my ultimate dream as well. I pray that in the four years remaining in your contract, your dream will be accomplished. I hope that it happens sooner, because we have made key moves to acquire young, proven talent. I hope that the Seattle Mariners will have World Series rings on their fingers sometime in the near future.
