I went to see a Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball game. The Mariners have been very bad for the last several years. They haen't made the playoffs since 2002, and besides a fluke winning season in 2006 they have been one of the most pathetic franchises in the league. Last year they became the first team in history to lose more than 100 games (out of 162 total) with a team payroll of over $100 million. But this year they are in first place a month into the season.

Safeco Field is one of the most magnificent ballparks in the world. It was almost never built. In 1995, the city narrowly voted against financing a new baseball stadium to replace the decrepit Kindgome. Shortly after, the Mariners made a remarkable comeback from 13 games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Angels to win the division title on an extra, 163rd tie-breaker game. They went on to beat the New York Yankees in the Divisional Playoffs on a thrilling game-winning double (known in Seattle as 'The Double') by Edgar Martinez to score Ken Griffey Jr. The city rallied around the team that fall and fell back in love with baseball. A second vote was held and the stadium measure passed.

Anyway, the point is to share how beautiful the stadium is and how proud Seattle-ites are of it.

I won't do a complete run-down of the game. Once I start talking or writing about baseball I usually don't stop. If you want to read a recap Lookout Landing always throws up a good one. 

Today's pitcher was Felix Hernandez. He's our 23-year-old ace. Even as a slightly biased Mariners fan, I think it's fair to say that he is the most talented pitcher alive. I saw his second major leage start, at age 19. He was the first 19-year-old to start a game since 1991. He threw 8 innings allowing 0 runs and 5 hits. That's really good.

Felix wasn't his best today. He wasn't throwing as hard as usual. He gave up 6 runs in 6 innings. I found out afte the game that he had the flu. Luckily the hitters came through to make things interesting. Ichiro Suzuki, our other big star, came through with a triple.

We got big home runs by Russell Branyon and Franklin Gutierrez to make it 5-6 in the bottom of the 9th inning (last chance). With 2 outs Ichiro was up again with a runner on second base. If he got a hit the runner would score and the game would be tied. Everybody was yelling. The Mariner Moose mascot was jumping around.

And then Ichiro flied out. Everyone was disappointed. Can't win 'em all. I still love you, Ichiro.