Seattle Mariners Feeling Pressure From Seahawks Super Bowl

Dec 12, 2013; Settle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon (right) helps Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (center) put on his new jersey during a press conference at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Just in case you weren’t one of the 111.5 million Americans that watched the Seattle Seahawks put the beat down on the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, the city of Seattle has their first title in major pro sports since 1979.

Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik now faces a new pressure: Keep up with the Seahawks.

In a recent interview Zduriencik said:

"“Of course, I’m not foolish enough to say we’ll have the same results. What the Seahawks did was exciting and very inspirational. They had their plan. They worked at it. They have young talent. And it worked … I’m not saying we’re at the same point. A lot of things would have to go right. We have a lot of young players who have to take the next step.”This is spring, and hope springs eternal."

He’s right. This team isn’t ready. Not on paper, not on the field, not mentally, not physically. Does that mean they can’t win the Series? No.

The team that usually has the ultimate success in October is the team that is hottest in late September. It’s a long ways from here to September, a lot can change.

If the Mariners could pull off the unbelievable feat, it would mark only the fourth time that a city had the Super Bowl and World Series champs in the same calendar year.

The previous being the 1969 New York Jets and the Miracle Mets, the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates and the 2004 New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox.

There were 10 years between the first two. It’s been ten years since the last one. It would be an interesting pattern if the Mariners could make it happen.

But as Jack said, a lot would have to go right.

Injuries: Keeping this club healthy is probably priority number one. With guys like Franklin Gutierrez, Corey Hart, Logan Morrison and others that have had injury problems, a healthy 2014 is a must.

Cano: The addition of Robinson Cano is huge for the offense. But he needs protection. Hart and Morrison may prove to be those guys. But we won’t know for sure until the season starts.

Fresh Prince: If Taijuan Walker pitches in 2014 like he did at the end of 2013, that gives Seattle’s rotation a 1-2-3 punch that would be hard to beat in the playoffs.

But now, as if the team needed something else putting pressure on them, the Seahawks had to go and win the Super Bowl.

The bar has just been raised.

Your move Jack.