The Mariners Are About To Get Healthy

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Justin Smoak is back.  We brought him back from the DL and lo and behold, in his first game since returning to the Majors, he hits a home run.

Dustin Ackley, since being sent down to Tacoma to work on his hitting (and, I guess, work on his becoming an outfielder), is seemingly days away from getting called back up.  And not a minute too soon.

Guti!  Guti, as well, is nearing the point where the organization is comfortable with bringing him back to the Bigs.  I know there’s some alternate universe out there where, these last four years, Guti has been an amazing success story and his being picked up by the team option for his 2014 season is nothing but a formality, and a cost-effective one at that.  But, in this universe, Guti’s return is merely a showcase for some other team to try to take a chance on a guy we have nursed back to health time after time after time.  On the one hand, I wish Guti nothing but the best in his future endeavors.  On the other hand, if he does achieve that best, it would kinda piss me off.

These three guys coming back will be huge.  Because we’ve got guys like Morse, Bay, and Morales suffering from nagging injuries that are preventing them from playing the field.  And, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think we want to have Raul Ibanez starting in left field every single day without rest.  Oh, yeah, and it’ll be nice to give Michael Saunders a day off.  He’s been struggling like it’s 2011 all over again.

Most importantly, if we can get these guys back in our everyday lineup by July, that gives us a solid three months of evaluation time.  Tired of seeing the veterans constantly carrying the mail, while the kids scuffle and stub their toes?  Well, how does this lineup suit you?

Zunino – C
Smoak – 1B
Franklin – 2B
Ryan – SS (assuming Triunfel is one of the guys sent back down to Tacoma to make room for incoming veterans)
Seager – 3B
Ackley – LF
Saunders – CF
Guti – RF
Morales – DH

Obviously, the return of Ackley, Smoak and Guti won’t signal the end of Ibanez, Bay, and Morse.  Those guys will still get regular playing time, mostly because they’ve earned it.  But, that list of guys above will get their share of regular playing time too.  And THOSE guys (with the exception of Ryan, Guti, and probably Morales) are the future.

As things stand right now, I couldn’t be more pleased with how Nick Franklin is turning out.  It’s still VERY early in his career, and it could all stop on a dime come next season a la Dustin Ackley in his Sophomore year, but right now?  I’m all in.

If you think it’s too early to make a solid opinion on Franklin, then don’t even get me started on Zunino.  There have been bright spots – his power seems to be the real deal – but I’m still firmly in the camp of this being too early for him to be on the Big League team.

The point is:  this is it.  This is the LAST chance.  The final straw!  Over these last three months, we’re going to need to see some considerable gains out of the following:

Zunino
Smoak
Franklin
Ackley
Saunders

I think it’s safe to say Seager has established himself, but I don’t want to jinx it, so let’s just say that Seager needs to keep doing what he’s doing.

Those guys HAVE to pan out, right now, or there will be wholesale changes.  The organization hasn’t stated as such, but you know which way the wind is blowing.  For their sakes and ours, I hope it works out.  I hope these next three months jumpstart a Mariners resurgence.  Because I don’t want to have to start ALL OVER AGAIN.

Also, not for nothing, but any time the Mariners want to bring up Erasmo Ramirez and replace any of the three shitshows – Saunders, Harang, Bonderman – it would make me and a lot of my Internet siblings quite happy.

Russell Wilson Still Doesn’t Get Any Respect

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Here’s a national narrative I’m getting sick and tired of hearing about:  The Sophomore Slump.

Last year, Russell Wilson had his share of doubters, both from a national perspective and a local perspective.  A – he was a rookie, B – he was short, C – he wasn’t Andrew Luck or RGIII.  You’ll note that both of those quarterbacks were also starting with their teams from the first week of the season, and both of those quarterbacks were also rookies.  But, Luck was this generation’s John Elway (or Peyton Manning), and RGIII was a Heisman Trophy-winning phenom out to put the zazz back in the Redskins’ offense.  They were the top two draft picks in the 2012 NFL Draft, so they were SUPPOSED to be good.  If they weren’t good, there’s the chance they’d be labelled busts; but what WASN’T going to happen was people doubting their abilities to lead football teams and win games.

Russell Wilson, on the other hand, was a third round draft pick.  Sure, he was every bit the quarterback as Luck and RGIII in his final year of college, but being as tall as he is, he fell to the third round.  Many people said if you tacked on three inches to his frame & he would have been a top 10 pick, but that’s neither here nor there.  He is what he is.  Third round picks aren’t supposed to start in the NFL right away.  They’re not supposed to win football games and lead their teams to the playoffs.  They’re not supposed to show up and out-play the top two picks in the first round.

But, that’s exactly what Russell Wilson did in 2012.  Yet, the doubters remain.

It’s like these national pundits are compelled to seek out every possible flaw!  And, if they can’t find any, then they just make them up!

Now, I understand being hesitant.  We Seahawks fans don’t have to be hesitant, because this is our team and Wilson is our guy!  We’re able to see what the rest of the world can’t, because we’ve paid closer attention.  And, let’s face it, we’re totally fucking biased.

I KNOW Russell Wilson is going to be one of the greatest quarterbacks alive when all is said and done.  He will rival only the greats:  Rodgers, Brees, Manning, Brady.  He has the talent, he has the smarts, he has the fortitude, he has the drive.  He has everything the greatest quarterbacks have had.  And he’s ours.

But, yeah, this is a Show Me league.  What have you done for us lately, and all that.  National pundits can sit back, see a guy who shined among the greatest rookies in 2012, and they can say, “Yeah, but can he do it again?”  People in Seattle like to pull their hair out at statements like these, because OF COURSE HE CAN, JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!

But, it is a legitimate question.  Here’s the thing:  why aren’t they saying it about Luck or RGIII?  I dunno, maybe they are.  But, the vibe I’m getting seems to exclude Wilson from their echelon.  It’s a foregone conclusion that Luck and RGIII will not only replicate their 2012s in 2013, but they’re sure to improve!  Russell Wilson, though … ehh, maybe?

I hate to play the Seattle Card (which is akin to the East Coast Bias card, only more hardcore, because even the East Coast Bias has love for Kaepernick and the 49ers moreso than the Seahawks and Wilson), but let’s look at the facts.  Luck plays in Indy; not the biggest market in the nation, but they have a recent tradition of dominant football.  And Luck is replacing a legend in Peyton Manning.  Top it off with his #1 overall draft status and you’re talking about a guy and a team that’s going to get its share of the limelight.  As for RGIII, he plays in D.C.  One of the biggest markest in the country.  He plays on the Redskins, which is one of the most important teams of the last 30 or so years.  His team is owned by Dan Snyder, who is one of the richest and most controversial owners in the NFL.  These two players and these two teams are going to generate a lot of buzz (not necessarily the type of irrational buzz the Jets or Cowboys receive, but still).  A lot more buzz than the Seahawks, that’s for damn sure.

The latest knock on Wilson is that he’s on a good team.  How tough can it be to lead a good team deep into the playoffs?  Look at his numbers, he didn’t even have to do that much!  They have the best running game in football, but can he hack it when the chips are down and he needs to throw the ball a ton?

First of all, I don’t remember people holding it against Ben Roethlisberger when he was anointed as one of the game’s premier quarterbacks.  Remember how great his early Steelers teams were?  Remember how relatively not great he was (when you compare his performance to Russell Wilson’s)?

Yes, Luck had to carry that team pretty much all on his own.  No, the Redskins wouldn’t have been NEARLY as dynamic without RGIII at the helm.  But, I would argue the Seahawks wouldn’t have been what they became without Russell Wilson.

No, his early-season numbers weren’t good.  That certainly held him back from any serious Rookie of the Year consideration.  Let’s face it, RGIII came out like a loaded gun in week 1 and was non-stop awesome in 2012!  But, by season’s end, the Seahawks were a well-oiled machine, and they wouldn’t have been nearly as effective without Wilson leading the way.

Did the Seahawks limit Wilson’s output?  Of course they did.  Because he was a rookie who was learning on the job.  Remember, he didn’t get the off-season that Luck and RGIII got.  He wasn’t named the starter from the moment he was drafted.  He had to beat out two other guys!  He had to split starts in the pre-season!  Finally, going into the last pre-season game, the Seahawks named Wilson their starter, but at that point he had only gotten somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the Training Camp reps that Luck & RGIII got.

Once Wilson was ready, though, a little over a month into the season, the Seahawks heaped more onto his plate and he rose to every challenge.  Had he been the recipient of the type of off-season that Luck and RGIII had, maybe Wilson wouldn’t have been so restrained from a playbook standpoint.

Now, Wilson’s passing numbers didn’t immediately skyrocket once the playbook was at full throttle, but that’s because by that point the Seahawks were bashing in the brains of all comers!  When you’re winning games in blowout fashion, averaging 50 points over a 3-week span, are you really going to ask your quarterback to drop back and throw 40 times?  How do you blame Wilson for being on a studly team like that (made only studlier by Wilson’s very presence)?

It’s annoying, but it’s understandable.  The nation doesn’t respect a God damn thing Seattle has ever done when it comes to sports.  To be fair, that’s because Seattle hasn’t DONE a God damn thing when it comes to sports.  Either way, I wouldn’t expect the doubters to cease their foolish ways anytime soon.  Russell Wilson could improve over his 2012 numbers, lead this team to a Super Bowl, and they’ll STILL be looking for holes in his game entering year three.  I reckon, anything short of a perfect season, an MVP from Wilson, and a massive tsunami swallowing up the eastern half of America will prevent the rest of the country from seeing what is so clear to our rose-colored eyes:  Russell Wilson is the man.  He will always be the man.  Forever and ever, until he chooses to hang ‘em up.

Let The Hockey Rumors Begin

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You ever wonder how the present will be perceived in 50 or 100 years?  When you think of a major historical event, unless you’re some kind of expert or history buff, you just know the broad strokes.  Then, you see the volumes upon volumes of books on this very subject, and you realize there were a ton of intricacies involved to get you to those very broad strokes.

One thing in particular I wonder about when all is said and done:  how will people choose to remember the whole Sonics debacle in 2007 and 2008?  Because all those little things that got us to where we are today will eventually coalesce into one small footnote.

At the time, we held Clay Bennett in the highest of contempt, because he was actively lying to us, we KNEW he was lying to us, and yet he continued right on lying.  Once the team left and the sting started to subside, we all adopted the platform we still hold to this very day (and will likely hold at least through the point where we get another team):  Howard Schultz is an ass clown and it’s HIS fault we lost the Sonics.

But, I’m beginning to wonder, when it’s all said and done, in those aforementioned 50 or 100 years from now, when the Sonics are back in Seattle, emotions are settled, and we can once again focus on the GAME of basketball and not the politics of basketball, will we still hold the biggest grudge for Howard Schultz?  Sure, maybe some of the old-timers, who are old enough to remember these lawless times when men were men; but I bet when this is just a speck of dust on the overall History of the NBA, the consensus reason for the Sonics originally leaving Seattle will be because the city and state government totally and completely dropped the ball.

We’ll see.  I think this conversation will become much more clear in the ensuing years.  As the city of Sacramento is taking its well-deserved victory lap, the wheels of my theory have already been set in motion.  As a local and state government, only a wild pack of ninnies lets a major professional sports team walk away for practically nothing!  You’re SUPPOSED to scratch and claw and do everything at your disposal to keep the team in the city.  You’re SUPPOSED to exhaust all options.  And, in the end, you’re SUPPOSED to cave in to the demands of the sports league.  Because it’s just smart business.  A little fucking taxes to pay for a fucking arena never hurt nobody!

Because, in the end, when you come to your senses and realize how important that franchise was to your city, it’s going to cost you a LOT more to try to bring them back than it would have to just keep them here in the first place.

I mean, honestly, what was Schultz asking for?  A couple hundred million?  I don’t remember the figure off the top of my head, but I know it wasn’t a lot.  He wanted a couple/few hundred million to renovate Key Arena.  The NBA signed off on it, so we were a go!  But, the city shut that movement down, so the team was sold.  What was once a $200 million deal for a renovated Key Arena turned into a $500 million deal with Clay Bennett to build an arena in Renton.  Well, of course, if $200 million was denied, $500 million was out of the question!  Now, it’s going to cost generous billionaires nearly a billion dollars to bring this team back, while the city gets its peach of a deal.  But, at what cost?  Well, so far, it’s been five full seasons without the NBA and counting.  For other cities who have lost their teams, it has been a lot longer still.

Smart cities don’t get in the business of losing their franchises, because they spend the rest of eternity trying to get them back!  We’re somewhat lucky to be in Seattle, because we have a bigger market than most, so the NBA and the NHL would like to get into bed with us.  If you’re Kansas City or San Diego or Vancouver, you’re not quite as lucky.  You’re likely to spend a lot longer waiting than we will.

So, now we have this whole mess with Glendale and the Phoenix Coyotes.  Once again, Seattle is the Big, Bad Boogie Man, just like the deal with the Kings.  If I’m 100% honest, I have a little more confidence in the NHL getting here before the NBA, but I’m reluctant to jump right into this belief that the Coyotes are coming to town.

If Glendale is smart, they’ll figure out a way to keep their team, just like Sacramento was smart and kept their team.  If they flip off the NHL, then Seattle gets a new franchise and the Phoenix area waits about a hundred years before they get another taste of pro hockey.

A lot of people like to place the blame on the greedy-ass owners or the corrupt league commissioners.  But, when push comes to shove, what it really boils down to is the greedy-ass AND corrupt local politicians who are only in it for their own interests.  And, suffice it to say, their interests don’t coincide with sports leagues or the sports-loving common man.

But, just watch how fast they pull money out of their asses for another God damned art museum or classical music theater.

The 2013 Year In Mariners Catching

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It’s all just a lot of stupid small stuff, but when you add it all up … it’s all just a lot of stupid small stuff.

Kelly Shoppach was abruptly DFA’d this week, in favor of some guy named Henry Blanco.  This doesn’t mean much, except that what once might have been an equal, 50/50 time-share at catcher between Shoppach and Zunino has turned into Zunino:  Starting Catcher, with some guy in his 40s playing once or twice a week, maybe.

This means that when Jesus Sucre returns from the DL, he’s almost certainly going to be the starting catcher in Tacoma.  I don’t think you go to all the trouble of signing a veteran catcher to be a mentor, just to turn around and waive that guy in two weeks when Sucre gets healthy.  You sign a mentor to BE a mentor.  And, with Sucre’s limited upside, you’re obviously not bringing in Blanco to be Sucre’s mentor.

So, that’s that.  Mike Zunino is officially a Major League catcher.  He’s not a mere stopgap presence to be sent back down for more seasoning; he’s here to learn on the job and consequences be damned!

Now, if it were me running the team (which, really, could I be any worse at this point?), it wouldn’t have ended up this way.  Let’s look back on the 2013 Year In Mariners Catching:

  • Mariners trade John Jaso for Mike Morse

OK, I’m with you so far.  Sure, I liked Jaso, but there was a need for a starting outfielder and there was a need for a middle-of-the-order bat.

  • Mariners make Jesus Montero the starting catcher

Fine.  Let’s see what the kid can do.  Obviously, he’s not going to be a long-term answer, but for right now, what’s the harm?  If he turns out to be halfway decent behind the plate, all the better.  That way, in the future, when Zunino is the starter, Montero can back him up on days he’s not DHing.

  • Mariners sign Kelly Shoppach to be the backup catcher

Yeah, this makes sense.  The team needs a veteran presence to back up Montero.  He’s played for Wedge before, so you figure he’s a good clubhouse guy.  And, in a pinch, if Montero struggles, you can throw Shoppach in there for more starts and he shouldn’t be a total trainwreck.

  • Montero struggles, team names Shoppach the starting catcher

This didn’t quite stick as advertised; the catching situation turned into more of a 50/50 deal, as the organization could ill afford to have Montero riding pine.  It wouldn’t benefit his development to have him not doing anything, nor would it work to increase his trade value, should the organization opt to cut and run.

  • Montero continues to struggle, is sent down to Tacoma
  • Jesus Sucre is brought up to replace Montero
  • Sucre to back up Shoppach at the Major League level

Well, what are you gonna do?  Montero was the worst defensive catcher in the Major Leagues, AND he was terrible at the plate!  You couldn’t very well expect him to get any better while he’s mired in this endless funk.  Better to send him down, let him work on his shit, let him get his confidence back, and let him work in an arena without so much pressure.

Sucre was kind of a nothing guy, but you need to have a warm body backing up your starting catcher.  Sucre did, however, provide quality defense, which is something at least.  Over time (albeit, a very short time), Sucre earned more starts.

  • Sucre is injured after taking a back-swing to his left wrist

He wasn’t placed on the DL, as the organization thought he might get better in a very short time.  Wish in one hand and shit in the other, you know?

  • Jesus Montero tears meniscus, put on 60-day DL

This happened in Tacoma.  Montero, after being sent down, was in the process of being converted to a defensive first baseman.  He was to continue playing some backup catcher, but primarily they wanted him to work out at first base.  This wasn’t entirely unexpected; even when we traded for the guy, most people projected him to either be a full time DH or first baseman.  I don’t really know how he was injured, but it certainly threw the organization into a tailspin.

  • Brandon Bantz called up to back up Shoppach while Sucre recovers

Had Montero not torn his meniscus, I have little doubt the Mariners would’ve immediately backtracked on their vow to have him work out his shit in the minors.  Just like Smoak last year, when injury strikes, long-term plans go out the window.  But, with Montero out, the Mariners had no choice but to bring up a guy who really wasn’t good enough to even play in AAA, let alone the Majors.  The team never wanted to start Bantz, because you don’t want to embarrass a kid who isn’t ready for the Majors (and probably will never be ready for the Majors).  But, they had no choice.  Bantz made one start, going 0 for 2.

  • Jesus Sucre put on the DL

Bantz was meant to be a short-term stopgap.  One start at the most, just to provide relief for Shoppach who was catching too many days in a row, including every pitch of a 16-inning barn-burner.  Ideally, Bantz would’ve been out of here within a week as Sucre healed.  But, Sucre couldn’t heal fast enough, and the Mariners didn’t want to risk giving a guy like Bantz multiple starts.

  • Mariners call up Zunino, DFA Bantz

OK, so I was with you up until this point.  Every move up until now was at least reasonable.  They made sense.  The Mariners were doing the best with what they were dealt.  But, calling up Zunino this fast was hardly a wise and well-reasoned move.

For the record, Bantz cleared waivers and is back in the minors, so no harm done there.

The Mariners could have just as easily signed a guy like Henry Blanco then, instead of calling up Zunino.  Run out an all-veteran backstop position until Sucre returned from the DL.  There were available catchers with Major League experience on the waiver wire, it wouldn’t have taken but a phone call.  Instead, the Mariners thought it would be a good idea to give their #1 prospect his first taste of the Major League life.

Which is exactly what they suggested it would be:  a taste.  They intimated that Zunino could come up for a couple of weeks, be observed by the Major League coaches to see where he’s at in his development, then be sent back down for more seasoning without hurting his psyche.  This was the argument used to rationalize Zunino’s premature presence.  The only thing was, they had to add him to the 40-man roster, which cost us a minor league prospect in Catricala (going to the A’s of all teams, so watch for him to be killing the Mariners in the next year or two).  And, now that Zunino is on the 40-man roster, he can never be taken back off again, lest we wish to lose him to the highest priority waiver team.  AND, if we keep him at the big league level for long enough this season, that risks making him a Super 2 player, which will cost us more in arbitration years.

All of that for a guy who may only be up here for a couple weeks?  Seems like a hefty price to pay.

  • Mariners DFA Shoppach, sign Blanco

Which brings us to this week.  Zunino is up for the long haul, Sucre is destined for Tacoma, Blanco is the Raul Ibanez of the catching position, and Shoppach has his reputation besmirched with rumors of him being a difficult clubhouse guy.

All in all, a Blanco for Shoppach swap doesn’t mean diddly.  Both are terrible with the bat, both are old and not long for the organization beyond this season, both are backups who have no business playing every day.

But, now Zunino.  Yesterday, he hit his first home run.  He’s 2 for 7 in his first two games, with a walk and two strikeouts.  And he’s our everyday catcher.  My oh my, Mariners; as Jackson said to Dux, “Aw jeez Frankie, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

The Best Players On The Worst Teams, Part IV: Everything Else

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Part I - Felix Hernandez

Part II - Other Seattle Mariners

Part III – Seattle Seahawks

There aren’t enough Sonics to include on this list to make it worth my while for a whole post, mostly because the Sonics had been consistently good throughout the years.  With the exception of the early going (the first seven years or so) and the late going (the last six years or so, before they left Seattle).  One name that popped to mind immediately was Ray Allen.  Of course, he went on to have great success with the Celtics (and I guess the Heat, depending on whether they can pull out these Finals), but in his time in Seattle, the Sonics greatly underachieved, with only one post-season appearance to his name.  Technically, I’m not counting players like Ray Allen, since the whole idea is to praise the guys who have suffered their whole careers on terrible teams, but as I said before, the pickin’s are pretty slim across Sonics history.

I was also halfway tempted to put Rashard Lewis on this list, as his Sonics teams were pretty underwhelming too.  But, he did go to Orlando, and they did go to the playoffs in three straight seasons, including one Finals appearance.  So, screw off to Lewis; he had his chance.

Once you rule out all the great players from the 70s, 80s, and 90s (for being on consistently good-to-great teams), the only name that comes immediately to mind is Bob Rule, the old Sonics center from the very first Sonics teams.  I don’t know much at all about these early-going Sonics, but I know Bob Rule was quite good in his day.  And, from the looks of things, he NEVER made the playoffs in his 8 seasons in the league.

***

I likewise don’t have a great handle on all the Husky teams throughout the ages, but there’s one name that can’t be denied.  He might be the greatest Husky football player who ever lived.  At the very least, we’re talking about a guy in the Top 5 or Top 10 in all time Huskies.  Of course, I’m talking about Jake Locker.

When you think of great Husky teams, I’m sure you think of the Don James era.  Maybe you think about some of those teams in the 1920s, or the Jim Owens era if you’re real old school.  If you’re some young punk idiot, you’ll think about a couple of those Neuheisel teams, because those are the years I attended the university.  The point is, there are PLENTY of great Husky teams to choose from.  As there are PLENTY of great Husky players to choose from.

But, when you think of truly terrible Husky teams, you think of every season after the Neuheisel era.  You think of Gilby and Willingham.  You think of 2008 and 0-12.  And, of course, you have to think about Jake Locker.

Now, obviously, if we’re talking about one of the greatest Husky football players of all time, then you know we’re talking about teams that were terrible in spite of their leader!  Nevertheless, in his first two years, the Huskies were 4-9 and 0-12 before Willingham was rightfully fired.  That’s a disgrace!  How could you possibly draw in a player SO GOOD, and end up with records so poor?  Well, of course, Locker was hurt for much of that 0-12 campaign (that really seemed to drag on and on and on until the end of time; if there is a Hell, it’s forever sitting in the freezing nosebleed seats at the end of October, 2008, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish trounce your home team 33-7), but that’s neither here nor there.

Locker never had the talent around him.  Period.  Even when Sark came aboard, there was little hope.  You can’t turn around a program this inept in one or two years.  Locker’s third season was a marked improvement, but the Huskies were still only good enough to finish 5-7, bringing his 3-year record to 9-28.  Finally, though, in his Senior season, through the sheer force of Locker’s will, the Huskies made it back to a bowl game and kicked the asses of the Cornhuskers.  A 7-6 final season brought Locker’s total record to 16-34, which makes me weep a little on the inside.  Deep down, where I’m soft like a woman.

***

Upon conception of this post idea, it was supposed to center around Felix Hernandez.  I decided to broaden the scope and include other sports, so I reached out to some friends to give me ideas on other elite players who have been banished to terrible teams throughout their careers.  So, let’s get it on.

A lot of people feel sorry for Larry Fitzgerald, but let’s face it, if you’ve ever played in a Super Bowl, you’re disqualified (I don’t care HOW terrible his quarterbacks have been since Kurt Warner retired).  So, forget about him, and start getting a huge sad sack boner over Steven Jackson.  Nine years in the league to date, all with St. Louis.  In his first season (2004), the Rams made the playoffs (remember the game where they beat the Seahawks in the Wild Card round?) and won a single game before losing the following week.  At that time, Jackson was sharing the load with the legendary Marshall Faulk, so he didn’t even get a full allotment of carries in his lone post-season appearance!

In a real oddity, the Rams for Jackson’s entire career (including 2004) have never had a winning record.  At best, they’ve been 8-8 (twice); at worst, they’ve been 1-15 (once) and 2-14 (twice).  His total record in the NFL is 44-99-1.  His stats to date are:  10,135 yards, 56 touchdowns, 407 receptions, 3,324 receiving yards, 8 receiving touchdowns, in 131 total games.  My hunch:  we’re talking about a guy who will be in the Hall of Fame one day.  And it’s only now, as he’s signed with the Atlanta Falcons, where he will finally get a real taste of the post-season life.  Even then, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL.  I generally dislike the teams in Seattle’s division and the players on those teams, but Steven Jackson is one of the good ones.  If it weren’t a foregone conclusion that the Seahawks are going all the way this year, I’d root like crazy for Jackson and the Falcons.

Next on my list of the parade of the damned, we’ve got probably my favorite running back of all time:  Barry Sanders.  Ye GODS, was he spectacular!  Hands down, probably my favorite player to watch play the game of football.  He lasted 10 years, all with Detroit, before retiring at an age where he probably – if he wanted to – could have continued his career.  I mean, in his final season, he ran for 1,491 yards!  In his next-to-last season, he ran for over 2,000 yards!  If that’s not a guy who’s still in the prime of his life, I don’t know what to tell you.

The Detroit Lions, in his time, were consistently mediocre.  78-82.  Yes, they made the playoffs in five of his ten seasons, but they were never really CONTENDERS.  And, not for nothing, but the Lions’ playoff record in his tenure was 1-5; yes, they lost their first game 4 out of the 5 times his Lions made the playoffs.  Remember these names:  Rodney Peete, Dave Krieg, Scott Mitchell, Charlie Batch.  These are just a few of the quarterbacks who did little more than hand the ball off to Sanders and watch him try to carry the team into the playoffs.

OK, one more player before I finish for the day and continue this post later.  O.J. Simpson.  He IS a Hall of Famer!  He played in 11 seasons throughout the late 60s and all of the 70s, 9 of them in Buffalo before finishing his career in San Francisco (before they were SAN FRANCISCO).  In that time, Simpson played in exactly one playoff game, in 1974, against the Steelers, where they lost 32-14.  He ran it 15 times for 49 yards with another 3 receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown.  Those are the entirety of his playoff numbers.  Little did the world know then just what kind of an asshole he would become, but at the time of his retirement, I suppose you had to feel sorry for the guy.

To be continued …

The Best Players On The Worst Teams, Part III: Seattle Seahawks

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Part I – Felix Hernandez

Part II – Other Seattle Mariners

The single greatest travesty in Seattle sports history might be the fact that Steve Largent never had a chance to win a Super Bowl.  Largent joined the team in its first year of existence, 1976.  The team had a winning record in only its third season, but didn’t make the playoffs until 1983.  That was the year the Seahawks beat the Elway-led Broncos and the Marino-led Dolphins, but ended up losing to the Plunkett-led Raiders in the AFC title game.

That would be the closest Largent ever made it to the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks returned to the playoffs the following year, losing in the second round.  Then, the Seahawks cracked a Wild Card spot in ’87 & ’88, but lost in the first round both times.  Largent retired after the 1989 season with only four playoff appearances under his belt and a 3-4 record in those playoffs.  His Seahawks teams, in the regular season, were a remarkably mediocre 103-109.  They passed on such studs as John Elway & Dan Marino in the 1983 draft and were rewarded with a very-good running back in Curt Warner who was also very injury prone.  I’m sure there were other studs along the way that this team missed out on, which rendered Largent’s career a little lacking.  He was the greatest wide receiver of all time when he retired (to be surpassed by Art Monk and later Jerry Rice) and he certainly deserved better.

***

The other Hall of Fame Seahawk had a tougher go of it while he was here.  Cortez Kennedy played 11 seasons, all in Seattle, and he was the finest defensive tackle I’ve ever seen play the game.  He was drafted with the #3 overall pick in 1990 and made an immediate impact on this team.  Unfortunately, he was the ONLY player who made an impact on this team, as the early 90s were Seattle’s darkest period.

Like Largent, Kennedy’s Seahawks were also remarkably mediocre, with a 76-100 record.  Unlike Largent, Kennedy’s Seahawks would only see the playoffs one time.  In Kennedy’s tenth season in the league, as his career was winding down, he was playing for his fourth head coach.  Fortunately, this coach was future Hall of Famer Mike Holmgren.  With a 9-7 record, the Seahawks won the AFC West and hosted a Wild Card round game.  What should have been a nice little story out of the Pacific Northwest turned into the Trace Armstrong Show as he got three sacks and killed our chances at a late-game comeback.  This game ended up being the last victory in Dan Marino’s storied career (as the Dolphins would go on to get destroyed by Jacksonville the following week, 62-7), but it was also the last and only taste of the post-season for Cortez Kennedy.

Tez played the 2000 season, but by this point he was just a shell of his former self.  He ended up retiring (after the team decided to not re-sign him, and after other teams decided they didn’t want to give him a chance) with an 0-1 record in the playoffs.

***

Jim Zorn definitely falls into the Steve Largent realm of Seattle greats without much success.  Zorn was supplanted by Dave Krieg in the 1983 season, having participated in just three playoff games (but only playing significant minutes in just the one game, the loss to the Raiders in the AFC title game).

Dave Krieg is less-deserving, as he finished his career with the Chiefs and Lions and made the playoffs with both teams.  Besides that, Krieg really stunk up the joint in that AFC Title game (0 TDs & 3 INTs) and I never much cared for him anyway.  Me and my family always liked to make fun of his small hands and his fumble-prone ways.  Suffice it to say, the Taylors don’t revere the man like most of the rest of Seattle seems to (revisionist thinking at its finest; Krieg was a bum).

Toss Kenny Easley into the pile.  He played in one less playoff game than Largent, but his hard-luck ways were due more to his injuries preventing him from being one of the all-time greatest safeties.  Jacob Green was the finest and most-durable defensive end in Seahawks history, and he shares in the woes of those teams in the 80s.  Eugene Robinson WOULD appear on this list, except he went on to great success with the Packers (his Super Bowl-day arrest while playing with the Falcons notwithstanding).

Brian Blades is the last name on this list.  He was drafted in the 2nd round in 1988 and went on to become the second-greatest wide receiver in team history.  Blades played in 11 seasons, all with Seattle.  Yet, his only playoff appearance took place in his rookie year of 1988, where the Seahawks lost in the Wild Card round to the Cincinnati Bengals.  Blades caught 5 balls for 78 yards (while Largent caught only 2 for 17), which represented a passing of the torch from one legend to another.  Nevertheless, those 5 balls were the only ones he would catch in the post-season.  He retired after the 1998 season and missed out on all the greatness this franchise would have after the turn of the century.

***

For the record, I’m not including any of the players who were featured on those great Holmgren teams.  Let’s face it, if you were involved in five consecutive playoff appearances, no one is feeling sorry for you.  You had your chances, including a Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 2005 season.  Those teams were great, and so it’s hard to lament guys like Walter Jones, Shaun Alexander, and Matt Hasselbeck.  They were truly great players, but they were also on great teams.  And, if I wanted to list all the Seahawks who never won a Super Bowl, this post would be a million words long.

Jim Harbaugh Needs To Keep His Whore Mouth Shut: A Look At The Seahawks, 49ers & Rivalries

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Every great team needs a great rivalry.  That’s just the way it works.  It’s not as satisfying to waltz into the Super Bowl having mowed through inferior competition.  You’d like to beat at least one team that’s on your level.  And you’d like it if that team was as loathesome as the San Francisco 49ers.

The Seahawks have had rivalries over the years, but they always felt Less Than.  The Raiders and Broncos, primarily.  They were 1 & 1-A, with Kansas City not far behind.  Then, we got squeezed out and shoved into a makeshift NFC West division with teams we’d hardly played before.  And, almost immediately, we were the best team in that division, as the Rams went on the long, slow decline.

Yeah, the Rams were a little irritating at first, but once their wheels fell off, they were just another team to feel sorry for.  Then, the Cardinals were good for a minute, but by then the Seahawks were on the decline.  With the rise of the 49ers, and the very-sudden rise of the Seahawks, we finally have something!  And, thanks to guys like Jim Harbaugh and Colin Kaepernick, we finally have something worth hating!

I’m tired of our biggest rival being the refs.  Or the Steelers.  It’s fucking stupid!  You can’t have a rivalry with a team that hardly knows you’re there.  It’s a waste of time and energy hating something that looks at you with nothing but indifference.  And you can’t fabricate a rivalry with a team that already has well-established rivalries; it’s just not done.

Thankfully, the 49ers are here.  And, truth be told, the 49ers don’t have much of a rivalry with anyone either.

The 49ers used to share a division with the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints.  This was a division called the “NFC West”.  You thought having a team in St. Louis was bad, think about being in Atlanta or New Orleans and having to fly out here three times a year (back when the Rams used to be in Los Angeles) at a minimum.  The Falcons and Saints have almost always been terrible throughout the duration of their existences.  Ditto the Cardinals.  The Rams were decent in the early 80s, but when compared to the dominance of the 49ers in the 80s, it was no contest.

The 49ers had to revert to rivalries with teams in other divisions.  The New York Giants, the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins, the Dallas Cowboys.  Even then, how does that work?  You’re not guaranteed to see them in the regular season, and you’re not even guaranteed to see them in the playoffs!

I dunno, maybe I’m misguided.  Maybe the 49ers really did have a good hate-on for the Rams or the Saints or something.  I doubt it, though.  At the very least, they didn’t have the kind of rivalry you think of when you think of the greats throughout the years:

Bears/Packers
Steelers/Browns
Bills/Dolphins
Giants/Eagles
Packers/Vikings
Redskins/Cowboys
Raiders/Steelers
Patriots/Colts

To have a great rivalry, ideally you need to be in the same division.  Or, you have to have a series of high-profile regular season & post-season games (like the Raiders & Steelers in the 70s, or the Patriots & Colts in the 00s).  You need to be established franchises who have been around for a while, and for the love of God, you both need to be good at the same time!  Your games need to MEAN something!

And now, these games between the Seahawks & 49ers finally mean something.  Starting last year and going forward, for as long as these two teams are still good, which should figure to be at least the next decade if not longer.  Granted, these two teams have only been in the same division since 2002, so we’re only going into our 12th season together.  But, great rivalries have to start somewhere.  And, thanks to the likes of Jim Harbaugh, and these stupid adderall suspensions, we’ve got gallons of fuel to throw on this fire.

On the one hand, nothing that Jim Harbaugh said was wrong.  The NFL DOESN’T release what the drug actually was that they were suspended for.  Adderall is a known masking agent for other things.  Whatever it is that they’ve been suspended for, the bottom line is it IS cheating.  Nobody wants to be known as cheaters, nor do they want the stigma that they only won “because” they were cheating.  Shit, the New England Patriots still haven’t recovered from being labelled cheaters in that whole Spygate thing!  I agree with everything Jim Harbaugh said in that little portion of his interview.  And, if anyone other than Jim Harbaugh had said what he said, I’d be sitting right here agreeing wholeheartedly.

But, it’s Jim Fucking Harbaugh.  He can eat a bag of dicks as far as I’m concerned.  He’s a vile creep and I hope he gets Super AIDS in the very near future.  Jim Harbaugh is my sworn enemy and he can suck shit before he talks about MY team!  I can bash my team all I want, but that’s because they’re MY team.  I’ve put in the time!  It’s like family at this point.  Jim Harbaugh is a member of the McCoys, and them’s fightin’ words.

It’s amazing to me how Jim Harbaugh is a grown-ass man, yet he doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.  You ask most any other head coach in the NFL about the Seahawks and PED problems and they’re not touching that question with a 10-foot pole.  Jim Harbaugh is supposed to be this amazing, genius head coach, but he sure can be a stupid fucking idiot sometimes.  Which, granted, makes him interesting to interview.  But, he also succumbs to the ol’ Locker Room Bulletin Board more than he needs to.

As each day goes by, that playoff defeat to the Falcons sticks in my craw more and more.  I want so desperately to go back in time and have the Seahawks win that game, just so we could have the chance to go into San Francisco and bash their brains in.  The Week 2 primetime game against them in CenturyLink Field this season can’t come soon enough.

Reunited & It Feels So Bad: Tarvar To Re-Sign With Seahawks

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You’re never safe.  No matter how safe you THINK you are, just know that you’re never safe.

I despise Tarvaris Jackson.  It’s why I’ve nicknamed him Tarvar; because a name like T-Jack is for someone reasonably cool.  Tarvar is the God damned apocalypse.

I’m not entirely an unreasonable man.  I can admit a guy is better than Brady Quinn when I see one.  But, for starters, let’s just put this out there:  Tarvar isn’t THAT much better than Brady Quinn.  He’s NOT a starting quarterback.  Just because he WAS a starting quarterback two years ago doesn’t mean we now have two starting quarterbacks on this roster.  We have ONE starting quarterback – Russell Wilson – and we have two suck-ass losers.  Just because Tarvar is a hair better (allegedly) than Quinn is no reason to start praising this signing.

Remember all those sacks Tarvar took because he was too indecisive?  Remember how he held the ball FOREVER trying to find the perfect throw?  Remember how everyone THINKS he’s this mobile quarterback, even though he pretty much NEVER scrambles or even leaves the pocket (except to run straight backwards and get sacked)?  He’s NOT a Russell Wilson clone!  He won’t run the read-option!  You know how I know this?  Because we had the same offensive coordinator two years ago and I don’t remember this team EVER running the read-option with him.  And THAT team had a bad offensive line that was still trying to gel under newly-hired Tom Cable’s zone blocking scheme.  You’d think that a team with those kinds of O-Line problems would’ve tried to shake things up with a little zone-read.  But they didn’t, because that’s not Tarvar’s game.  He’s a drop-back passer and a bad one at that.

Strong arm?  Who gives a shit!  Most of the quarterbacks in the NFL have strong arms!  Tough guy?  Big fucking deal!  So he took a lot of hits and kept playing; so would (again) MOST of the quarterbacks in the NFL!  Know this:  he was on his last strike in this league.  If he didn’t show the kind of toughness he showed, he probably wouldn’t have found another starting job ever again.  Except, oh wait!  He lost his job to a rookie last year, was traded to Buffalo, and never threw a regular season pass on a team that finished with a record of 6-10!

Now, I’m sure he’s a hard worker, but I’m sure I don’t care.  Here’s what I don’t like the most about this move:  what his presence will mean for that locker room.  He was the team’s captain two years ago.  He’s a highly respected guy on this team.  I wouldn’t even be surprised if there are a lot of guys on this team who believe he was screwed out of his job last off-season.  Yes, Russell Wilson proved his value as the season wore on; and yes, this IS Russell Wilson’s team now.  But, do you really want team chemistry to be one of your issues this year?  When the team is as young as it is, as brash as it is, and as egotistical as it is?

This issue is a little further down on my Concerns List, but what if Russell Wilson struggles early on?  Am I going to have to sit through these fucking idiot fans chanting for Tarvaris Jackson to be our starter?  I can’t remember the last time anyone used the phrase “going postal”, but I’m pretty sure that’s what the phrase was invented for.

With Tarvaris Jackson on the team, we’re one snap away from him being the guy that’s supposed to lead this team to the Super Bowl.  One freak injury away from being led by Mr. 8-8.  I’m not necessarily saying that we’d be better off with Brady Quinn starting the rest of our games, but I AM saying that you never know.  I most certainly DO know what we have in Tarvaris Jackson.  And, if you’re going to try to bring up the point that the rest of the Seahawks’ roster is better now than it was in 2011 (and so, with a better team around him, he should be able to win more games); I will point you toward the last time he was a regular starter for the Minnesota Vikings.  THAT was a pretty fucking good team, too.  A team that went to the NFC title game and was ever-so-close to going to a Super Bowl with an over-the-hill Brett Favre.  If Tarvar couldn’t win with those Vikings, what makes you think an older Tarvar can win with these Seahawks?

Brady Quinn might be terrible, or he might not.  You DON’T know.  Shit, Derek Anderson was a Pro Bowl quarterback one year!  Anything can happen.  All I hear about him is that Brady Quinn is a machine in the weight room, and that he rivals Russell Wilson in game-prep and watching film.  I have to think that his crazy type of work ethic is BOUND to pay off in ways we’ve yet to see.

So, yeah, I’m on the Brady Quinn train.  I didn’t want to be; I surely didn’t intend to be!  I was more than happy having Matt Flynn around as my security blanket.  But, the Seahawks are really putting Baby in a corner here with this Tarvar news.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Where Is The Stanford Band: Mariners Call Up Mike Zunino

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This isn’t just a hail mary.  This is the hail mary of all hail marys!  The writing is on the wall, in big ol’ capital letters:  START WINNING GAMES NOW, OR YOU’RE OUT ON YOUR ASS.

Don’t mind if I do …

It all starts with promise.  A universally loathed general manager is fired, a new guy comes in to replace him.  No matter what he does in the early going, he gets the benefit of the doubt.  He’s got a plan.  Give him time; he needs time to see his vision realized!  So, we give him time.  And the team keeps losing.  It gets a little better, but ultimately it keeps losing.  Then, after enough time has passed (anywhere from 3-5 years; anything less than 3 or more than 5 is just criminal), when we should start seeing this thing bear some fruit, the team not only stops improving, but actually looks worse than it did before.

In the case of the 2013 Mariners, it coincides with a few factors.  First, the organization crapped its pants in the offseason.  While paying oodles of lip-service to “building the right way”, they went out and filled the roster with over-the-hill geezers (Ibanez, Bay, Shoppach, Chavez, Saunders, Harang, Bonderman) and semi-studs on 1-year contracts (Morse & Morales).  Second, the “youth movement” has failed miserably, with Montero being sent down, then injuring himself (which requires surgery); with Ackley being sent down and torturing AAA pitching (because he’s not quite good enough to hack it in the Bigs, yet not quite bad enough to struggle in the minors); with Michael Saunders reverting back to his suck-ass form; with Smoak never making good on the promise he shows every Spring Training and every September (and now being injured, obvs); with Brandon Maurer being rushed to the Major Leagues too early (and without an out-pitch to lefties); with Hultzen and Ramirez constantly battling injuries; with Paxton constantly battling his own inconsistencies … the list goes on and on.

Finally, the third factor killing the 2013 Mariners has been that very same injury bug.  No shock that it struck Guti once again (who seriously MUST have some sort of debilitating disease that leaves him open to any and all types of injuries).  It also hit Stephen Pryor (up-and-coming reliever) which has contributed to our bullpen being less-than-consistent.  It has crushed our catcher position (losing Montero a few days after being sent down has been a bigger burden than originally anticipated thanks to also losing Jesus Sucre to the DL).  It has limited Smoak and Morse’s productivity.  There’s a possibility that it’s also limiting Michael Saunders’ productivity (and he’s just hiding it from everyone).

Put all of this together and what do you get?  A team that was supposed to approach a .500 record, that had an outside shot of contending for the playoffs, that is now underperforming so much that the organization is trying anything and everything in its power to turn things around.  Maybe not to the point of contention, but at the very least to the point of approaching .500 again.

This has come in the form of Nick Franklin being given the everyday second baseman job.  If you’re going to send three prospects back to Tacoma (Montero, Ackley, & Maurer), then you’ve got to come back with SOMETHING to get the fans excited.  Nick Franklin has been exactly that in his limited duty – exciting – so the team is trying another long-shot who is up in the Bigs too early:  uber-prospect Mike Zunino.

People were clamoring for Zunino back in April when he was red-hot and the Mariners were ice cold.  The team did the smart thing and held their ground, which has led us to today:  the Mariners are still ice cold, but now so is Zunino.  His numbers fell off the face of the Earth in the month of May and lo and behold, no one was calling for him to be brought up to Seattle – imagine that!  He’s still nowhere near the point where you’d feel comfortable handing him the keys to the starting catcher position for the Mariners, but who gives a shit, because he’s here!

This isn’t the very last Ace up the organization’s sleeve, but it’s certainly the biggest.  There’s still the Big Three, though as I mentioned, one is injured, one is struggling, and one is still in AA.  Erasmo Ramirez should be up relatively soon, but I’d wager on seeing Brandon Maurer back up here before we see any of the Big Three.

Essentially, the fates of Jackie Z and Eric Wedge rest on the bat of Mike Zunino.  It isn’t fair to him (because that’s a lot of pressure for someone who’s not ready) and it isn’t fair to them (because he’s NOT ready, only a year removed from being in college).  It’s not quite a no-win situation – after all, Zunino COULD shock the world and become the catching version of Mike Trout – but it’s as close to a no-win situation as it gets.

The best-case scenario isn’t all that likely.  The most-realistic scenario is that he struggles now, gets sent back to Tacoma eventually (whenever a respectable backup catcher is healthy enough to replace him), and is no worse for wear as in a year or two he returns to the Majors as an everyday catcher.  The worst-case scenario is that he struggles like no one has struggled before (see:  Shaq Thompson’s professional baseball career), his confidence is ruined, he gets injured, and he’s forever lost to the organization as a viable prospect going forward.  Either way, what we’re talking about here is a 99% likelihood that the organization cleans house and all new leadership gets implemented.

Mike Zunino:  the last great hope of the damned.  For the general manager, for the field manager, and quite frankly for the fans.  There’s always another reason for Hope right around the corner, but it would be a crushing blow to lose all confidence in both Ackley and Zunino in the very same season.  Two of the best, most assured prospects this organization has seen in twenty years … it’s enough to make a guy switch allegiances and start rooting for the Chicago White Sox!

The Best Players On The Worst Teams, Part II: Other Seattle Mariners

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Ken Griffey Jr. played in 22 seasons.  He’s one of the most accomplished Major League outfielders of all time.  He’s most associated with the rise of baseball in Seattle, from a mere afterthought to making this a Baseball City (even though you and I know this will always be a Football City).  And yet, in all those seasons, he was only a member of three playoff teams.

There’s 1995, obviously, where the Mariners got to within a couple games of the World Series.  Then, there was 1997, where the Mariners won a total of one playoff game.  Then, after the 1999 season, he forced a trade to the Cincinnati Reds … where they NEVER made the playoffs with Griffey on the roster.  Nine years!

Obviously, part of the blame goes squarely on Griffey himself.  Had he stayed with the Mariners, maybe those teams in 2000 and 2001 still make the playoffs.  Hell, MAYBE those teams in 2000 and 2001 go to the World Series.  We’ll never know, because he forced his way out.  Anyway you slice it, though, if we had a healthy & happy Ken Griffey Jr. on those teams, it would’ve been a considerable step up from Mike Cameron.  And that’s saying something, because I really liked Cammy!

Junior didn’t make the playoffs again until 2008, when he was traded to the White Sox and they lost in the first round.  The Reds didn’t make the playoffs again until 2010, where they also lost in the first round.  Junior is a First-Ballot Hall of Famer, but he’s one of the unluckiest guys in the world.  For all the injuries he sustained, preventing him from being the best player in baseball history, and for all the shitty teams he was on.  I mean, 8 of the 9 Reds teams he was on had losing records!  7 of the 13 Mariners teams he was on had losing records as well.  That’s a lot of failure for someone who deserved much better.

***

It’s tough finding a lot of “great” Mariners for this list.  Let’s face it, most of the great Mariners enjoyed quite a bit of success.  You can’t throw guys like Edgar or Wilson or Bone on this list, because they were here for all the playoff runs.  And you can’t throw someone like Randy on this list, because he went on to have tremendous success after leaving this team.

However, there HAD to have been some quality players from the 80s to throw on this list!  Like, Alvin Davis for one.  Mr. Mariner!  He played 8 seasons in Seattle, and only once had a winning record.  He played 9 seasons total, finishing his career as a California Angel, and not once ever made the playoffs.

Harold Reynolds was another.  10 seasons in Seattle, only one winning record (that 1991 season is such a tease!); 12 seasons in the Majors, not one playoff appearance.

Jim Presley was another decently good Mariner, with 6 seasons in Seattle (no winning records) and 8 seasons in the Majors (no playoff appearances).  These are kind of the obvious names that come to mind when I think about the Mariners in the 80s.  I’m sure there are some other quality M’s out there, but not too damn many (because if there were, we’d be talking about teams that actually won some ballgames).

***

There’s one other player I KINDA want to put on this list, but his later career in Philadelphia disqualifies him.

When I was thinking of a list of players, Raul Ibanez popped into my head.  He started his career in Seattle, in the Good Ol’ Days, but he rarely got a chance to play.  Then, he signed with Kansas City where he became a bona fide Major League hitter.  Then, he came BACK to Seattle on a five year deal where we only had one winning season.  To that point, through the 2008 season, Ibanez had been involved in 13 Major League seasons, but only got a single taste of playoff baseball.  In 2000.  Mostly as a pinch hitter with the Mariners.

Then, after the 2008 season, he signed almost immediately with the Phillies and proceeded to make the playoffs in three straight years.  In 2009, they lost in the World Series to the Yankees.  In 2010, they lost in the NLCS to the Giants.  In 2011, they lost in the NLDS to the Cardinals.  That’s some hard luck, but the point is, those were some good teams!  He capped it off with a stint in New York in 2012, where the Yankees made it to the ALCS before being swept away by the Tigers.  So, we’re talking about four consecutive playoff appearances.  You can’t say Ibanez didn’t have a chance at glory.  No one is feeling sorry for the guy, even if he is back in a Mariners uniform in 2013.

If we were simply talking about Raul Ibanez:  Seattle Mariner, then yeah, he would qualify for the list.  2013 makes 11 seasons with the Mariners, with only one playoff appearance to show for it.  But, his career away from this black hole takes him out of the realm of the truly depressed.  Indeed, it provided him with a career he can look back on fondly.