Mind Blown: Mariners in Cleveland

Just when you think that the Mariners are turning a corner... they go to Cleveland and just completely screw things up, making every Seattle fan make the same face Jackie Chan is making.

Yesterday, the Mariners hit go-ahead home runs in the ninth and tenth innings but Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes jacked a three-run shot for the 10-8 walkoff win. What. The. Hell.

I think M's closer Tom Wilhelmsen says it best.

"We are glad to leave Cleveland," Wilhelmsen said with no trace of a smile after the Indians pulled off their third walk-off win in sweeping the four-game series. Progressive Field has turned into a house of horrors for the Mariners, who've had eight walk-off losses in Cleveland in the last seven years.

Seattle has now lost four in a row, but the good news is they're still in third place of the AL West at 20-25. But then again, if they have more crushing series like the Cleveland one, they wont be there very long. They're now in Los Angeles to play the Angels, a team with a much bigger payroll than them. Well this should be fun.

The Mariners are getting outdrawn by the Oakland Athletics

Oakland has been long the standard for an empty stadium. The Oakland Coliseum is more like one big gigantic cement tomb then a baseball park, and fans don't show up accordingly. Seattle, on the other hand, has one of the nicer ballparks in all of baseball and in 2013 they haven't been able to attract more than a few homeless people of the street.

Check this out...

MLB Attendance in 2013
24. Houston 19,310
25. Tampa Bay 19,144
26. Oakland 19,034
27. Miami 18,864
28. Seattle 18,751
29. Kansas City 18,497
30. Cleveland 14,205

Houston has the lowest payroll in all of baseball, Tampa Bay has that hard-core Florida sports fan base of 80-year olds that don't want to leave their RVs, Oakland is moving and their stadium is the perfect example of urban decay, Miami fire-saled their team and alienated their entire fan base, Kansas City hasn't won since the Regan Administration and nobody lives in Cleveland anymore.

What. the. heck. Seattle?

What is finally starting to sink in to the fanbase is that the Mariners have put a sub-par product out on the field for an entire decade despite ownership having the money. Their leadership up-top has just been terrible. Think back at all the trades, drafts and moves and think to yourself "When was the last time the Mariners made a smart move."

In this era of Netflix, HD TV and video games, who wants to go spend $50 to go see a team that's afraid to make a free agent move and couldn't get a hit to save their lives. Throw in that early spring is chilly in Seattle and you have this quagmire. We're approaching Kingdome level suckage for attendance.

Seattle isn't a die-hard sports town either. They're like every other city that only supports winners. The Mariners aren't winners and that's why they're getting outdrawn by the freakin' Athletics. While they keep selling "The Future" and "Rebuilding" while their present continues to crumble away.

Are the Mariners turning it around?

What the heck is going on? The Mariners have their longest winning of the season... three... after thumping the Orioles last night 6-2 behind a complete game by plumber look-alike Joe Saunders. Extra-base hits are coming at more of a frequency for Seattle, which probably changed their tactics after perfecting the weak ground out to the third baseman.

The Mariners also won their first series of the season against the LA Angels, and in a shocking development they're in third place of the AL West ahead of the Angels and the Astros. We might be seeing something of the power surge for Seattle and while it's not immediately showing up in the runs category you're seeing signs of life from Kyle Seager, Michael Saunders, Kelly Shoppach and Jason Bay. The team is still just hitting .240 but that's an improvement. Heck, even offensive black hole Dustin Ackley has improved to hitting .241 on the season.

Meanwhile the starting pitching has still been stellar and Tom Whilhelmsen has become a lock-down guy. Seattle is at least winning the low-scoring games, and once the offense comes around more, they should be able to get a few more W's even if the opposition puts across a few runs.

This might be a turnaround in the season, so keep a close eye on what the Mariners are going to do here in the next month. Maybe Eric Wedge will even crack a smile.

20 games in, the Mariners are terrible

Tonight the Mariners roll into Houston for a matchup of two terrible squads. In case you didn't see the series with Texas this weekend, Seattle just didn't get swept, the didn't even look competitive. That's not good if you're squawking about making some noise this season in the AL West.

The offense is now ranked 26th in runs, 29th in batting average, 28th in on-base percentage and 29th in slugging percentage. The only bright spot offensively right now is Kyle Seager who currently leads the league in doubles with 10 and is hitting .378 in his last 10 games.

Everybody else though? Ugh. Fans would be happy if their lineup had guys that could hit over .200.

Tonight Felix takes the mound against Houston, but the King has had zero run support and is 1-2 on the season. This key will prove vital for the Mariners because they've already painted themselves into a corner. They haven't won a series yet, and if they want to turn this thing around they need to win this series against Houston or sweep it.

But remember how things went back at Safeco this season? Good lord.

Game 15 - The ghost of Doug Fister

Doug Fister? Remember that guy? He used to pitch for the Mariners. He used to be a really good pitcher for the Mariners.

Then Seattle shipped him off to Detroit for pitchers Charlie Furbush and Chance Ruffin, outfielder Casper Wells and Francisco Martinez. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go do something real quick. Obviously that has shaken out to be a really bad trade for Seattle. Furbush is the only guy in that trade still on the team and he doesn't exactly instill shutdown confidence in the fans when he trots out to the mound.

Fister went seven innings on Tuesday, striking out five and allowing four hits and 2 runs. The Tigers downed the M's 6-2. A quality start for a guy that had plenty while wearing a Mariners jersey. Mariners starter Aaron Harang didn't do too bad either, going five innings and allowing 3 runs while striking out. The big problem though... was the Detroit offense. They finished with 12 hits and scored scored five unanswered runs when the Mariners took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning.

They'll no doubt have an excellent season. Have you seen that lineup? Good lord. Offense that only Mariners fans can dream about.

Mike Morse is back from his finger injury and drove in a run as did Kendrys Morales - the two guys in the M's lineup doing anything. Dustin Ackley was probably playing World of Warcraft in between at bats and his batting average is now a stunning .114.

If the Tigers sweep the Mariners in this series don't be suprised. They're a really good squad.

(Buy your Doug Fister gear here, Because what? You gonna buy a Charlie Furbush jersey?)

The Do's an Don'ts at Safeco Field

Having gone to the M's game yesterday, I noticed there's a few things you shouldn't do when you go to baseball's shrine in Seattle. To ensure you don't make the same mistake, here are some tips.

1. When you get bleacher seats on bright, sunny afternoon day, you'd better bring a hat - I realized rather quickly that we had ventured into an area that was about as hot as the surface of the sun - even though it was April in Seattle - and that my pale, weak, easily burnt skin would quickly resemble jerky. So I had to go down to the team store and get fleeced for a Boston hat. And the team store guy wasn't happy with me buying a Boston hat.

2. People show up late so make sure you defend your turf or moved to an empty spot - When the game started, the bleacher area was relatively empty but more and more and more people piled in. They were all roughly 300 pounds and had a Sidney Rice jersey on. These people also had a knack for trying to nestle up right next to you and squeeze you in your seat. Sidney Rice was never covered this closely in his NFL career. Since apparently Safeco ushers don't care if you move around in the cheap seats, move around to freedom becuase you won't regret hearing some guys drone on about how Seattle is the most-taxed city in American and how Motocross is "totally" going to happen at Century Link Field.

3. Coffee is expensive - Five bucks for a coffee?!?!? What is this Starbucks??!?! Oh you handed it to me in a Starbucks cup, I guess it is.

4. Dustin Ackley is as terrible in person as he is on TV - Like really bad. Like so bad the Jumbotron just shows reruns of Fraiser when he comes up to bat.

5. Watch out for the Seagulls - Good lord, its like a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I shudder to think of what the people on the first base side of Safeco had to endure from droppings...

Game 12, 13 and 14 - A victory to split with the Rangers?

It most definitely is a victory to split a series with these guys. I mean they're the same Rangers that everyone in Spokane loves because they've made the World Series in two of the past three years, and we all know Spokane loves a front-runner. (Yes, I'm making fun of Spokane and being supportive of Seattle for the first time ever, and snowballs are the new interior decoration choice of Satan) The Mariners came into this series limping after getting roughed up by the lowly Astors with a payroll smaller than your local Pizza Hut.

And after today's 4-3 victory over the Rangers (Which Casey and I attended), there is a little more light at the end of the tunnel. Why? Because starter Brandon Maurer finally showed some of the promise he had in spring training. He attacked the Rangers lineup, struck out guys, and most importantly didn't get shelled like he had in his last start.

The M's lineup got 10 hits, which was amazing considering when a batter in a M's jersey gets in the batter's box, you're suprised when he has a batting average over .200. That is still a work in progress and Dustin Akley might be the biggest pit of offense I have ever seen on a baseball diamond (He's hitting .122 so far this season and that's an IMPROVEMENT). Casey and I have serious doubts if he'll even make it to "Dustin Akley Bat Giveaway Night" at Safeco before being sent down to Tacoma.

The win comes after a rather deflating 3-1 loss to the Rangers on Saturday night, so it was good to see the M's bounce back from that. And even though the Seattle offense was it's gawdawful self, at least Joe Saunders looked proficient giving up just 3 hits and 1 unearned run in his 7 innings of work as the starter. On Friday, Iwakuma out-dueled Yu Darvish in a 3-1 win and that should be taken a little seriously.

If you're keeping home at score, that's three straight quality starts by Mariners' starters and the bullpen is quite solid this season. You could also consider Thursday a quality start for Hernandez, even though it's not quite up to Hernandez standards.

The Mariners are now fourth in the majors in quality starts with 7, but rank 25th in the league in ERA largely thanks to Maurer's early troubles. This pitching staff can get the job done, but they need the offense to back it up and that's been the theme for Seattle for the past like 10 years.

27th in the league in batting average (.220) and 26th in on-base percentage (.292).

Got to pick it up guys, but at least for the moment, Seattle is in third place at 6-8. They're facing a super stacked Detroit squad beginning on Tuesday. So hold on your hats, it could get ugly. But, if the M's play with the Tigers, welllll... that would be a whole different story.

Game 11 - Felix's start goes down the tubes

Well at least the Mariners didn't lose to the worst paid team in baseball again. Texas handed Seattle a 4-3 loss and the M's squandered yet another quality Felix Hernandez start. Don't worry, this team is only ranked 27th in the league in batting average.

For a while during the game, you were kind of lulled in a "Hey! The M's are hanging with the Rangers!" but then reality set in when they scored a couple of runs. And that's all it takes to beat the Mariners these days... a couple of runs.

But this was a Hernandez start! Problem is, I don't think they were able to give away all of those free-Felix t-shirts since only 22,000 fans showed up. I think the t-shirts were for the first 25,000 fans. Oh well. Felix did strike out 5 and got to the 1,500 Ks milestone, but Texas rallied for 2 runs in fifth inning and the Seattle bats predictably could not comeback. That's the second straight start where Felix has been good and the M's couldn't capitalize.

To make matters worse Mike Morse broke fractured his finger and will be out for 7 days. You know the only guy in the Mariners lineup that can hit home runs?

Against Texas, we can only hope for a win by the M's with Iwakuma on the mound tonight - because I don't think the back end of the rotation has it in them to get by the might Rangers. The only problem is that Iawkuma is facing "almost threw a perfect game" Yu Darvish. So there's that.

For some perspective on how bad the Mariners offense is right now, think about this. Only three batters in the lineup are hitting .250 or above and two are hitting below .200. They may look like a major league ballclub but they hit like sh**.

(Here's how you Mariner fans can deal with depression.)

Game 9 - An absolute disaster

You know, I could breakdown the Mariners' 16-9 loss to Houston, but instead I'm just gonna post this...

Mariners baseball... MY OH MY.

Game 8 - Astro Physics...

Can the Mariners play these guys every game? The Astros came into the season with the distinction of having the smallest payroll in baseball, by a long shot.

21 million dollars. Even the Miami Marlins, who sold off their team in a fire sale and pulled guys off the street to play, have a bigger payroll at 35 million.

Their highest paid player is Bud Morris at 3 million, and only four other players make over 1 million. Houston (1-6) also set a record for striking out in their season-opening series against Texas. I kind of feel like this is the state of the Astros right now.

So naturally, the Mariners opened up with these world killers yesterday in the "new" Safeco Field's home opener. Yes the jumbo tron was QUITE BIG. In fact, Seattle fans hadn't seen something this large since Carlos Silva. The M's didn't embarrass themselves by beating Houston 3-0 with "looks like a plumber" Joe Saunders on the mound.

Kendrys Morales drove in two runs, Franklin Gutierrez knocked in another with a sac fly. Hey! And only 3 Mariners struck out last night. Meanwhile Saunders went 6 innings, gave up 6 hits, didn't allow a single run and struck out 5 on 91 pitches. He's be a destroyer of men in Triple-A.

Despite bringing in the fences at Safeco, nobody hit a home run, but that probably was because the Mariners and Astros were playing there. The game also wasn't a true sellout... which is worrisome for a Seattle team that has seen attendance fall off since the early 2000s.

Jamie Moyer also threw out the first pitch, although he kind of looked like a homeless guy (cut your hair!). He didn't rule out a comeback either. Judging from the back end of the Mariners rotation, he'd better keep that arm warmed up.

(And they wrote a book about Moyer, too!)

Game 5 and 6 - Triumph and Defeat

After Friday night's 10th-inning 8-7 win over the Chicago White Sox that had Mariners' fans thinking "Hey! We can win games by scoring a lot of runs!", a big mess struck on Saturday. With the crowned king of pitching, Felix Hernandez, on the mound the Mariners still found a way to drop a 4-3 matchup to the Sox in swirling winds at U.S. Cellular Field.

Here's why the loss was so bad...

1. Felix was on the mound. If the Mariners want to be in contention for a division title, they need to win games when he's pitching. Much like in the past, however, Hernandez got very little run support from his guys. When he's the ace that gives you the best chance to win, you've got to take advantage of it - because the back end of the rotation isn't going to keep you in 1-0, 2-0 games.

2. It was a freak game. As said above, the wind was swirling, blowing the ball and garbage all over the place. Several times Mariners hits appeared to be knocked down by the win into harmless fly outs. That didn't stop the White Sox, who got a 2-run jack from Alex Rios in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie. It was a crushing homer against Felix that I thought essentially ended the game. Michael Saunders notched a 2-run homer in the 8th, but the comeback fell short for the M's. You can't blame them with the weather conditions out there.

3. It was a missed opportunity. The M's defeated the White Sox 8-7 using the tail end of their starting rotation, meaning they were going to wrap up this series with their No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers going. Obviously in baseball you want to win series ... and this should have set the Mariners up win the series. Instead we're going to a rubber match tomorrow after a deflating Seattle loss.

At least Seattle (3-3) will get a three-game series against the Astros starting Monday at Safeco. Maybe that will put a little energy back in their sails. (But then they follow that up with four-game series against powerhouse Texas... yuck)

Game 3 - The curious case of Joe Saunders

For the first two games of the season, the Mariners trotted out pitchers who looked like world-killers. For their third game against the Oakland Athletics they put out somebody that looks like a gas station attendant and the whole team came crashing back to earth after a 2-0 start.

Oakland controlled their Wednesday night game against Seattle and won 6-2 and the Mariners looked like the baseball team we've all come to know and love... and wish they could get runners in scoring position.

Joe Saunders (pictured right, and he did not win a contest to wear a D-backs jersey, that's how he actually looks) was touched up for 4 runs and 7 hits in just four innings of work. Not a stellar outing by any stretch of the imagination - but still it shouldn't have been an insurmountable lead by the retooled Mariners offense, right?

The M's got two home runs from Franklin Gutierrez and Mike Morse in the first inning but the bats could muster just 5 hits in the game. Gutierrez took the fourth pitch of the game and deposited it in the seats, and Morse got his third homer of the season but alas, it was not a sign of things to come. Jesus Montero was 2 for 3 for Seattle as well.

The M's haven't started the season 3-0 since 1995. However, Seattle (2-1) will trot out spring training phenom Brandon Mauer against the A's today (in about an hour). No doubt fans should be interested how he does in his first career start. Hopefully he doesn't look like he should be changing oil at a Jiffy Lube.

(Buy a Joe Saunders Diamondbacks Jersey, because from the looks of it, he wont be in a Mariners jersey very long.)

Game 2 - Power surge for M's

Apparently all those big offensive numbers in spring training wasn't a fluke after all. The M's gathered eight walks, nine hits and downed Oakland 7-1 in the second game of the season.

The star of the game was Michael Morse, who hit two home runs including a bomb to center field in ninth inning and finished with 4 RBI. Kyle Seager, Kendrys Morales and Justin Smoak also knocked in runs for Seattle. The most promising sign was that the Mariners worked on manufacturing runs instead of waiting for that mythical big hit (which I mean they got too, but in this game they slowly added to their lead by various means and pulled away instead of keeping it close with the A's) against the second-best pitching staff in the American League last season.

They scored in five different innings, and left 10 guys on base meaning that the score could have been a lot worse.

On the mound Hisashi Iwakuma struck out seven and allowed just two hits in his first action out on the mound this season. If this is Seattle's No. 2 starter's normal foray, fans are going to be absolutely thrilled. Last season he struck out over 100 batters and posted a 3.16 ERA in 125 innings, so that's definitely possible. His only blemish was a solo home run by Yoenis Cespedes in the second inning.

It's a feel good win after a feel good season-opener that saw Felix Hernandez already in mid-season form. While the Mariners offense didn't blow up the scoreboard last night, it looked very serviceable in this game with every batter really working the count.

Tomorrow on the mound for the Mariners will be starter Joe Saunders, who posted a 4.22 ERA for the Diamondbacks and Orioles last season.

(Here's a rather odd Hisashi Iwakuma toy you can buy.)

Game 1 - Felix a king on opening day

Felix Hernandez won his fifth straight opening day start and the Mariners took down the defending A.L. West Champion Oakland Athletics 2-0 in their' season opener at the Coliseum.

This win also snapped a seven-game losing streak against the A's and obviously gives Seattle fans all sorts of good feelings about the potential for the season.

The Mariners' offense was still the Mariners' offense, however, as Seattle could muster 5 hits - but keep in mind this is against Oakland's ace Brett Anderson. Franklin Gutierrez used a two-RBI single in the fifth to notch the only runs on the scoreboard. It was good to see him do something on opening day after what feels like years of a health problems.

Seattle did get out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and Tom Wilhelmsen shut the door on the A's in the ninth. Oakland finished with just 3 hits.

Now there are just 161 games to go. Still, it was a nice start to the season and now we'll see how the retooled pitching staff behind Felix does. Keep in mind that Seattle has had a knack for having a good season and then a dismal season... so we'll see if they can buck that trend this year. It's definitely a newer look team and fans (20,000 of them who showed up to Safeco Field to watch the game on the Mariners Vision jumbo tron) should be a little excited about them.

(To jump on the Mariners bandwagon click here.)

Michael Saunders is using a pool noodle

Don't fret Mariners fans, I know your team was woefully under-powered offensively last season just like they've been for much of the past 10 years. I know the Mariners have made a big splash in the season by signing the over-the-hill Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez. I know Kendrys Morales will probably suck this season.

But don't fret! You guys have Michael Saunders... a guy that hit .247 last season but has been practicing with POOL NOODLES in the offseason. Better watch out American League. Saunders is gonna hurt you. Or at least splash water in your eye.

The noodle has actually been cut down to a small, straight foam tube, with a rubber strap attached at both ends. 

During batting practice, Saunders slides the contraption on over his head, with the foam coming to rest under his left armpit and the strap running tight across his chest and around the outside of his right arm. 

 "I call it 'The Lifejacket,' " Saunders said. "Brendan Ryan likes to call it 'The sushi roll' or 'The spicy tuna roll.' " The idea behind the device is for the foam to block his left elbow from getting in too tight against his body and "stalling out" when he swings. Instead, the foam forces his elbow to stay on its path in a stronger hitting position.

The Big Canadian has been apparently praised for the work he did improving his swing last year with private hitting instructor Mike Bard. Bard must work magic after being employed despite not getting his guy hitting over .250. Here's how Saunders has hit in the past three seasons...

Year     Avg.      HR      RBI 
2012    .247       19         57
2011    .149        2           8
2010    .211       10         33

As you can see, he has productive that would make any half-drunk middle relief pitcher with a sprained elbow the shakes. Consdering everyone will be hitting .247 for the Mariners next season, maybe Saunders will look like the strong point in the lineup.

Oh and I'm not mad the Red Sox barely beat Northeastern today 3-0. Nope not at all.

(To buy your future AL bating champion Michael Saunders jersey, click here.)

Why Felix stayed in Seattle...

Now that the Mariners have locked-up ace Felix Hernandez for probably the remainder of his awesome career (or at least the useful years of his career), Seattle fans can celebrate. Usually the big-name player in the Emerald City leaves and goes to a bigger market, but for some reason Felix decided to stay. Here's why the fireballer decided to remain in Seattle...

1. They're going to call it the "Felix Needle" - Remember the most recognizable landmark on the Seattle skyline? Yeah Felix owns that now, and he's calling it the Felix Needle. Justin Verlander doesn't have that now does he? Also what building in Detroit would you want your name on anyways?

2. Eventually, the Mariners said, Washington will invade Canada and Felix will be deposited as a real king - Since the Canadians have like 10 people in their army, the Washington National Guard could probably mop up pretty easily. At that point, the neighbors to our north will need some kind of royalty to follow and what about... King Felix?

3. Felix gets a free copy of Windows 9 - It hasn't even been designed yet, but he's got it. Thank you Microsoft!

4. The Mariners are changing their logo - And it's just going to be a mugshot of Felix.

5. Boston and New York called, by the Mariners picked up and said Felix wasn't home.

6. The Mariners threw in Sounders season tickets - And since Felix has never seen the postseason, he'll get to experience it for the first time... at Century Link Field.

7.  The Band KISS will now play - LIVE AT SAFECO FIELD - everytime Felix jogs out to the mound - Because after all, they're not doing anything else are they?

8. Felix also gets a lifetime supply of those large chicken drumsticks they hand out in the Kings' Court - The Mariners are praying he doesn't show up to Spring Training overweight.

9. There is a Promise that Felix will be traded to the Sonics once the NBA returns to Seattle - Have you seen this guy's jump shot?

10. Mariners told Felix that New York has just changed their uniforms to say "Seattle" on them and Yankee Stadium looks exactly like Safeco Field - They're hoping he doesn't notice when they actually play the New York Yankees.

(To buy a Felix jersey, go here.)

Why you shouldn't freak that the Mariners didn't sign Josh Hamilton

Mariners fans are legitimately butt hurt about this whole Josh Hamilton thing, and I don't exactly get why. Can I ask anyone out there in baseball land if they've ever heard a fan say something like this:

‎"I'm really glad we dropped over $100 million in a long contract on one position baseball player with off the field problems. This has turned out so well for our team."

Nope. Never. Nadda. Signing one prized position player to a mega contract may feel like the right thing for a team with a struggling offense to do, but historically it's not really the best move. While the Yankees and Red Sox always make those signings and they always seem to be competitive -- there's a big difference between them and the Mariners.

The Red Sox and Yankees (the Angels too) can continue to make these big splash signings because they can afford for a couple of these contracts not to pan out. I can't tell you how much garbage is on the Red Sox roster or was on the roster last season. Anyone will tell you that the Yankees lineup is strong but also overpriced ( and aging). But they can afford to do those things, they're making lots and lots of money.

Sometimes it blows up in their faces. Sometimes it doesn't work. The point is though, they can reload quicker than Seattle if it blows up.

The Mariners have money but not a big pile like those bigger markets. They can make a free agent signing but it's going to be like when Texas signed A-Rod. One high-priced star with a bunch of nobodies. Team in hamstrung for years.

And that's not what Safeco needs right now. They keep losing and losing fans. They need a good team. Better to pick up three or four guys that can hit the ball well, not just put up stats like Josh Hamilton.

Seriously, get three guys that can hit .280 (which Hamilton didn't do last season) and you can do it for cheaper than $125 mil. Chances are that player won't be taking body shots at a bar anytime soon either.

Hand Hamilton a fatty contract, after he's already proven to have relapses and slump on several occasions should be a red flag. I don't get why this isn't a bigger deal for people. The guy had a bad second half of the 2012 season and he's got some tread on those tires after years of drug abuse. People talk about how expecting Pujols to have ten more great years is kind of stretching, how about a guy that's 31 and was a drug addict? Body breaks down if you don't treat it right even if you turn it around (which he has done).

And he's shown that off-the-field matters show up on the field. He blamed his slump on trying to quit chewing, which if it's true, means he doesn't quite have the mental concentration you would hope to have from somebody who's making 125 million.

A big free agent slugger is never what you need when building up the team and it's certainly not what the Mariners need. More offense? Yes, but not for that price tag.

Northwest Christmas Gift Ideas for Sports Fans

If you're like me and grew up in the Pacific Northwest then you probably root for Northwest sports teams and have since you were very small.

With Christmas approaching very fast (it's only 18 days away) it's time to get a gift for the Northwest fan in your life. Here are five book/DVD suggestions from the sports guys at Just South of North.

• Pitchers of Beer: The Story of the Seattle Rainiers: Now I have personally read this book and it's great! (I'll get a review up in the near future). The book chronicles how baseball returned to the city of Seattle. It's fast paced and great for any Northwest baseball fan. About the book: In 1937, when local beer baron Emil Sick stepped in, the Seattle Indians were a struggling minor-league baseball team teetering on collapse. Moved to mix baseball and beer by his good friend and fellow brewer, New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, Sick built a new stadium and turned the team into a civic treasure. The Rainiers (newly named after the beer) set attendance records and won Pacific Coast League titles in 1939, ’40, ’41, ’51, and ’55.


• Seattle Seahawks 2005 NFC Champions DVD: Ok, I know it's not a book, but it's awesome. Sadly it's not every year that the Seattle Seahawks make it to the Super Bowl. I own this DVD and watch it at least once a year. About the DVD: For nearly three decades the Seattle Seahawks were pro football's most anonymous team, tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, far removed from the media spotlight. But in 2005 the Seahawks could no longer be ignored. They posted the NFC's best record at 13-3 and led the league in scoring, enroute to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Team stars included league MVP Shaun Alexander, who led the NFL in rushing while punching in a record-shattering 28 touchdowns. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, fullback Mack Strong, and linemen Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson and Robbie Tobeck were named to the Pro Bowl. On the other side of the ball rookie Lofa Tatupu was one of eight new starters on defense who transformed that unit into one of the league's finest. Here are all the highlights, from opening day right through Super Sunday -- the sights and sounds of every game in this special salute to the greatest season in Seahawks' history.


• Tales from the Seattle Seahawks Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Seahawks Stories Ever Told (Tales from the Team): I got this book years ago and loved reading about the untold stories of the NFL team I'd supported for years. About the book: From the hilarious to the surreal, from inside the huddle to inside the broadcast booth, twenty-eight-year Seattle Seahawks veteran Steve Raible takes fans to places they never knew existed. In this newly revised edition of Tales from the Seattle Seahawks Sideline, fans are offered an inside look at life in the locker room and on the sidelines of one of the NFL’s most beloved franchises. Readers will have the chance to laugh along as Jack Patera trades Andre Hines to the Dolphins after warning Don Shula that a worse offensive lineman never existed, to marvel as Raiders legend John Matuszak becomes Seattle’s offensive coordinator during the final minutes of the Seahawks blowout win, to come along with Steve Largent as the Hall of Famer obliterates Broncos safety Mike Harden in the ultimate payback, and so much more. Tales from the Seattle Seahawks Sideline brings all the Seahawks greatest players to life from Jim Zorn, Dave Krieg, Kenny Easley, Curt Warner, Brian Bosworth, Cortez Kennedy, Warren Moon, Mike Holmgren, Ricky Watters, Chad Brown, Shaun Alexander, and more. This insider’s account also explores the lesser known characters whose stories inspire laughter, tears, and lasting lessons. Tales from the Seattle Seahawks Sideline is all about the people, proving through vivid anecdotes why the Seahawks are one of the most storied franchises in today’s NFL.


• Sonicsgate: Requiem for a Team: While Seattle still doesn't have an NBA team this is an amazing telling of the events that happened to the Seattle Supersonics leaving for Oklahoma City and becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder. About the DVD: Webby and Emmy® Award-winning director Jason Reid pulls no punches in this riveting documentary that explores the modern business of pro sports. SONICSGATE: REQUIEM FOR A TEAM depicts how a perfect storm of corporate greed and political ineptitude drove Seattle's only team with a major league championship to relocate to Oklahoma and become the Thunder in 2008. SuperSonics fans were powerless as the team they supported for 41 years was ripped away, leaving Seattle as the latest casualty of the sports-industrial complex. Featuring exclusive HD interviews with Sonics legends Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, acclaimed author Sherman Alexie and other experts and insiders who witnessed this tragic story unfold.
  
  
• Shipwrecked: A Peoples' History of the Seattle Mariners: A must have for any Seattle Mariners fan. A look at the past and future of the team from Safeco Field. About the book: From "Moneyball," baseball fans have learned about the complicated relationship between money and success. The question now for Seattle Mariner fans is whether the current ownership will spend the money to give fans the team they have dreamed of and earned with years of support.
  In "Shipwrecked," Jon Wells, a baseball writer and publisher who has covered the team for more than fifteen years, asserts that poor management and shortsighted ownership kept a team with three first-ballot Hall of Fame players, each in the prime of his career, from reaching the World Series. Wells details every misstep by the Mariners during the team’s 35-year history. But wait, there’s hope! Can General Manager Jack Zduriencik bring in enough young talent to make this club a contender again, as he did for the Milwaukee Brewers?
  EXTRAS: *Best and worst trades *All-time best and worst players *Ranking the managers *Infamous quotes*

Mariners lose the most fans in professional sports

This is a rather dubious distinction, but the Seattle Mariners - yes, our very own hometown ballclub - has seen the worst drop in attendance for a professional sports team in the past ten years. I don't think you have to do much digging to see why that's the case, the Mariners were contenders in the early 2000s, and are completely irrelevant nowadays.

(Although, they are showing some promise. Anyone want a Felix Hernandez jersey?)

In 2002, the Mariners were 93-69 and finished third in the AL West. They were also coming off the 116-win 2001 season which had everyone in the state of Washington in a big tizzy (Here's a DVD to remember when Seattle had a good baseball team). Remember, you couldn't turn the TV on, talk to a buddy or go to Home Depot without somebody talking about the Mariners.

Since then, there's been a whopping 51.4 percent decrease in attendance at Safeco Field - which is still one of the coolest ballparks in all of baseball, no question about it. They had a 75-87 record this season, but any sports fan will tell you that the team is coming around if they can get some offense going... oh wait, they're bringing in the fences?

The Mariners have seen a 61 percent drop in season tickets and remember that snafu earlier this fall when they raised season ticket prices without telling fans? Ick.

Here's the list for the 13 teams with the biggest attendance declines:

1. Seattle Mariners; MLB; -51.4 percent
2. Cleveland Indians; MLB -38.7 percent
3. Houston Astros; MLB; -36.1 percent
4. Arizona Diamondbacks; MLB; -32.0 percent
5. Dallas Stars; NHL; -23.2 percent
6. Oakland Athletics; MLB; -22.6 percent
7. Detroit Pistons; NBA; -22.3 percent
8. New York Mets; MLB; -22 percent
9. Baltimore Orioles; MLB; -19.7 percent
10. Columbus Blue Jackets; NHL; -19.2 percent
11. Washington Wizards; NBA; - 19.1 percent
12. Milwaukee Bucks; NBA; -19.0 percent
13. Miami Dolphins; NFL; -17.1 percent

Seven out of 13 are MLB teams, meaning that fewer and fewer people are going out to the ballpark. That could have something to do with (a) TV and internet options allowing you to watch games for comfortably and (b) a terrible economy for a team that plays everyday. There's two NHL teams on the list, although I'm not sure how they count that since the league is currently not having a season. The Detroit Pistons live in an urban zombie-land so that should be expected, and the Miami Dolphins just plain suck.

(Sorry Piston fans, but we still love EWU's Rodney Stuckey)

But you know what, the Mariners beat them in attendance drop by a very, very large margin. The team should probably take a long look at itself, and why I feel that the Mariners have made steps to get better, they waited much too long to turnaround a plodding squad in the AL West.

I mean it has gotten so bad that people in Spokane now root for the Texas Rangers.

With the fences coming in, and a pitching staff that is one of the better ones in the AL, fans might be wise to snatch up a few tickets during this next summer.

Reasons why you're single... Chone Figgins

The Mariners have lost six straight and just got swept by the Tampa Bay Rays. The poster boy for Seattle's latest woes...

Chone (Should have spelled it Shawn) Figgins.

The guy is hitting .189 and is hitless in his last 19 at-bats. It's still early but the problem is that he's Seattle's leadoff hitter in an already offense-starved lineup.

Considering the money (4 years, $36 million) when do the Mariners do something about this? And why do Angels free agents always tank after they're traded (John Lackey COUGH COUGH)?