The death of the rime of the Ancient Mariner

I'm listening to the unofficial end of the Mariners season this year and while I realize that they've done better than predicted at the outset of the season this could be the most disappointing one in the last five or six years. In July, when they started spinning their wheels, it was seen as a near mathematical impossibility that they wouldn't at least be the second wild card, and yet fate has dealt these ancient Mariners a cruel blow, because the Oakland A's sped into the race out of nowhere and are now going to win the AL West, and/or be the wild card, trading places with the injury riddled but talented Astros. Trying to wrap your head around this season is hard, and this is coming from someone who has listened to 2/3 of the games on the radio driving pizzas, but not with the passion for the Ancient Mariners that I exhibited in past seasons, due to burnout on the city and the team. I've written at length in previous blogs about the three act structure of a baseball season, but that might be a good way to approach this:

1st act = Conceit = April and May

2nd act = Conflict = June, July, and August

3rd act = Resolution = September and October

The first act of the Mariner season is probably one of the best in their history, but that's a laugh line, because the Mariners are one the most unsuccessful baseball franchises ever. I listened to most of these games and they stood out for how many one run victories the team managed to pull off, and this was rare for them, but other than that it was hard to fathom how they were so good. The hitting wasn't great, but the starting rotation was much better than anyone thought it would be, and it may have been one of those instances where three or four mediocre journeymen pitchers were playing over their head all at the same time, but it was fun to hear. It should also be said that Jerry DiPito's great trade with the Diamondbacks to obtain Jean Segura at shortstop, and Mitch Haniger in the outfield, was also paying off, not to mention Edwin Diaz's remarkable season as the closer, and James Paxton's no hitter against the Blue Jays. But not even these pieces to the puzzle explained how the Mariners were threatening to be one of the best two or three teams in baseball.

The second act of the Mariners season started off where the first act left off, leaving me to wonder if my pessimism was inbred at this point after watching years of a losing organization. To make it better, Robinson Cano was on probation for taking muscle enhancing drugs, and they still were able to play way above their heads, making me and everyone think there was a chemistry to the team impossible to measure, but ever present. Then came the heart of the second act, July, the middle of the season symbolized by the all star game, the midsummer classic, and the Ancient Mariners fell apart. (I should say that as I write this the Ancient Mariner is getting mad at me and they have come back from a 9-1 drubbing by the Astros, and have made it a 9-7 ball game in the bottom of the 6th, but I'm going to carry on). Rick Rizzs just said they've gone 2-9 in winning a series, and of course that is the measure for being a successful baseball team, and I don't see this changing so much moving forward, save a little improvement here and there. The artistic key to three act structure is that without a strong second act even the loftiest of conceits means nothing, and the resolution is another year without making the playoffs.

It's safe to say that the minute anyone in Seattle starts paying attention to the M's they fold under the pressure like a shy child, and this is their karma.