Call me an eternal optimist or just a glutten for punishment but I have a pretty good feeling about the M's this year.

The starting rotation looks to be the best we've had since the 2001 season with the 1-2 punch of Lee and Hernandez. The 3rd spot should go to Snell, with the 4th spot going to Roland-Smith, who pitched well towards the end of last year, and 6 guys competing for that 5th spot. The bullpen will be solid with Aardsma closing again but I like the pickup of Chad Codero too. He closed 47 games with the Nationals in 2006. Pretty good considering he probably only had 50 save opportunities with the Nats that year.

I'll take a stab and say they'll probably have the best defense in the league this year. With the addition of Kotchman at 1st, who hasn't made an error in 188 games, and Figgins at 2nd we're looking pretty solid. Move the now slower Lopez to third and Wilson is a stud at short. Gutierrez and Ichiro will track down nearly everything hit to center/right. The wild card is Milton Bradley. Will he be able to keep it together? Will Griffey be the clubhouse glue they need to keep Bradley from losing his cool?

We won't score a lot of runs and games may be boring to watch for those who aren't truly fans but I think we've got a pretty good shot at making a run at the Angels this year.

right now, i'm not taking my meds either.

Bring them Halos on.

One way or another,....we're going to see some better baseball this spring and summer.

actually, keep your eyes on the oakland a's - after they develop some more outstanding talent, the m's can buy them next season like everyone else does

I'm sure Zduriencik has got his eyes peeled down there. It's a shame they can't keep anyone around for long down there.

Although Seattle has had more than it's share of good players leave the city. Can't say I have any sympathy.

Jack Z has done a great job, and we'll be close. Can't say win from here, but close.

Division is stacked I think .. Oakland is the only team I think is overmatched (course this means they'll win the division

Angels are the most balanced, Texas pitching could be scary, M's pitching and defense is going to keep 'em close.

Zduriencik is a huge improvement. Finally a GM who knows alittle about the game. That position hasn't been filled by a true baseball guy since we lost Gillick.

I was looking at Season tix this AM--

I could get Diamond Club seats for my family if I wanted to drop $60,000+9% tax.

That's almost as much as they charge for beer.

60G's??!!

Cheese and Rice.

How much for a 16 game package?? That's about the total number of games I could see myself going to anyway. Even when I lived in Seattle I didn't go to many more games a season than that.

That's what I'm looking at at the moment. I figure the games we can't make we can give the tickets to friends and family that suck up to us.


Those Diamond club seats are so close you could tickle the Ump's balls if you felt so inclinded.

I'm looking at Terrace club seats. I've sat there a few times and having the 'special' stuff is pretty nice, but it's not like the suites where it's like your in someone's living room drinking someone's beer and still watching the game on TV. You are actually watching the real thing.

YAY!

I have a good feeling about the M's this year, too...and I think our division is going to be putting out two playoff teams this year, and will be the division to watch in the AL.

If a couple of dudes step up and have breakout seasons at the plate, we can be scary good.

Fish on...

Todd

I'd keep an eye on Gutierrez and Lopez to have those breakout seasons. Both good hitters just on the cusp of being great.

If you got that kind of scratch Irie shoot for the Diamond Club seats. The Terrace Club seats aren't all that great IMO.

Shiot, if you got that kinda scratch...can I borrow ten grand?

Thanks!

Fish on...

Todd

I remember going to the Safeco groundbreaking ceremony. They had a model of the stadium. I felt it should be easy to build a team around the park. Load up on left handed pitching. Great defense up the middle. Speed in the outfield. And 1 or 2 left handed batters with power. Jackie Z is the first guy to actualy try and build such a team-finally!!!

I think they will be within a game or two of first come September so it should be a fun season!

The Terrece Club is where they stick all the Seattle idiots who don't know the first damn thing about baseball! My Dad actualy told a group of ladie's during a playoff game to "either get their heads in the game or go fuckyourself!" If someone gave me season tickets on the Terrace Club I'd sell them out front every night and then go stand in center field!

The best seats for season tickets are on the main deck between the dugouts.

The easiest seats to sell are down low in right field. The Japaneese will pay top dollar for how ever many you've got!!

If you do buy season tickets DO NOT also buy the parking pass for the garage. The garage can take up to an hour to empty after the game. It really sucks once a year but is unbearable 40 to 81 times a year!!!

+10

No I aint got THAT kinda scratch. Besides, who really likes baseball that much?

That would be my old man!

He's never taken me fishing and wouldn't know a rifle from a hand gun but boy have I ever seen a lot of baseball with him! He's had season tickets since the Meriners first year. In 1976 I was ten years old. The Mariners inaugural game was probably my 50th major legue game. Most parents take their kids to S Cal for Disneyland. Not my family we went for the Dodgers games!

We even went on a baseball tour last summer. Boston, NY Y, DC, Philly, HOF and NY Mets in six nights! Except for the Mets fans I learned that those in the NE know about as much about baseball as those in the Terrece Club!