It’s OK to believe in the Mariners

I was 12 years old in 1985 when the Mariners began the season 6-0, sweeping Minnesota and Oakland. It was the opening week of the baseball season and anything was possible. It was possible that Mark Langston and Mike Moore could mow down batters every time out. It was possible that Phil Bradley, Alvin Davis, a well-aged Gorman Thomas and Dave Henderson could serve as the Northwest version of murderer’s row. It was opening week and anything was possible.

And then they lost 12 of their next 13, finishing the season 74-88 and sixth place in the AL West. I was crushed and didn’t recover for months as we watched another season unfold into a Chuck Cottier led circus of bad baseball.

Does this mean you should abandon all hope in the 2009 version of the Mariners? Absolutely not. Why rob yourself of one of the simple pleasures in sport: unbridled enthusiasm on baseball’s opening day.

There are a number of reasons to believe the M’s can be more than competitive this season. They’ve shown early on that they can do the little things. Sacrifice ground balls, stealing bases, playing lights out defense. Signs of an improving offense are emerging with Ichiro waiting in the wings, ready to come off the DL on Wednesday. They’ve shown the ability to come from behind and hold a lead with the help of the bullpen. Cripes, Erik Bedard is pitching like the guy everyone thought we traded for. He pitched into the eighth inning. Eighth inning! Oh, and Ken Griffey Jr. is back.

So, if you have tickets to opening day at Safeco Field this afternoon, allow yourself to become 12 years old again and suspend judgment for another day. You deserve it.