Safeco and Softball

Last night, I had the good fortune of attending my first Mariner game of the 2009 season with my family. We had a good time and the Mariners won 8-2 over the Baltimore Orioles.

Some thoughts: Neither the Mariners nor the Orioles are going to be playing in October. Baltimore didn't look like a good offensive team. Adam Jones is having a nice year for them, Aubrey Huff and Nick Markakis can produce runs, maybe 20-80-25-100 (HR-RBI) but that's it.
Melvin Mora, their third baseman, needs to be freed from the captivity of playing for a perennial loser. I think he needs an ACLU Lawyer to make the case that playing for Peter Angelos and the Baltimore Orioles is cruel and unusual punishment. Maybe the Libs and civil rights advocates can take up his case after they're done with the Water boarding business.

Anyway, sorry for my political aside. Erik Bedard, who doesn't remind one of Jack Morris or Steve Carlton, pitched 6.1 quality innings. He struck out seven and walked three, two of which were in the seventh inning, when it was obvious to me, a non-baseball professional, that he was laboring and his time was up. Adrian Beltre got a couple of hits and Russell Branyan and Ken Griffey Jr. homered in the eighth inning off of Jamie Walker, who belongs in Norfolk, the Orioles AAA affiliate.

Some of the fans at the game were nice, but clearly Northwest natives. I feel funny saying this, but my approach to sports is more Northeastern, because of all of my time spent in New York and Chicago. Northwest Natives aren't the type to call and yell and scream about an overpaid infielder hitting .230 like Adrian Beltre is. If we were in NYC or Washington, DC or Boston, there would be a Jerome from Manhattan type demanding that the manager bench Adrian Beltre and or trade him for a better alternative.

A shout-out to the Washington Huskies Women's Softball team for winning the 2009 Softball title last night 3-2 over Florida in Oklahoma City. For all of the Steve Kelleys and Ian Furnesses who hate OKC because of the Sonics move there, I hope that last night provided a little redemption of Oklahoma City. Besides, it's not too far from where Carrie Underwood, the second prettiest Carrie, grew up.