Please Don't Go...

Last night we took our newest grandson (Jax) to see his first ever Mariner game (along with his mother (our daughter, Jenny) and an assortment of friends and family). Though the temperature was a bit chilly, it was definitely a lovely evening in early October. Between oohing and aahing over little Jax, we all enjoyed sitting in the outfield, occasionally watching the game and relishing what well might be Jr.'s last home run. Franklin Guitterez made the night even more special by tossing a ball into the stands for our nephews and the Mariners capped off the evening with a 2-1 victory over Texas.

Today (Sunday), Jenny, Jax, Gerry & I took in the final home game of the season. The skies had cleared overnight and were cloudless and beautifully blue for this final game. The 32,000+ fans on hand were not disappointed. As he came to bat for the first time, Jr. acknowledged the crowd's cheers and then it was back to business.

Finally, in the bottom of the 8th with the Mariners holding onto a slim 4-3 lead, Jr. came to bat, possibly for the final time as a Mariner, possibly for the final time ever. The crowd immediately rose to give him a standing ovation, but in typical gamesmanship, the Texas manager called for a pitching change and Griffey never left the on-deck circle. We remained standing, patiently waiting for the new pitcher to warm up and then the announcer once again called out "Now batting, Ken Griffey, Jr.!"

We cheered but he was focused. The pitch - 91 mph and he connected immediately - a "seeing eye single" to centerfield. Gerry said that he thinks it's the first time he's ever witnessed a curtain call standing ovation for a single! The game was close and Griffey's not particularly fast, so it was no surprise when the Mariner manager pulled him for a pinch runner. But it gave us one more chance to cheer the kid we'd all watched grow into the man he's become.

When in the top of the 9th, David Aardsma threw that final pitch and Rob Johnson caught it for the final strike, the crowd erupted one more time. This team which had played so abysmally last year, setting a record for most losses ever, had turned things around so dramatically in just one short year. There are lots of things one could point to that helped create that metamorphosis - the new general manager, the new team manager, some player acquisitions. But in my opinion (and I doubt that I'm alone in this one), the biggest single difference between this year and last year is summed up by the single word: JUNIOR.

Kenny - please don't go. Please bring back the magic again next year. Please make baseball fun once again for the players and the fans!

Mariner management - You've taken a chance in the past on Eric Bedard, Heathcliff Slocum and Carlos Silva, all players that cost you a lot financially and failed to generate wins or a fan base. Take a chance on re-signing Kenny. You absolutely won't regret it!

~later, tw