The surprising 2021 Mariners require a fresh perspective

A new perspective on the 2021 Mariners… As the Mariners dropped their third straight to the Royals on Saturday afternoon I had seen enough. Tired of watching Salvador Perez smash home runs into oblivion game after game I decided I would not watch the Mariners on Sunday. The frustration can tend to build up as a lifelong fan of a team with a 19-year playoff drought, as most of you know.

Turning the game on was not to be part of my Sunday agenda, but as I went to the gym to run on the treadmill my mind wandered back to the Mariners. This tends to happen a lot, so I brushed it off. As I started to think more about the season and this team I realized a lot of my frustration was unwarranted.

As exciting as this team has been, they are not supposed to be here. Many experts had this team winning between 65-72 games, without even a sniff of a Wild Card race into August and September. The more I thought about it the more I realized how remarkable this group has been, and how I have probably taken how impressive they have been for granted.

So as I returned home I decided to turn on the TV and put away all worries of run differential, miserable offense, and potential front office turmoil. A Jarred Kelenic home run followed immediately by a mammoth home run for Michael A. Taylor seemed all too familiar for the series. I fought the urge to turn off the TV, choosing to try to enjoy the game.

There has been so much to enjoy about this team so far. Whether it has been Ty France cementing himself into the Mariners plans, then there was Paul Sewald becoming the most unlikely dominant force in baseball, or Mitch Haniger returning to the diamond after a year and a half to set a career-high in home runs. Every night they have found a new and incredible way to stay in a game, or come back and win.

As I thought about all this Marco Gonzales continued to return to form on the mound, fighting the Royals for another strong 7 inning performance. Marco’s performance led way to Kyle Seager stepping up to the plate in a big situation. As he has done so many other times, he promptly sent a ball into the seats in right-center setting a career-high, soundtracked by a classic Dave Sims call.

In a season that could be his last in a Mariners uniform, Seager has produced so many memorable moments. This entire team has delivered moments I will never forget, and we should be thankful for it.  Jake Bauers was added to the list with two game-saving diving catches in the eighth and ninth inning. Drew Steckenrider slammed the door to get the Mariners to a record of 70-61 for the season.

My goal for the Mariners in their current point in the rebuild was to get to 82-82, a .500 record I believed would show progress towards a playoff ball club. Although they lost ground in the Wild Card race, the Mariners mostly can control their own destiny still. Seven games remain against the Athletics, three against the Red Sox as well as an opportunity to redeem themselves against the Royals.

82 wins seem entirely possible for this team, a feat we never thought they would reach. The odds are slim they can still make a run, but we should not be surprised if they make it interesting down the stretch. I am choosing to enjoy the team that has kept me entertained every day of this summer, as imperfect as they are. No matter the outcome this is a team that is special in so many ways and we should all try to enjoy the ride.

Here is some of my favorite moments…. Long live the Mariners… America’s Team!