By Kathleen Sherman
Reporter
Can you believe there is less than a month until Opening Day of the baseball season? It seems like only yesterday we were all hyped up for the Seahawks to “re-Pete” as Super Bowl champs.
That didn’t turn out as planned, so now it’s time to switch our focus and loyalties to the Seattle Mariners. Every year I start out with high hopes for a winning season and find myself flagging a bit as the months go by and our team just can’t seem to pull it together.
But this year could be different. This time I’m not the only one with great expectations for this Mariners ball club. Even before spring training got under way, the pundits were declaring our Mariners contenders. They’re even talking World Series.
Who knew?
This may sound crazy, but for me, I guess it isn’t a requirement that we go to the World Series this year. Of course, I would love to see us do that well and show all the scoffers and naysayers on the East Coast that baseball is still very much alive and well in Seattle.
Winning it all won’t make me more of a fan. I’ve been all-in, win or lose, for the 30-plus years I’ve lived here and don’t expect that to change any time soon. You know you’re a die hard fan if you can continue to be positive following the Bill Bavasi era. I still think we should have traded him instead of some players.
In fact, I’ve followed baseball since I was a kid in Southern California. I spent many a memorable Saturday afternoon ensconced in front of the TV watching the Yankees trounce all American League comers. Those were the days of Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra and my favorite pitcher, Whitey Ford. They were really something to see, even if it was on a small black-and-white set.
I switched my allegiance when the Angels came to Los Angeles, and am happy to say that I never rooted for the Yankees again.
The Mariners captured my loyalties soon after I moved here. By that time, I was used to cheering for the underdog, so it wasn’t a big switch. I loved that they were like the gang who couldn’t shoot straight. They were earnest and serious and just plain awful, but I had faith that someday, our rag-tag team would finish close to the top.
We got a taste of that a couple of times over the years, but it’s been a long hard road since Edgar, Jay and Junior dressed in Mariner blue or green.
It’s been said that it’s not the destination but the journey that is important.
I plan to enjoy this journey, keeping the faith and hoping for the best.
The season hasn’t even started yet, but I can almost hear the crack of the bat or the soft thud of a baseball striking the mitt on Opening Day at Safeco Field.
Almost.
Kathleen Sherman is a longtime area resident and former reporter and editor for several local newspapers, including Your Auburn Community. She resides in Bonney Lake with her two best friends, Buddy and Cooper.
