Analysis: Poor past decisions could come back to haunt Seattle Mariners this season

Source: www.spokesman.com --- Saturday, March 24, 2018
As another major league Baseball season draws near, it is past time for Seattle Mariners fans and readers to face some unpleasant facts. If the Mariners contend for the American League West title, they will have to overcome years of poor draft choices, repetitive transactional errors and misplaced optimism that leave them perilously close to duplicating their frustrating recent history. For a generation, they have modeled mediocrity. Now and again, they raise expectations but almost immediately, lower them with harsh disappointment. Boasting often precedes the letdowns. They have not made the playoffs since 2002, the longest current drought in U.S. professional sports. Ain’t that a drag? Make no mistake. I love Baseball. Nonetheless, years of covering the professional game taught, maybe forced, me to be realistic. It is, however, more fun to watch a winner. So, like you, I’d prefer to see the M’s, who have promised more than they’ve delivered, win more often. Chefs can’t make chicken soup without chicken. Teams without enough good players don’t win championships. Opinions don’t count. Facts do. Armed with data from Baseball-reference.com, the ultimate resource these days, here is what you may hate to admit about the recent generation of Seattle Baseball: The Mariners have enjoyed only four winning seasons in 13 tries since they won 293 games in four years at the turn of the century. They have not drafted a superstar since Alex R ...

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