Five Reasons Why the Seattle Mariners Are Awful

There were many baseball fans, myself included, who thought that the Mariner's were the real day. Who wouldn't? They showed vast improvements in 2009 and they made a bunch of moves to get even better. The fact that the Angels looked pretty weak only help the Mariners' chances. Oh were we wrong.

This team can't hit, can't score, and can't hit home runs. It doesn't even matter that they can't hit home runs because there's no one on the stadium to catch them. What exactly went wrong?

New Hitters

Milton Bradley, Casey Kotchman, and Chone Figgins were all brought in and considered upgrades. Well I didn't really think much of Kotchman but the other two were expected to help.

Wrong. Bradley's .244 average leads the trio and Kotchman is barely hitting .200. Figgins, the most bankable of the three to start the season, is hitting a mere .192. This is ridiculous.

Bradley and Kotchman have 5 home runs between them which is ok giving the team as a whole but come on people. Something needs to be done. Bradley and Figgins did not come cheap and they should be productive.

Thank you for you home run Josh Bard, but you don't really count...

Ken Griffey Jr.

This picture shows Griffey as he hits a home run. He probably doesn't remember, it was a long time ago.

Griffey was brought back because he was inexpensive and a important clubhouse presence. Now he's pretty much just a distraction and his decline is actually quite sad for anyone who saw him in his glory days.

Some say it's too early for him to retire. He may improve, but this team is going nowhere with him as the DH. We love you Griffey but it's time to call it a day.

Home Runs

This picture is of Barry Bonds because no one on the Mariners deserves to be associated with home runs.

The team's 25 home runs isn't really the only reason they're not doing well. Oakland was doing well without them. This team was never expected to hit bombs all the time. It does have people who can knock the ball out of the park however. Jose Lopez, Milton Bradley, and Ken Griffey can all hit the long ball. Frankin Gutierrez, and Casey Kotchman have also shown power abilities. Just not on this team.

Mike Sweeney leads the team in home runs with five. That's pretty pathetic. Batting avgerage is a huge concern too, but you need power if you're going anywhere in the playoffs. This team probably won't have to worry about that.

Off Field Drama

We all figured that Milton Bradley would come with some baggage. We didn't think Griffey would be a problem.

To be fair, napgate is ridiculous. But it's a distraction that a team that's eight games back can't afford. Bradley looks like he's finally trying to get help but that's going to take time that this team doesn't have.

Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Sweeney, and Ken Griffey are supposed to be clubhouse leaders. They need to get this team on track before it's too late.

The Fans

I have MLB extra innings which allows me to watch Mariners games from my Connecticut home. The one thing I always notice is that there is no one in Safeco Field. It's a big ballpark and there's no one in it.

You can't blame the fans for the Mariner's poor play. The Marlins, Blue Jays, and Rays are only a few teams that are doing well with similar fan turnouts. But the Mariners need the rally support that comes from a lively stadium. I don't blame the fans for not going but this team needs your help. Is a home run really all the great if there's no one to cheer for it?

Conclusion

The season's not lost yet but this is going to be an uphill battle. Seattle should look into some trades if it wants to compete this year. No matter how good the starting pitching is, you can't win a game if your offense can't produce.

8 games back is not impossible. It's improbable but this is a team with two DH's. Never tell them the odds.