| By Jason A. Churchill |  | By 12-31-2010 |
It's a new year, and just like many-a-year's past, that's a good thing for fans of the Seattle Mariners. We talk constantly here about the hope, the legitimacy of that hope and the likelihood of the big-league club finally turning the page on what my friend Dave Clark has long called a "culture of losing."
More on that as the year goes on, but one of the best things about New Year's is that very thing -- hope. If we didn't have any hope, we'd all be miserable fans forever, and may not be fans at all. But this organization has not made any significant, sustainable strides in terms of management, talent acquisition and performance since early last decade, and it's downright depressing.
A loyal reader and a good baseball mind in his own right sent me an email earlier this week making a very simple yet crucial point. Since 2002, the year after the magical ride to 116 wins, the Seattle Mariners' attendance has dropped nearly 50 percent -- from just over 3.5 million (for the second straight season) to 2.085 million this past year.
More of the same has been the problem at Safeco for years now, and if that continues to be the case, that attendance will continue to bottom out. This is how teams get into the kind of trouble that half the NHL's franchises are in, and the same issues the San Diego Clippers had in the NBA in the early 1980s.
Many of those organizations end up changing cities at some point. I'm not suggesting the M's are anywhere near that kind of scenario right now, but this is how those situations begin.
Think about those figures -- attendance is down 1.5 million, or almost 18,000 people per game. The reasons for it are obvious and lead to Prospect Insider's Final Word of 2010.
The Seattle Mariners have to give their fans a reason, a real reason, to come to the ballpark date after date. Felix isn't enough, at least until he begins to start every game, and Ichiro is no longer enough of a draw to make an impact.
The Seattle Mariners' New Year's Resolution is very, very simple, and should be the same every single year from here on out -- as opposed to 2008-2009's "just don't lose 100, baby."
Win.
Win 70-75 games in 2011 with the kids. Compete for the division title in 2012. Continue to push the envelope, acquiring impact talent at all levels of the organization -- amateur, the minors and the big leagues -- in hope that it produces a consistent winner.
There's enough tactical skill in the front office, and it seems enough support and restraint among the ownership group, to get the job done.
Prospect Insider's own resolution is to keep getting better, continue adding resourceful and talented people to the staff and provide M's fans with a place to have a discussion, however intelligent or ridiculous, about the entire process.
Happy New Year, baseball fans.
the-mariners\'-new-year\'s-resolution
Comments
The following 22 comment(s) for this article are shown below:
| 1. By: rocketdawg31 on 12-31-2010 20:17:42 Happy New Year, fellow ProspectInsiderphiles!! And Happy New Year to Jason, Rick, and Chris!! Thanks for just about the best fan site an M's fan could ask for! |
| 2. By: Jason A. Churchill on 12-31-2010 20:27:43 You too, dawg. I think Seattle is very lucky when it comes to the blogosphere. Not sure any team's compares, and we are all different, love us or hate us. |
| 3. By: Rudolf on 12-31-2010 20:29:02 Happy New Year to you, too, JAC and fellow fans! Hope is one of the great things that makes life worth living. How fortunate for the Mariner organization that there is such a thing! Here's to a core of players worth dreaming on, and here's to the ever enlightening Mariner blogosphere! And here's to spending kazillions of dollars on player development! |
| 4. By: mauricewilliamsiii on 12-31-2010 21:10:41 I know it is quite early for a question like this but is there any way you could make a guess at the starting infield in Jackson. I've got 1B Liddi, 2B Seager, 3B Triunfel, SS Franklin and 1B/DH Poythress. |
| 5. By: Jason A. Churchill on 12-31-2010 21:15:05 It is too early -- I'll get a feel for that in Spring Training, for sure -- but I could see Liddi and Triunfel finding their way onto the Rainiers roster to start the season. |
| 6. By: mauricewilliamsiii on 12-31-2010 21:28:08 Thanks, and those guys in AAA would almost shock me. Moreso Liddi than Triunfel after the terrible average vs. rhp last year. |
| 7. By: Jason A. Churchill on 12-31-2010 21:29:55 It might just be find-out time for a guy like Liddi. Can he hit the better pitching or not? Repeating AA doesn't help him. |
| 8. By: wuysgise on 01-01-2011 00:09:03 Happy New Year and thanks for all of the great content this year guys. I'm looking forward to what you will bring us in 2011. |
| 9. By: safecochatter on 01-01-2011 11:57:40 a good time to point out to those who come in here with Ichiro trade ideas. next time your in Safeco,look around at the M's asian fan base. if Ichiro goes so does most of the asian gate.and the M's are in no position to take that kind of hit. |
| 10. By: maqman on 01-01-2011 12:49:20 "Hope is the word God wrote on every man's forehead." - Goethe Last year M's fans had their's rubbed off a bit, but this is a New Year and it's still there for all to see. |
| 11. By: TheDudeAbides on 01-01-2011 14:10:07 The "losing culture" has been present in all of Seattle since 2005, and if it weren't for the Seahawks, it would be since 2002. The Mariners epic fail since 2002, combined with the Huskies lack of a bowl bid since 2002, the Sonics moving to OKC, Microsoft losing out in many ways to the likes of Google and others, WAMU taking the proverbial "big one", and the Hawks falling off after the Super Bowl. There is something, maybe subconscious, about losing and failing that spreads like wildfire. The past few years have been rather negative in the Great Northwest, but you can see the tides are turning. The past three days were a huge step towards changing the culture. To go into Southern California and win a bowl game where the Dawgs were 14 point underdogs, and sweep the SoCal schools in hoops was impressive. The Hawks have definitely changed their ways by entrusting in Pete Carroll, and there is a big game Sunday. I think all of these steps are big for the city and the entire Seattle sports ideology. The Mariners are now in the perfect position to change the "losing mentality" that has plagued the franchise for the past decade. Let the kids play this season, without any real expectations, and build towards being competitive in 2012. We saw what the Giants did this year, and I'm willing to bet if someone told us in March a team from the West Coast would win their division as well as the World Series, and an ALWest club made the World Series, we would have guessed the Mariners met expectations and exceeded them. Well SF showed us what we can look forward to, especially with Felix and a good looking kid like Pineda. |
| 12. By: Edman on 01-01-2011 16:30:18 First thing, happy New Year to everyone. And, here's to a new year for Jack and the M's. #11, what the Giants did last year has almost no relationship to the current M's, sans one Ace pitcher. The Giants got lucky, period. They gambled and won on players like Burrell that didn't perform for other teams and were released. They signed an average firstbaseman, in Aubry Huff. They did exactly what Seattle did in 2009, which was take some chances like Griffey, Branyan, etc. They were in no way built by letting kids play, then making well planned moves. They got lucky at the right time. It's the wrong formula to follow. The "let the kids" play sounds great in theory. Maybe a couple kids rise to the top. But, it's also not good to throw them out to play, and let them play without expectations. Just how is that going to change the "loosing mentality"? It perpetuates it without goals. Perhaps you give them more latitude, but you don't set their approach up to believe winning doesn't matter, for any reason. Winning is important, on every level. Everyone accepts that Seattle isn't at all likely to compete for the division. But, Michael Saunder, et al, should not believe that they get a whole season to work it out. You want to teach a winning mentality, then you set that goal from day one. You want a job, earn it. Show you can do the job, or at least that there's hope that you can, or your job goes to the next guy. That builds a winning atmosphere, not accepting failure. As for Pete Carroll, I have faith in his philosophy, but it's not like his team this year is any better than many we've seen in the past few years. He just comes in with a clean slate. The only reason the Seahawks are even in the playoff hunt isn't because they're good, it's because the suck less the other teams in the division. |
| 13. By: Timberwolf on 01-02-2011 00:42:03 There is no easy way to follow a set formula. For Every Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz deal there is a Tino Martinez &jeff Nelson for Sterling Hitchcock and Russ Davis. It requires, intelligence, patience, and hard work. There is a time to say "the future is now" but that isn't the Seattle Mariners in 2011. Give me a young and competitive team that works hard in 2011 and prepares to seriously compete in 2012. |
| 14. By: DKulich44 on 01-02-2011 11:31:58 Edman, You're forgetting the Giants had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball (who were basically all home grown and "let play" at one point). You're also forgetting that perhaps their best player down the stretch run was Buster Posey (who was also "let play"). You're also forgetting the great performance they got out of Andres Torres (a scrap heap pick up with upside much like a couple of the Mariners grabs this offseason). Saying they didn't let the kids play this year may be true, but the team wasn't built over night. They let their kids play over a few years and it paid off. This is what Seattle needs to do now, and spend what little money they do have on low cost solutions. Not being able to move Aardsma really hurts, as now they're close to maxed out on payroll by all reports. This year, with the crazy market, the limited payroll space, and few big contracts coming off the books at season's end is undoubtedly the season to lay low and get a good long look at the kids. Next year there is more money to put out there and a much better FA class. Giving the kids a chance to play this year shows us what we have for 2012. There's no way the offense performs as terribly as it did last season, and while the pitching probably won't be as good, the team should easily put a few more wins into that column at the end of the year. |
| 15. By: Edman on 01-02-2011 14:12:21 I'm not at all forgetting any of those things, DKulich. But it was performances by those "scrap-heap" type players that put the Giants in the playoffs. They got lucky, and if anyone thinks differently, that's fine. But they got performances from players who many in baseball didn't expect would make an impact. Posey didn't get to play because they let him, he got to play because he earned it. What Mariner rookie has had a performance that was even close to his? Hell, what veteran? I'm all for giving kids time, but they have to prove they belong. Not get playing time, because it's the best we've got. |
| 16. By: StandinPat on 01-02-2011 14:38:48 So how exactly does the Giants getting "lucky" have no relationship to the M's and how "unlucky" they got last year? Both teams were built primarily around pitching and defense, the only real difference is the Giants offseason moves worked out much better than could have been expected, Aubrey Huff? Really?, and the Mariner's moves were mostly complete disasters. And really, all the Dude was saying is that teams can put it together and surprise people, the Reds did the same thing. 2012 CAN be a year where the M's start to push things in the right direction, but not surprisingly ED, you read what you wanted to and took it as 2011 Ms=2010 Giants... World Series here we come!!! |
| 17. By: Edman on 01-02-2011 17:51:07 Pat, perhaps it is you reading in what you wish out of what I wrote? The Dude stated that the SF Giants showed us what we can look forward to. I'm as optimistic as anyone, but the Giants comparison to the M's isn't at any reason to assume we have anything to look forward to, other than anything can happen. The Giants didn't have a formula to get to the World Series, they fell into it. Yes, it gives us something to be hopeful of, but only in respect to anything can happen. I don't know of any organizations to build on the "anything can happen" theory. Like Seattle, they were in a rebuilding period, and they made moves that all turned out to be golden. Seattle's decisions when completely the other way. And, the Giants, just like the M's this year, could see several performances decline, and be in the middle or at the bottom of the pack. Winning consistently requires planning and won't likely happen in a year or two. I'm all for giving kids more latitude to show what they can do, but they have to earn the playing time. Saunders is running out of free passes. If he wants to be the starter in LF, he needs to earn it. Moore wants to be the starting catcher, he needs to prove he deserves it. Moore, I'm more inclined to cut some slack, since he doesn't have many ABs. But, I disagree that playing time is given to young players, simply because they are. They have to show progress, just like any of us would be. We all get a certain amount of latitude when you start a new job, but it isn't going to last for two, three or four years. And don't capitalize my name like that again, Pat. I don't treat you with that kind of disrespect, I expect the same from you. Act like an adult and keep discussions adult. You want to disagree with me, fine, but do it constructively. |
| 18. By: Jason A. Churchill on 01-02-2011 18:48:27 Fellas, Let's avoid ordering people around here. I don't see how capitalizing someone's name ONCE is disrespectful. If you're trying to read between the lines, yet assuming it was meant a certain way, get over yourself. You're all jackasses, anyway, right? Calm the eff down. |
| 19. By: StandinPat on 01-02-2011 23:15:39 Holy geez, how could I have ever suggested that you read into things that simply aren't there? Do think there's a chance at all that someone might simply hold down the caps lock key for 2 two strokes instead of the desired 1? I have to say, this is the first time I've ever seen someone accuse another of disrespect due to capitalization. As far as the Dudes comments, all he said was we should use 2011 to set up for 2012, which could surprise, just as the Giants surprised people in 2010. You then somehow read that as "we are the new Giants, World Series here we come." I just don't see that as the point he was trying to make, but whatever. And as far as being constructive goes, it would seem arguing with people for the sake of arguing seems to be the polar opposite of that notion. "You're all jackasses, anyway, right?" I plead the 5th. |
| 20. By: maqman on 01-04-2011 12:19:14 A good jackass is a prospectors best friend. |
| 21. By: FelixElRey on 01-04-2011 13:46:37 Given current and future talent in each organization, which team should we have hoped Beltre would sign with? It not seems likely he'll be a Ranger, and personally, I would rather have the Rangers be good versus the Angels, but would love to hear what who we should have been rooting for and why... |
| 22. By: Rick Randall on 01-04-2011 15:41:49 The series of organizational breakdowns should play into that a bit, FelixElRey, but clearly the Rangers are the class of this division right now - both in terms of current and future talent. |
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