As I write this, there seems to be a great deal of unsettled business with my beloved Seattle Mariners.

Manager John McLaren has decided Richie Sexson won't play much "any time soon" due to Miguel Cairo "swinging the bat fairly well, and so forth and so on."

Uh, what?  Did a MLB manager actually utter those words?  Was he seriously that out of sorts and without the hint of a clue that his best explanation came out like that?  Is he GM Bill Bavasi's puppet, muttering useless nothings to the media in an effort to deflect any accountability from those individuals charged with assembling and leading this baseball team?  It would appear so, but as a Mariners fan these days, I cannot take anything for granted or for more than face value.

Bavasi's statement to the Seattle media that the players "need to step up" and are "underperforming" was without any provocation from any player and ought to land him in the hot seat with the coaches and players.  GM's are not ever in a position to comment about the on-field play lest they should feel the need to suit up and go nine innings at their side.  This is one of the big indications that this team - the franchise as a whole, actually - is lacking any organization or leadership whatsoever.  Howard Lincoln, President of Baseball Operations, is strangely quiet (I suppose it's only strange when one considers Bavasi's gaffe to the media and McLaren's vague, voodoo-like statements).

The on-field performance has been poor at best.

Starting Pitching, C- : No consistency, far too many walks, no aggression, poor preparation and approach, minimal guidance, complete lack of confidence.  A few good performances should not mislead anyone into thinking this rotation, in its current condition, is anything more than unsatisfactory.

Relief Pitching, C : The closer position has been brutal, short and long relief acceptable, middle relief mediocre.  Moving Morrow out of the 'pen would shore up the SP, but hurt the RP.  It's a catch-22.

Infield Defense, C- : Erros continue to pile up, poor positioning at times.  The corners (Beltre, Sexson) are solid, but middle infield play is spotty at best.

Outfield Defense, B- : LF drives this grade down, otherwise effective and up to expectations.

Batting, D+ : The team as a whole has been bad, bad, and even more bad.  Batting w/ RISP has been non-existent.  Poor plate discipline plagues almost every hitter, some moreso than others.  Too much patience one night, then none at all the following game.

Baserunning, C+ : Stolen bases are not this lineup's strong point, and Ichiro's SB tally is misleading of the rest of the lineup's ability.  Still, only a few mental mistakes of note.

Bullpen Management, C- : The 'pen has been used inconsistently and too many times the cupboard is bare when help is needed the most.

Player Management, D : Coaching crew has no idea what to do, when to do it, or why.  No fire, direction, or leadership is visible.

Overall Grade, D+ : A few diamonds in the rough give the team a better grade than they are likely worth as a whole.

These guys are just completely out of sorts, and they are getting no help or guidance from the coaching staff or front office.  No votes of confidence.  Nothing more than cryptic messages from their field manager and vague definition of responsibilities.

It's a tough time to be a Mariners fan, but to actually be a Mariner is probably damn near improssible right now.  I feel for these guys, and I hope they can overcome the hurdles set before them.  I doubt it will happen, but I'm allowed to hope... aren't I?