Mariners fans fume over Yankees broadcast's brutal, yet totally fair burn

The Seattle Mariners' season has gotten off to a bit of a rough start. In what should've been the beginning of a dominant homestand against a relatively weak opponent, the Mariners have struggled to look like a playoff-bound team in losing two of their first three to the Athletics.

To many fans, this is unsurprising given the team's lack of aggression in improving the roster. Yet the team can't stop getting bad breaks, even in games they're not even a part of.

Dave Sims, who had been the main voice of the Seattle Mariners since 2007, recently took a new job with the New York Yankees to replace longtime radio play-by-plan man John Sterling. Unlike the Mariners, the Bronx Bombers are off to a scorching start that included a barrage of home runs in a trouncing of the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

During this offensive onslaught, fellow Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman couldn't help but throw in a subtle jab at Sims being in a new environment, both literally and figuratively.

It was a friendly jest between two coworkers getting to know each other, but it's also built on truth.

It's up to the Mariners to stop getting people to make fun of their offense

It's no secret that Seattle's lineup was rarely a force to be feared in 2024 and that offensive momentum was hard to come by. Last year, the Mariners were 21st in runs scored (676) and 22nd in OPS (.687). Despite their apparent passivity, the front office is clearly aware of this shortcoming, making changes to their coaching staff to try and rectify it.

Outside of coughing up money and prospects for better players, what are some other steps the organization can take to fix their hitting woes?

Well, it's possible that they could invest in some new bats. Literally. The Yankees have captured the attention of onlookers across the country with their new equipment. These "torpedo bats" have a new, more bloated shape, but if their recent success is any indicator, they're working. Other players are already taking a closer look to determine whether a switch might be right for them, so why shouldn't the Mariners?

Another factor is the climate. Plenty of people have looked into how T-Mobile Park became the most skewed ballpark and Seattle's combination of wind, temperature, and altitude has come under fire for limiting the team's ability to produce runs. However, until humans figure out how to change weather conditions on a dime, this will remain the case.

Nonetheless, the team plays 81 of their games in environments more conducive to scoring, so they should take some accountability for their struggles over the past several years. What was ultimately an off-handed comment by the Yankees' commentating team points to a much bigger problem for the Mariners. With insufficient offense, the Mariners will forever leave their chances of playing October baseball in the hands of fate.

Whether they'll be able to overcome this serious obstacle on a shoestring budget remains to be seen but so far, they haven't had much luck.