Rocky mentioned this in the Game Thread, I thought it deserved it's own.

[TLO Idaho]

Back to back base runners see how this gets fkked up!!!

Dom comes through. Julio moves him Naylor hold my beer. Gotta pop this sucker up!!!!

Early lead but batting Practice Kirby is pitching today so this lead may not hold long.

My bad its much better Logan with a 4 run lead. Welcome Ward biggest hit this far. Great job offense big start. Rodden just missed one. Hahaha May sucks

CAN WE FACE MAY ALL THE TIME? WOW OFFENSE ON FIRE TONIGHT. PAYBACK

Seth your on the wrong thread

[DanielVogelbach]

"The danger of 2025 was that it felt so rewarding that the Mariners could mistake it for proof that their entire operation worked.

First, Cal Raleigh hit 60 home runs — a feat that is more than likely irreplicable. The deadline additions in Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez landed. The Mariners rode a spectacular collection of individual performances to the doorstep of the World Series. That run wasn’t fraudulent by any means, but it was also not a roster-building formula that could simply be carried into another season.

If Raleigh needed to produce one of the greatest offensive seasons by a catcher in baseball history for Seattle’s lineup to function, the Mariners hadn’t built a sustainable offense at all. They just caught lightning in a bottle and called it infrastructure."

This is all hyperbole and emotion. If you run the numbers, if Cal hit like a LEAGUE AVERAGE catcher the Mariners would have about 6 more wins. Arozerena, Canzone, Julio, Donavan, JP, Naylor. He wasn't praying for Cal to hit 60 again. If Munoz locks down 3 more saves that's 9 more wins and the Mariners are ahead of everyone except Yankees and Rays.

Every deep post-season run involves everything kind of clicking, especially if you're not spending Los Angeles Dodgers type cash. Donavan injury was big also. I know he had some injury issues in the past, so it was a bit of a dice roll there, but that's what I've been trying to say. It's always a bit of a dice roll. Educated guesses. No General Manager is working with a crystal ball.

I hear a lot of people complaining, but where are the specific mistakes that Jerry made? Where are the specific examples of the free agent he should've signed? People are complaining about Dan Wilson... I still say anybody can do that job. It's basically just a front row seat to the game. You fill out a lineup card, you make a few substitutions, you talk to the press.

The only thing I'm aware of at all is the 95 million Colt Emerson contract. That could end up being a bad contract. But, again.. dice roll, as a calculated risk I can't argue with it. It gets you a few years into his free agency at less than $20 mil per season.

None of this "ineptitude" talk sounds very objective to me. "Oh they made it to game 7 of the ALCS but they're a bunch of incompetent fools".

So, we've gone from making fun of the organization for celebrating 2001 for 20 years, to complaining about not having the same record as the 78-48 Milwaukee Brewers? Well, sounds like the bar has been raised, so is that a failure?

Perhaps they posted the article in the clubhouse, because as I write this they're up 7-2 in Milwaukee.

[Michael K.]

Yep, non of this had to do with roster construction. There weren't dozens of guys on this forum in February talking about how this version wasn't as good as last years version, and Dipshitto was praying for another miracle at the deadline. Of course you didn't read that I guess because it didn't fit your narative that this organization is the standard. Two playoff appearances in my 22 year old son's life time....but above criticism.

Jesus H. Christ dude. This is getting ridiculous. MANY called this team inferior before the first game. Guess what? It was. Donovan's injury? Your kidding right? He has played ONE FULL SEAON IN HIS ENTIRE DAMN CAREER! Yeah, him getting hurt was a crazy shock!

[Walla Walla Dawg II]

Yep, non of this had to do with roster construction. There weren't dozens of guys on this forum in February talking about how this version wasn't as good as last years version, and Dipshitto was praying for another miracle at the deadline. Of course you didn't read that I guess because it didn't fit your narative that this organization is the standard. Two playoff appearances in my 22 year old son's life time....but above criticism.

Jesus H. Christ dude. This is getting ridiculous. MANY called this team inferior before the first game. Guess what? It was. Donovan's injury? Your kidding right? He has played ONE FULL SEAON IN HIS ENTIRE DAMN CAREER! Yeah, him getting hurt was a crazy shock!

[bpj]

Yep, non of this had to do with roster construction. There weren't dozens of guys on this forum in February talking about how this version wasn't as good as last years version, and Dipshitto was praying for another miracle at the deadline. Of course you didn't read that I guess because it didn't fit your narative that this organization is the standard. Two playoff appearances in my 22 year old son's life time....but above criticism.

Jesus H. Christ dude. This is getting ridiculous. MANY called this team inferior before the first game. Guess what? It was. Donovan's injury? Your kidding right? He has played ONE FULL SEAON IN HIS ENTIRE DAMN CAREER! Yeah, him getting hurt was a crazy shock!

The problem is 100% Dipoto.

His dumbass brought in Hollander, an obvious sissy. That dork knows nothing.

And then he hired the biggest boob I've ever encountered in Dave Cameron to be in charge of "player procurement".

Everything is Dipoto's fault.

They made the playoffs twice in ten years. Good job, how many other teams didn't?

By my count they're one of 27 teams that made the playoffs at least twice over the past ten years. Only the Royals, Pirates, and the disaster Dipoto left behind in shambles- the Angels, were worse than what Dipoto's done over the past 10 years with the M's. Terrible.

Dipoto's been on the low side of pathetic.

[DanielVogelbach]

Yep, non of this had to do with roster construction. There weren't dozens of guys on this forum in February talking about how this version wasn't as good as last years version, and Dipshitto was praying for another miracle at the deadline. Of course you didn't read that I guess because it didn't fit your narative that this organization is the standard. Two playoff appearances in my 22 year old son's life time....but above criticism.

Jesus H. Christ dude. This is getting ridiculous. MANY called this team inferior before the first game. Guess what? It was. Donovan's injury? Your kidding right? He has played ONE FULL SEAON IN HIS ENTIRE DAMN CAREER! Yeah, him getting hurt was a crazy shock!

Two post season appearances in 22 years is terrible. Two post season series wins and an ALCS appearance in 4 years is quite good. There was also a 90 win season in 2021 where they didn't get in. Also, Dipoto has not been running the team for 22 years.

Donavan's injury definitely played a part in 2026. You're right that he's been injury prone, so it was a bit of a dice roll to bring him in, but I don't think it was a bad dice roll. That's how the game works when you don't have a $400 million payroll.

But, the biggest contributor to 2025 to 2026 is so obvious I don't have to mention it. I can just elaborate to say that they didn't need him to hit 60 home runs. They just needed average production. Instead he became the black hole in the lineup that is probably going to cost them a post season appearance.

[bpj]

Personally I think Edwin Diaz made Dipoto look good in his first year- saved the season really- and Cal Raleigh made last year work.

Without either of those performances his tenure looks much different imo.

[DanielVogelbach]

They made the playoffs twice in ten years. Good job, how many other teams didn't?

By my count they're one of 27 teams that made the playoffs at least twice over the past ten years. Only the Royals, Pirates, and the disaster Dipoto left behind in shambles- the Angels, were worse than what Dipoto's done over the past 10 years with the M's. Terrible.

Dipoto's been on the low side of pathetic.

They won post season series in 2 out of the last 4 seasons and missed the playoffs with a 90 win season in 2021.

The analysis shifts dramatically when you look at the results after he tried a little bit of "win now" with Felix, Cano, Cruz, and Seager, then shifted into rebuild, then sent the Mariners to 8 post season wins since 2022 after barely missing the the post season with a 90 win season in 2021.

[DanielVogelbach]

cumulative.jpg (83.89 KiB) Viewed 18 times

[bpj]

They made the playoffs twice in ten years. Good job, how many other teams didn't?

By my count they're one of 27 teams that made the playoffs at least twice over the past ten years. Only the Royals, Pirates, and the disaster Dipoto left behind in shambles- the Angels, were worse than what Dipoto's done over the past 10 years with the M's. Terrible.

Dipoto's been on the low side of pathetic.

They won post season series in 2 out of the last 4 seasons and missed the playoffs with a 90 win season in 2021.

The analysis shifts dramatically when you look at the results after he tried a little bit of "win now" with Felix, Cano, Cruz, and Seager, then shifted into rebuild, then sent the Mariners to 8 post season wins since 2022 after barely missing the the post season with a 90 win season in 2021.

We're worse now from where I'm sitting.

I'd take that Cruz/Cano/Trumbo team any day over these mediocre boring losers.