Mariners Win Number 50

Nothing is guaranteed, but what the Seattle Mariner fans have is hope as the team won it's 50th game yesterday, beating Baltimore 8-7.  

 The team lost a 5-4 lead in the 8th inning when Chis Davis hit a 3 run homer in the 8th.  Kyle Seeger then tied the game in the 9th with a  2 run blast.   Denard Span (above right) hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th to bring home Jean Segura for the winning score.  

The win came at the midway point in the season.  

Mariner Trade Brings Boog

Last week, the Mariners traded Danny Farquar, Brad Miller, and Logan Morrison to the Tampa Bay Rays for 3 of their players,including one with a name familiar to boomers.  Boog Powell was an outfielder in the Ray's organization, who may be playing in the bigs for the M's in 2016.
In the 1960s and 70, there was a clean up batter for the Baltimore Orioles named John Powell, better known as Boog Powell.  This Boog Powell is no relation to that Boog Powell, but received his nickname in honor of the former Oriole.  Our Boog's real name is Herschel Mack Powell IV.

Iwakuma Throws No No

Hisashi Iwakuma today threw the 5th no-hitter in Mariner history, blanking the Baltimore Orioles 3-0.  Iwakuma, much like the M's has been having a disappointing year.  He spent several weeks on  the disabled list.  The M's, who seem to be slowly improving, have just won their 4th series in a row.

1969 Year Of The Mets And Jets

The Mets and Jets were emblematic of the era, the 1960s was known for a generation gap and of the emergence of youth as a voice.  Neither team was in existence ten years earlier.  The Jets were part of a brand new league the AFL, that challenged, before it became part of the NFL.  The Mets  were an expansion team, a consistent cellar dweller, that shared a town with the storied New York Yankees. The Jets shared the spotlight with the New York "Football" Giants.  Many noticed that the two teams had names that rhymed.  Both teams played in Shea Stadium.  A field that was also famous for hosting the Beatles.
In  the Super Bowl of 1969, the Jets pulled off one of sports greatest upsets beating the Baltimore Colts. In the two previous Super Bowls, the NFL's Packers easily beat the 2 best AFL entries. The top picture is of Joe Namath, the Jet's brash, outspoken but talented quarterback. Namath was unlike any sports figure at the time. A mod dresser and a lover of the night life.
In the World Series, the Mets upset Baltimore's Orioles, also a heavily favored team.  On a related note.The NBA New York Knicks would beat the Baltimore Bullets on their way to the championship in the upcoming NBA season. Of course the Knicks had been around for a while, but can be tied to the Mets and Jets by the year, the city, and the fact that it also beat a  team from Baltimore in the post season.  Not long afterwards, New York would get the Nets, who would play in the ABA, a team with a rhyming name with the city's two hottest clubs.
In a year that saw Woodstock and a man walk on the moon.  The respective championships of the Jets and the Mets, would put a definitive cherry on top of a decade, forever known for the explosion of the youth culture.

Mariner Win Highlight Of Fun Afternoon

Deb and I spent a sunny afternoon at Safeco Field with our nephews, Ethan and Connor watching the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3

Before we arrived at the game, we all made a prediction of what the final score would be and Deb hit it on the nose. The tickets that we had were incredible as we were right on top of the action. I would encourage everyone to get out to see the team this year. It looks like things are moving in the right direction as the team tries to rebuild into a contender.