The Mariners' Darkest Days - Page 2

But as Yogi Berra said, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, however, there is.” Berra’s prescience was apparently not limited solely to 21st-century military endeavors in Iraq — with a splash of Nostradamus, the aforementioned platitude is perfectly applicable to the situation in which the Mariners find themselves stumbling, bumbling, and making a mockery of the game (not to mention any publication which predicted they would finish second or better in the AL West.)

The Mariners’ May malaise actually fomented as the April showers began to wane. Kenji Johjima, one of Seattle’s most reliable contributors over the past three seasons, received a strangely-healthy contract extension on April 25th. While financial terms were not technically disclosed, FSN’s Ken Rosenthal reported, Joh received a three-year deal worth about $24 million. While the deal may have been considered fair by both sides, the signing unveiled the hubris of a certain baldheaded, goatee-sporting M’s GM: a willingness to set the market despite a lack of (or at least misinterpreted) hurriedness — although the Carlos Silva contract can be eschewed on another day. Jason Varitek and Pudge Rodriguez will be highlighting the offseason free agent catcher market, and while the Mariners may have saved a bundle by locking up Johjima just four weeks into the season, it’s very possible that they overpaid for a mediocre backstop.

What made Johjima’s signing all the stranger was the fact that his replacement, Jeff Clement, had been waiting in the wings for three years. Although often overshadowed by his draft counterparts — Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Zimmerman, and Ryan Braun were all selected after the M’s took Clement at third — the USC alum had been progressing nicely at the plate. Despite Clement’s questionable defense, the Johjima signing put Clement’s future in a pit of uncertainty. Add to that the fact that Johjima’s average at the time was a worthless .194 — while Clement mashed .375/.550/.688 through the first 19 games in AAA — and the Johjima extension cast a strange and eerie pall over the start of the season.

Article Author: Casey Michel

Casey Michel is a student at Rice University who, despite a Pacific Northwest rearing, somehow found himself in Houston. He bleeds Blazers black and Mariners blue, and likes to think his teams are always just ONE player away.

Visit Casey Michel's author page — Casey Michel's Blog