Longest Playoff Drought Broken After 21 years

It was a 3-2 count to Cal Raleigh the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners tied 1-1 bottom of the 9th 2 outs. Cal Raleigh could be the game winning runner or another out to go to extra innings. As the pitch come out from the hand of the pitcher A’s Domingo Acevedo a slider that Cal Raleigh was sitting on as Raleigh connected the ball travel deep to right field and it was gone “The Mariners are going to the playoffs the Mariners are going to the playoffs” that came from Seattle Mariners play-by-play commentator David Sims. Before Friday September 30th the Seattle Mariners held the longest playoff drought for more than 20 years they have gotten close so many times after that but if they won against the A’s they would have clinched a playoff berth. During the drought the Mariners played 3,138 games and missed out on 702 playoff games in that stretch as well but to put that into perspective the last time the Mariners were in a playoff series it was the ALCS(American League Championship Series) against the New York Yankees the movies “Shrek” and Fast and Furious” were out in movie theaters.

After the game on Friday the longest playoff drought in 4 of America’s top sports the NBA’s (National Basketball Association) Sacramento Kings hold the longest drought now for 16 years and for the MLB its the Philadelphia Phillies who haven’t been to the postseason since 2012 but that looks like that could change as well if the win their series against the Houston Astros and can get some help from the Arizona Diamondbacks who play the Milwaukee Brewers who are 2 games back of Philadelphia. In their 21 year drought the Mariners have seen 14 different world series winners.

There is a difference between of the 2001 and 2022 Mariners I mean of course there is 21 years and no change is a problem but Seattle have a stud rookie named  Julio Rodriguez center fielder on his rookie campaign he is batting .280 with 23 HR (Home Runs) 73 RBI’s (Runners Batted In) 25 SB’s (Stolen Bases) and a .342 OBP (On Base Percentage)  Jesse Winker left fielder .219 AVG 14 HR’s 53 RBI’s .344 OBP and Eugenio Suarez 3rd basemen come over from Cincinnati during the off-season that saw a big loss for the Cincinnati Reds but a big win for the Mariners as the Mariners got Winker and Suarez for Potato chips seamlessly. Suarez on the year is averaging .236 with 31 HR’s 85 RBI’s and a .335 OBP. Suarez, Winker, and Rodriguez have been a important part of the Mariners success this year, but don’t forget about the pitching Logan Gilbert, Robbie Ray and Luis Castillo. All 3 are amazing pitchers and having a 3 headed monster on the mound is scary. Logan Gilbert on the year was 13 wins a ERA(Earned Run Average) 0f 3.20 and 174 strikeouts, Robbie Ray the second of the 3 headed monster has 12 wins ERA of 3.71 and a team leading 212 strikeouts and the finale of the 3 headed monster Luis Castillo who ironically was traded from the Reds for good players and prospects to build for the future of the Reds franchise. Since joining the Mariners he has 4 wins a ERA of 3.17 and 77 strikeouts. This team might not resemble the 2001 Mariners but the team the 2022 Mariners remind me of the 2019 Washington National here’s why a 3 headed monster on the mound Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin with a young outfield of Victor Robles and Juan Soto and a veteran 3rd basemen Anthony Rendon they helped Washington win their first ever World Series in franchise history.Out of the 6, 3 of the 6 have been traded or left in free agency the only left standing is Stephen Strasburg, Victor Robles and Patrick Corbin.

The 2001 Seattle Mariners the best team in the American League and the Majors with a 116-46 record which still holds the most wins in a single season since the MLB adopted a 162 game season in 1962. They were the team to beat with players like Ichiro Suzuki, Bret Boone, John Olerud, Edgar Martinez, Arthur Rhodes, Jeff Nelson and Joel Pineiro they seemed unstoppable. This team was a good offensive team Ichiro Suzuki averaged .350 8 HR’s 69 RBI’s with a .381 OBP, Bret Boone .331 AVG 37 HR’s 141 RBI’s .372 OBP, John Olerud .302 AVG 21 HR’s 95 RBI’s .401 OBP, Edgar Martinez .306 AVG 23 HR’s 116 RBI’s with a .423 OBP. The Mariners had a 3 headed monster on the mound with Arthur Rhodes 8 wins 1.72 ERA 83 Strikeouts, Jeff Nelson 4 wins 2.76 ERA 88 strikeouts and finally Joel Pineiro 6 wins 2.03 ERA 56 strikeouts. When the ALDS(American League Division Series) started the Mariners played the Cleveland Indians who was one of the weaker teams in the playoffs who gave Seattle a run for their money pushing it to have games in the end Seattle won the series 3-2. In the ALCS the Mariners played the New York Yankees who is coming off a series win over a A’s team who was the second best team in the Majors and the American League. The Yankees pushed the A’s to 5 games and won and going up against the Mariners it was David vs Goliath all over again but this time the Mariners got manhandled losing the series 4-1. The Yankees went on the World Series against the DiamondBacks and lost the series in 7 games.

Could this time be different for the Mariners with the postseason starting this week could the Mariners push through more adversity and go to the World Series and keep the playoff appearances alive or are we going to have to wait for another 21 years.