My Mariners Hunt For Teal October

If you’ve been on Sodo Mojo since mid-August you’ve probably read me referencing the comeback win over the Boston Red Sox a time or two.

As a college student in Boston who also spent the summer out east, I missed out on a lot of home Mariners games. But, I was around when they were in Boston, and was fortunate to witness one of the best comeback wins ever.

It was that night that my Hunt For Teal October began.

Leaving that game I told myself: when the Mariners make the playoffs, this will be the game that I remember most.

That atmosphere was unreal: even though the Red Sox were in no position to make the playoffs, their fans were out in force and were as energetic as always. Mariners fans were still teetering between contentment with a successful ballclub and a real belief that they could do something special come September.

As J.J. mentioned in his Friday Hunt For Teal October post, it’s been a long time since the Mariners were good. Fortunately I am a few years older than JJ and can vaguely remember the 2001 season. But 1995? Forget about it.

Those two teams were iconic for what they did for this city: the 1995 M’s all but saved the franchise and kept it from being moved to Florida. And in 2001 the baseball world had to stop, look at, and respect pacific northwest baseball.

What can the 2014 Mariners be? They’ve already exceeded most win-loss projections for the year, and they are in a position to make the playoffs a year or two earlier than most expected.

If they make the playoffs? I’ll be jumping for joy and staying up late to watch every single game. If they don’t? They have still built a winning foundation and formula that should carry over into next season.

Moreover, with the kind of potential this team clearly has, Trader Jack will have an easier time of luring mid-level free agents to Seattle this offseason.

I am already happy because I can talk to my friends about baseball and they can’t trash the Mariners. I mean, how are the Sox and Yankees and Mets and Phillies doing this year? That’s what I thought.

Last year Seattle was named the 2nd most depressing sports town in the United States. Now the Seahawks have a Superbowl championship, the Sounders are surging, and the Mariners are in position to make the playoffs.

Thanks to guys like King Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, Dustin Ackley, Austin Jackson, and James Paxton, the Mariners have an opportunity to reignite a winning mentality in Seattle.

The Hunt For Teal October has already begun. Can the Mariners achieve their objective?