The Seattle Mariners: My favorite ballclub

It has been two years since I have been to my hometown of Seattle, and many years since I have seen the Mariners play ball, but they hold a special place in my heart. After Phil Humber's perfect game that he recently threw against Seattle, which was amazing, but not wholly unexpected that something like it wouldn't happen to the Mariners, I was prompted to recall my fond and ironic memories of the M's.

When I was a young child, my mother would take my brother and I to a place called the Kingdome, an old and worn down dome stadium where dozens of fans would come out every night to watch the Mariners lose yet another game. I didn't care about the record or the winning or losing, but the joy of eating a hotdog, and seeing a baseball fly into the stands (foul or otherwise). It was these experiences, and the year 1995 that prompted me to both love and play baseball.

In 1995, Major League Baseball had just come out of a strike, in which the 1994 season was not completed. It was hard to tell if fans would come back to baseball, especially to a team like the Mariners, who had only proved that they could lose. Things seemed different in 1995, however. The Mariners had players with the names of: Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner, Tino Martinez, Mike Blowers, Randy Johnson, an amazing defensive catcher in Dan Wilson, and yes, even Joey Cora. The M's started out hot, but an early season injury to Griffey Jr., or "the kid," had fans thinking that the year might end the same as every other year. Indeed, by the end of August, the Mariners were near 13 games out of first place. What happened that September would change baseball forever in Seattle. Not only would the Mariners come back to tie for the lead in the American League West Division, but they would win a one game playoff with the then California Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). The team would go on to quickly lose the first two games of the ALDS (American League Division Series) to the New York Yankees, only to come back to win the final three games dramatically. It was in these games that Edgar Martinez defined himself to me as "Mr. Mariner" and became forever my favorite baseball player-the man whom I would model my own baseball swing after.

The season would sadly end shortly thereafter, as the Cleveland Indians would overpower the Mariners. Still, it was a season that will never be forgotten, and would set in motion the wheels to not only keep the Mariners in Seattle, but to also build a new and beautiful stadium, "Safeco Field" as it is called today. Much has transpired in since 1995, and 17 years later, the Mariner's still find themselves one of only two teams (The Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals) to never reach the World Series.

In 1997, the Mariners, with one of the most prolific offensive line-ups in history, would reach the playoffs, but while hitting might get you there, pitching and defense wins championships. The Mariners were shut down in 1997 by a Baltimore Oriole team that would feature: Mike Mussia, Mike Bordick, and the great Cal Ripken Jr. The Mariners would subsequently trade Ken Griffey Jr. away to Cincinnati and Randy Johnson to the Houston Astros. Enter Ichiro Suzuki. In 2000, and 2001, the Mariners would reach the playoffs yet again, with 2001 being the year where the Mariners would host the All-star game, send 8 players to that game, and win 116 baseball games, tied for most in history. During both years, the Mariners would win in the first round of the playoffs (2000 was a sweep of Chicago and 2001 was a victory over Cleveland), only to lose both years to the Yankees. The Mariners have not been back to the playoffs since 2001, and since Lou Piniella was the Mariners manager, and have lost more than 100 games twice in the last 5 years. The Mariners also lost their voice: Dave Niehaus, whom I grew up listening to. It was an amazing experience listening to Niehaus no matter what the outcome of the game was, and while the announcers of today's Mariners are very good, there is nobody who will ever replace him. I grew up with his voice on the television or the radio. Dave Niehaus was Mariner's baseball.

We are now in the year 2012. It is very early in the season, and the Mariners have great young talent. Hope is very high, and I expect great things to come from this team in the next few years. As of now, the Mariners sit in 3rd place in the American League West Division, with a record of 8-10, which puts them 6 games out of 1st. Last night, they beat the Detroit Tigers by a score of 7-4. We are still early in the season. Anything can happen....even for Seattle.