What If? (By: Nathan Buxbaum)

Guest Post by Nathan Buxbaum:

What if?

What if the Mariners started the season taking 2 of 3 from the A’s? What if they continue on through April and win 15 games. And then they keep going and win another 20 in May. What if they head into Summer above .500 and only a few games behind Texas. The weather starts heating up, and the Texas pitching starts fading. I mean seriously, Colby Lewis and CJ Wilson… I’ll take Felix and Pineda any day. What if Aardsma is solid again? Saving 20 games by the All-Star Break. And Smoak. Lets say he tears it up, he hits 20 home runs. Drives in 50. Ackley is hitting 2…slaping the ball all over the yard. Figgins, rejuvenated by his move back to third is batting 9th and relishing that spot. Jack Cust is habitually disrespected and he takes it out on the rest of the AL West. Him and Smoak become the suprising 3-4 punch to a previously anemic offense. The Mariners are using speed to run all over teams. Scoring runs at a previously unheard of rate. What if Bedard actually throws a pitch. One pitch. And it’s good. And it leads to 100 more. And then he decides, he can do it again, every five days. Suddenly the Mariners have a formidable rotation, rook sensation Pineda lighting it up. Felix being Felix. And the come back player of the year Mr. Erik Bedard. Vargas is a steady number 4. He wins 8 games by the All Star Break. And Fister plugs up the rear giving up 10 quality starts.

Suddenly the Mariners have four all stars. Felix, Ichiro, Guti, and stand out catcher Miguel Olivio. The nay-sayers said Olivio couldn’t hit at Safeco; his numbers were inflated at Coors and in the heat at Petco. Well he quietly amase .300, 12 hr, 45 rbis and finds himself in the starting battery at the all-star game. Meanwhile, Kendry Morales breaks his other leg while celebrating a walk-off bunt. Tori Hunter pulls his hamstring 5 times. Jared Weaver finally succumbs to gangly body. 

Now it’s the dog days of August and somehow the Mariners are in the thick of things. They deal Figgins for a top of the line Pitcher and Z wheels and deals some prospect for a big stick. They bring up Nick Franklin and he becomes the a rookie sensation at short stop. Suddenly the baby M’s are looking mighty good. Pennant fever engulfs Seattle, akin to ’95. And it’s about time. Texas is fading but their high power offense if carrying them. The Mariners are winning with the classic combo of pitching, defense, and timely hitting. Ichiro is having his best year in the last 5. Felix is on pace for his second Cy-Young. What if we approach the last week of the season, one game out? Just one measly game? And what if we pick up that game? And we sweep Minnesota on the road . And then we take 2 of 3 from Texas. And then we come home for and sweep Oakland. What if we have the chance to clinch the West on the final game of the year? What if? What if Felix comes out of the bullpen in the 7th inning ala Randy Johnson, and locks down the A’s? What if it takes an infield hit by Ichiro in the bottom of the 9th? What if Ackley bunts him over? What if Cust strikes out, but then Smoak walks to the plate, confidently and prepared to take the ephemeral spotlight away from Mr. Edgar Martinez, and drive a 2-0 pitch into Mariner lore? What if he actually delivers? What if he sends a ball into the gap, and Ichiro gallops home and Safeco is going crazy? What if fans are running around Pioneer Square and Rick Rizzs new call : ‘And heres the 2-0 pitch, Smoak lines it into the right field, the Mariner’s are going to the Playoffs!!!’ becomes the new rallying cry for the new Mariner era. What if?

Then the Mariners travel to Boston for game 1 of the playoffs. The Red sox unleash a pounding that has never been felt before. But thats not the point. We make the playoffs. What if?