The Mariners are terrible

I am currently in Seattle/Portland area for a few days to help promote the Oregon Believe that is going to take place this October 31-Nov 1 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR. Yesterday was a travel day to get to Portland for a lunch today. So, I planned it and was able to go the Mariners/Angels game in Seattle yesterday. This was my second time to Safeco Field in Seattle (I went last year with my wife on a similar trip).

I met Nathan Cookston, a junior high minister from Smokey Point Community Church, and we went out to lunch and then he went to the game with me. For pretty much the whole game I learned all about his church and what his typically week, month, and year look like for his junior high ministry. I also learned all about what his kids are dealing with and how he actually got into Junior High Ministry. It is interesting to me to hear about similarities and differences in students in different parts of the country.

It is an incredibly nice stadium and the game actually turned out to be a pretty good game. I don't follow the Mariners that closely (besides Bedard and Ichiro - they are on my fantasy team), but I do know they are terrible. What I didn't know is how terrible they are with such an expensive payroll. I read an article in USA Today this morning about how the Mariners will probably be (unless something crazy happens) the first team in history to lose 100 games with a payroll of over 100 million dollars.

The Mariners gave up 3 runs before they recorded an out in the first inning, but only lost the game 5-4. There were two plays at the plate - one where the Mariners' catcher got ran over by Torii Hunter and the other where the Mariners' runner coming home Betancourt got knocked down and humiliated by the Angels' catcher. I guess after the game the Mariners' coach John McLaren took all the food, beer and towels out of the locker room and laid into the team. Then he later let it out on the media.

I am glad I am a Cubs and Rays fan - at least this year.