Hi Everyone Mariner Baseball Starts Today

Now that six weeks of spring training is over we can start watching and talking real baseball.

I know that there will be some who will think negative about the Mariners going into the season which is understandable after last season’s expectations and how the Mariners did under the reign of Jackie Z however those days are over.

You see we have a new group that has taken over beginning with general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais. Also the Mariners have thirteen players who were not on the roster last year so hope is there.

If you still feel negative about it all remember what the Seahawks were like before Pete Carroll and John Schneider. They built a new Seahawk culture and it did take a couple seasons to get things rolling. We can hope that Dipoto and Servais will have the same results. Remember it has been a while since Lou Piniella left town but the changes could be coming.

The Mariners have some new players that will help them to change the culture. Some of the twelve remaining players on the Mariners are the core group of King Felix, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. The other eight players returning were not part of the problem either. At least I don’t think so anyway. We don’t know what goes in the clubhouse however there was a problem last year. Either they believed what everyone was saying about going to the World Series and decided to mail it in or the belief was just too much for them. What I see though is a team that is more athletic in the outfield and they will look to score runs in other manners than home runs.

As a key when it comes to scoring runs is driving in those who are in scoring position. Not sure the problem last year however we know they were not able to do so. What we see going into the season is a healthy Robinson Cano. Even if Nelson Cruz is not the same as last year we see Cano what he was the second half of last season along with spring training the Mariners offense will be good. This will be especially true if Kyle Seager can get off to a good start too and the addition of Adam Lind.

On the defensive side is the addition of Aoki and Leonys Martin in left and center field. Both of them will improve the defense greatly over last year. Nelson Cruz, Franklin Gutierrez and Seth Smith playing in right field will be solid as well. When Cruz is in right field either Franklin Gutierrez or Seth Smith will mostly be at designated hitter.

Today Cruz is starting in right field and Gutierrez at DH. I am sure early in the season we will be seeing them alternating in right field to keep both of them healthy. The Mariners are playing the Rangers in Arlington, Texas so I am sure this another reason that Cruz is starting in right field. He played several years for the Rangers so he is accustomed in playing in that park. I am sure when the Mariners return to Safeco Field next Friday we will see more of Gutierrez and Seth Smith in right field.

The Mariners start out the season starting again mostly lefties so we will see some of Lee at first base however being the opener the Mariners decided to go with Lind. How much of Lee will depend on his performance as well as Lind. Over his career Lind has not hit well against lefties however Servais will give him a chance to hit against some depending on the history Lind has against the pitcher. I expect that Lee will be starting in the second game so he will not get rusty. Also he needs to learn the pitchers since he has not faced them except those in spring training. According to Servais he is good making adjustments at the plate.

Seth Smith may get a start against one of the lefties as well however being a veteran and being a bench player for several years won’t have a problem setting several days. I would not be surprised though if he gets into the game as a pinch hitter.

The greatest question mark we all have is the bullpen. We can hope that this new group of relievers will do a better job than the ones from last year. On the positive side can they do really worse? The Mariners are counting on most of them having better years than they did last year.

So today play ball and Go Mariners!