During the campaign of 2004 -- which this morning seems about as long ago as the campaign of 1832 -- Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., went to the White House for a congressional meeting with President George W. Bush, wearing a new campaign button.

The president gave the button a perplexed look, and asked, "Osama?"

No, said Schakowsky, it was Illinois' Democratic Senate candidate, Barack Obama. Bush shrugged and said he'd never heard of him.

"Mr. President," said Schakowsky, "you will."

This morning -- sooner than either of them, or anybody else, might have expected -- everyone has heard of Barack Obama, and the United States has elected its first African American president. The voting marks the end of a long campaign, but surely the beginning of something even bigger.

During her campaign for the Democratic nomination, back in the winter and spring, Hillary Clinton liked to find women in their nineties, born into a country where they couldn't vote, eager to vote for a woman for president. It was intended to be moving, and it was.

But Barack Obama has now been elected to lead a country where, at the time of his birth, millions of Americans who looked like him were kept from voting by violence and intimidation. Obama campaigned and contended in states where, during his preschool years, his parents' very marriage would have been illegal.

This, like the lines of people waiting three hours in the Georgia sun to vote, is something more than moving. The demonstration that there is now literally no position closed to an African American brings a partial closing to the nation's longest and most agonizing division.

Obama's triumph, over the 21 months of his campaign, was not simply to show that an African American could be a serious candidate for president, and to electrify that community. It was to create a sense of possibility in a wider audience, especially a younger audience, to make them believe that a different kind of politics was possible. From the beginning of his campaign, Obama has had a particular appeal to voters too young for their cynicism to have hardened.

His victory was no narrow squeeze; Obama ran better among white voters than any Democratic presidential candidate in decades.

For two decades, it has seemed that American politics has been locked into a punishing, unproductive trench warfare between the two parties, an endless refighting of battles about culture and country dating from the 1960s. Watching one recent national convention, David Broder of The Washington Post commented to a younger colleague that when the Baby Boomers reached nursing homes, they would be pounding on each others' walkers and yelling about Vietnam. The Bill Clinton and George W. Bush years tended to underline his point.

Obama, from a later time and free of that tie-dyed burden, offered an opportunity to finally change the subject, an opportunity the country has now embraced.

Colin Powell, in his important endorsement of Obama, said he thought Obama could be a "transformational" president. It's a big word, and a judgment finally left to historians from future decades, if not future centuries.

But Powell's point was that Obama, as not only the first African American president but a product of a post-civil rights world, a figure of extraordinary eloquence, analysis and ability to connect, carries the chance of transforming our politics, and both the way the United States sees itself in the world and the way the world sees the United States.

In 2008, these are all desperately needed changes.

Every president takes office promising to make the United States a different country than it was. Few succeed, and Obama's White House plans, like those of any other president, deserve to be viewed through that prism of improbability.

But through his historic campaign, and his impressive, once implausible triumph, Obama has already done something that few presidents manage during their entire term in office.

He has shown us that we are a different country than we thought we were.

And from that realization, we can now go forward.

This piece is courtesy of The Oregonian Editorial Board, 11/05/2008.

A lot of players have had good Augusts, yes.  A lot have propelled their teams into playoff consideration or extended divisional leads.  But, have any of them been more important to their respective teams, though, than Raul Ibanez has been to the Seattle Mariners?

In 67 August at-bats, Ibanez has 29 hits, 13 for extra bases, amassing a .433 batting average, a .472 on-base percentage and a .483 slugging percentage.  His OPS (on-base + slugging) is .955, and while that isn't an enormous figure, almost 45% of his hits in August have been for extra bases (8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs).  Add in his 21 runs batted in and 17 runs scored, and we're seeing an outstanding month for a guy who isn't really known for having huge months - he's a consistent hitter that drives the ball to the gaps (38 doubles thus far in 2008), but has he ever had a month like August?  Maybe, but not one so important to his team.

The Mariners are mired in the worst season in franchise history.  Sporting a $117 million team salary on opening day, many predicted the M's would challenge the Los Angeles Angels for the AL West division title or at least compete for the AL Wild Card slot.  In short, everything has gone disastrously wrong for Seattle in 2008 - poor hitting, poor fielding, poor pitching.  Their General Manager was fired mid-season, and their field manager was terminated shortly thereafter.  The batting coach was first to go, but none of this was really his fault.

Three weeks ago, on the verge of trading Ibanez and left-handed starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn (who, at the time, was in the middle of a 10-start stretch that lowered his ERA from almost 6.00 to the mid-4's), Seattle Mariners interim General Manager Lee Pelekoudas decided to not trade away Ibanez or Washburn simply to make a deadline move.  While Washburn has been roughed up 2 of his last 3 outings, Ibanez has been a man possessed, playing for the worst team in the American League.

I'm sure a lot of people will have their suggestions for a player of the month that isn't Ibanez, and I earnestly welcome those ideas, suggestions, and thoughts.  But, no one can deny that Raul Ibanez is having a monster August for one of the worst teams in baseball.

Innumerable Seattle Mariners fans have been complaining about the lack of deadline deals this season.  It hinders their ability to win next year, some say.  It weakens the proposition of obtaining a front-line free agent this winter, others say.  It stunts the growth and development of some younger players.

With the retention of Adrian Beltre, Jarrod Washburn, Erik Bedard (pretty untradeable due to injury), Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez, Seattle GM Lee Pelekoudas displayed his knowledge of major league baseball.  Those five players account for about $55 million in payroll for 2009 (depending upon performance bonuses and Raul Ibanez' arbitration outcome should the M's offer it), and while that's a good chunk of money, it is money relatively wisely-invested.

Beltre's contract is the most difficult to accept, considering his offensive production during his time in Seattle has been spotty, at best.  However, his defensive skill and powerful arm make him a necessity for the M's - Marcus Tuiasasopo (3B - AAATacoma) is probably 2+ seasons away from being able to regularly contribute at the MLB level, and Beltre is Seattle's best overall option for the hot corner. His $13.4 million salary for 2009 is big, but it's also a necessary evil, considering the sgtate of affairs in the farm system.

Jarrod Washburn was probably Seattle most attractive trade bait this past July, but the M's were consistently lowballed by interested teams.  His $10.35 million salary in 2009 makes him an expensive #3/4/5 starter in any city, and while he's done well as of late (past 10-11 starts or so), he has had little success with the Mariners since arriving prior to the 2006 season (23-40 record with a mid-4.00 ERA).  It's not that he's pitched poorly the whole time, though - he's been a victim of meager run support several times, and while that's not an excuse for failure, it certainly does explain some of his issues in Seattle.  With the probability of Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brandon Morrow in the 2009 starting rotation, Washburn offers a decade of MLB experience to players that have spent little time in the majors.

Erik Bedard, who has been a bust in Seattle since former GM Bill Bavasi traded away the entire A-list of farm system players for the lefty from Baltimore, is completely untradeable at this time.  Ignoring his propensity for injury and inability to get past the 100-pitch mark in 2008, Bedard is sporting a 6-4 record in 15 starts and has posted a 3.76 ERA in his 81 innings of work.  Not great, and not worth the price Seattle paid for his services, but good enough to see enough promise in his abilities to keep him in Seattle.  Unfortunately for him, though, unless he rebounds with a huge season in 2009 and inks a long-term deal with the Mariners, he will forever be regarded as the bust-of-the-century for Seattle; they guy they traded the farm for.

Ichiro Suzuki is the face of the Mariners, and trading him would create PR nightmares both in the Pacific Northwest and in Japan.  He is the Mariners' icon, the one player every fan knows.  He isn't hitting .350 this season, as we have all become accustomed, but his .307 BA is respectable.  Is it $17 million a year respectable?  Absolutely not, but he brings more to the Mariners than just a batting average, some stolen bases, and a widely-recognized mugshot.  He brings excitement, which is something very impressive for a guy that will be 35 years old next season.  His defense is still superb, he can still steal bases and keep pace with the league leaders, and he can play any outfield position - he even offered to pitch one game when the M's were down to nothing in the bullpen.  Anyone who questions his dedication to the team and to winning just needs to consider that last statement to see what Ichiro is really all about.

As an outfielder, Raul Ibanez is no longer on the list of 'acceptable' or 'serviceable' defenders.  He has become a terrible liability, and considering the slew of young outfield prospects in the Mariners' farm system and the youngsters already with the club (Diaz, Redman, Balentien, Reed, Jimerson, et al), Seattle needs to find a new home for him in the lineup.  There has been some chatter about Raul playing first base in 2009 for the Mariners, and while that might work, it also might stunt the development of Brian LaHair, Seattle's newest young stud.  Moving Raul to DH would solve two issues: 1) it solidifies LaHair's position and future with the club, and 2) it clearly states to Jeff Clement and Kenji Johjima that LaHair is here to stay and they both need to improve their game(s) if they intend on sticking around.

There are a lot of question marks and holes for the Mariners.  Who will be the GM?  Will Riggleman keep his job?  What offseason moves will Seattle make to improve the team?  What youngsters will shine or fade?

Questions, holes, issues... and a little glimmer of hope and promise.

Now that trade rumors and reports are coming in, our su####ions are coming to fruition - Seattle is the truest definition of "seller" at the July 31, 2008 MLB trading deadline.

With that in mind, I have decided that it's time we take a look at the future of this club; those players with the best chance of earning a spot on the roster and making a positive difference for the franchise.  I have compiled lists of players who will either have a slot on the roster locked up going into 2009 or will be competing for one.

This is all predicated upon the following: Raul Ibanez sticks around for 2009, Adrian Beltre isn't traded away, and neither is Kenji Johjima.

STARTING PITCHERS: Locks - Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Carlos Silva; On The Bubble - Ryan Rowland-Smith, Ryan Feierabend, R.A. Dickey; Wildcards: Brandon Morrow, Chris Jakubauskas, Sean White, Robert Rohrabugh, Rich Dorman

BULLPEN: Locks - J.J. Putz, Brandon Morrow, Roy Corcoran, Mark Lowe, Sean Green; On The Bubble: Cesar Jimenez, Jorge Sosa, R.A. Dickey, Eric O'Flaherty, Randy Messenger, Andrew Baldwin, Sean White, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Ryan Feierabend, Chris Jakubauskas, Robert Rohrbaugh, Rich Dorman, Phillippe Aumont

INFIELD: Locks - Kenji Johjima, Jeff Clement, Jose Lopez, Yuniesky Betancourt, Adrian Beltre; On The Bubble: Jamie Burke, Miguel Cairo, Mike Morse, Bryan LaHair; Wild Cards: Rob Johnson, Tug Hulett, Craig Wilson, Yung Chi Chen, Carlos Truinfel, Oswaldo Navarro

OUTFIELD: Locks - Ichiro Suzuki, Jeremy Reed, Raul Ibanez; On The Bubble: Wlademir Balentien, Victor Diaz, Willie Bloomquist, Charlton Jimerson; Wildcards: Prentice Redman, Shawn Garrett

What players would YOU like to see with the M's in 2009?  What free agents might Seattle have a shot at locking up?  Who will be the Manager?  The GM?

As bad as the Seattle Mariners have been in 2008, there is a bit of a silver lining around this horrible and seemingly interminable season.

Young pitchers Felix Hernandez (22), Brandon Morrow (23) and Ryan Rowland-Smith (25) figure to be the #1, #4 and #5 starters in 2009 (this is dependant upon the Mariners trading Jarrod Washburn).  Throw in the potential for a healthy Erik Bedard (13-5, 3.16 ERA in 2007) and a hopefully resurgent Carlos Silva (13-14, 4.19 ERA in 2007), and the starting rotation appears to have some promise.

Unfortunately, by removing Morrow and Rowland-Smith from the bullpen, Seattle's relieving corps is quite thin.  Sean Green, Mark Lowe and J.J. Putz will be the primary holdovers into 2009.  Roy Corcoran, Cesar Jimenez and R.A. Dickey are almost assured of roster spots in 2009.  Therefore, the question of how many pitchers to carry remains the only glaring unknown.  If Seattle carries 12, the final bullpen slot will likely be fought for between Eric O'Flaherty, Jared Wells, and as many as a hal####ozen current AA/AAA pitchers.

The strength of this team coming into 2008 was supposed to be their starting pitching, but injuries to Bedard, Hernandez and Batista have taken their toll (seven different starters have been used thus far), but the poor performances of Silva and Batista, two pitchers who did fairly well in 2007, have really hampered the team's ability to win games.  The expectations for this group were excessively high going into this year, as we can all say with relative confidence.  However, the concept of "if it can go wrong, it will" has destroyed the consistency and effectiveness of the starting rotation.  Batista has been a shadow of the man who won 16 games in 2007.  Silva, whose sinker was supposed to help him shine in Safeco field, is on pace to allow over 20 home runs.  Jarrod Washburn, who is big trade bait for the Mariners right now, had a horrific April and May but has been outstanding in June and July.  Erik Bedard hasn't been able to pitch past the 6th inning in what seems like a decade, and he is becoming noticeably injury-prone.  It hasn't been pretty for these guys, not at all.

However, the youth and vibrance in the pitching staff for the next several years will provide hope, opportunity, and the kind of consistency necessary to win baseball games.

Now it's a matter of being able to hit the ball.

Seattle has sunk millions upon millions of dollars into players like Richie Sexson, Jose Vidro and Adrian Beltre only to see half the production they thought they were buying.  Thankfully, those players are almost assuredly gone by the end of this season, and while I would like to see the Mariners retain Adrian Beltre at a lower contract price, his value on the trade market this summer is likely too high to pass up - the benefit for Seattle is that they don't have to trade him as he's inked throughy 2009.  Unfortunately, there is no one currently in Seattle's organization of minor league affiliates that has the tools as a third baseman to step up and perform at the major-league level.

A new age is going to begin for the Seattle Mariners.  And, while many of the players I have mentioned as key people for this club in the coming seasons may either be gone via trade or free agency or simply not pan out the way I think they can, there is enough youth and enough trade bait on the current roster to allow for the future to hold some promise.

All we can do now, as fans, is hope the young kids get their chance to shine and show they belong in the majors, because it will be through them that the Mariners will find their way back to prominence and respectability.

First of all, I'm surprised you 'deleted' my comment on your Seattle/OKC Battle blog post/thread.  Frankly, I can understand why you did, however - it's never fun to write something only to have that piece torn to shreds by facts, truths, and undeniable reason.

Therefore, with that in mind, I write this letter to you and anyone else that shares your opinion(s) and position(s):

In an effort to instill credibility to my board messages/blog posts and to those of other Seattle Supersonics fans, I have done my honest best to be civil and maintain decorum.  I have pretty much refrained from the 'hillbilly/####' jokes and comments, and I think that if you took the time to read through all the posts on the Seattle Supersonics message board in the past 1-2 years, you would easily find that there are maybe a dozen individuals who have engaged in name-calling and the whole 'OKC bashing' to which you have wholly endeared yourself.

In truth, very few people gracing the Seattle Supersonics message board have been rude or made posts unfit for a 'family' setting.  A couple have been harsh, for sure, including several of mine.  However, if you could possibly remove the victim label which you have firmly affixed to your lapel, you will easily see that most of the messages and blog posts have been critical of Clay Bennett, the NBA, David Stern, Howard Schultz, and the City Of Seattle... not of Oklahoma City, Oklahomans, Okies, southerners, ####, hillbillies, or whatever term can best be used to describe some or all of you Oklahomans.

I understand your point(s), but you are required by common rule of civic course and responsibility to consider and accept some glaring and undesirable facts:

1) Clay Bennett is a liar and a thief.  He openly attempted to extort the citizens of Seattle, and he has made his intentions clear regarding his future intent to do the very same thing to citizens of Oklahoma City.

2) David Stern and Clay Bennett have colluded to rape the City Of Seattle of forty-one rich and wonderful years of professional basketball history.

3) The City Of Seattle, with its hand relatively tied, made a pseudo-valiant effort to keep the Seattle Supersonics in Seattle, but the fact that the "specific performance" clause in the Seattle Supersonics' lease with the city was no justifiable cause to keep the franchise in Seattle was their downfall.  In other words, it was a nice try, but there was no honest and realistic hope of keeping the team in the Northwest.

4) Clay Bennett's agreeement with Oklahoma City clearly states that if a new, $500 million world-class arena is not built or publicly-funded within five years of the franchise arriving in Oklahoma City, Bennett has an opt-out clause, thus making the 15-year agreement null and void.  He can then move the team to Las Vegas, Kansas City, or any other place that will give hm the half-billion dollar arena he is seeking.

5) Seattle Supersonics fans have a right - no, an obligation - to be angry, sad, offended, hurt... the list goes on.

You - yes, YOU - with your supposed vote in favor of a tax in order to fund Bennett's $500 million rec-room have actually voted in favor of collusion, lying, theievery, thuggery, and outright deception of the public.

You - yes, YOU - with your position that Seattle, either the city government or the citizens themselves, have done something so awfully wrong and deserving of being #### of our basketball franchise and 41-year history, have furthered the idea of holding an entire city hostage for what ultimately amounts to the betterment of a billionaire businessman's wet dream.

You - yes, YOU - with your inability to recognize that the Supersonics were Seattle's team and that the people here, regardless of what you have heard from Clay Bennett, have made concerted and honest efforts to keep the team in Seattle, are showing nothing more than shortsightedness, which is terribly unflattering.

You - yes, YOU - having lived through the Hornets coming and going within two years should know so much better than to want to take someone else's team.  We're not talking about a natural disaster here, kiddo.  We're talking about the theft of identity, culture, and history for the almighty dollar.

As I stated on your "blog", I hope basketball works in Oklahoma City.  I sincerely doubt that it will, but I hope it does.  And, when Bennett holds your city hostage to the tune of $500+ million or the "I'm taking my toys and going away" option he gave Seattle, I hope you begin to feel a slight sliver of what us Seattleites have had to endure for the past two full years.

In my experience, Clay Bennett does not represent Oklahomans as a whole.  For the most part, they are good, honest, hard-working people with civility and fairness being highly regarded.  You - yes, YOU - however, DO reppresent everyday Oklahomans, girlie, and until you can do so by showing some respect, consideration, and cast away the whole "poor me and my begrudged city" attitude, your representation of Oklahoma is, frankly, rather poor.  In short, you ought to be embarrassed of your behavior, regardless of whether or not some people who are Seattle Supersonics ought to be embarrassed of theirs, as well.

If nothing else, I hope you and yours have honestly learned a valuable and good life's lesson in all of this.  If you have, then wonderful - perhaps that will translate into you and many other Oklahomans showing some class and dignity and respect for those who have just been pillaged.  If you have not, then, well, so be it - I nor anyone else can force-feed you reasonable opinions to be considered.

Be prepared, however, to be #### by Bennett the same way - and perhaps even in new and interesting ways - that Seattle was ####.  We were given an option: give us your wallets or give us your history.  Money cannot buy history, and shame on the Seattle City Council for selling us, the citizens, out so quickly and for such a cheap ($75 million) price.

When it is your turn to be sold out, what price will be good enough for you?

If you consider and answer that question honestly, then you have no business WHATSOEVER on the Seattle Supersonics message board(s) until you can show the humility and considerate behavior which you openly demand of others.

Also...

"Oklahoma is the third largest natural gas-producing state in the nation."

Really?

Uhh, yeah - I wouldn't advertise that one so much.

Well, folks, the end of an era has come to pass.  The Seattle Supersonics are no more.

Franchise majority owner Clay Bennett and City Of Seattle officials reached an 11th-hour setllement yesterday afternoon which provides the city with as much as $75 million in cash payments - $45 million due now, and another $30 million due in 2013 should the city/state approve plans by the end of 2009 to renovate Key Arena and the NBA cannot secure Seattle another NBA franchise.

On paper, this is a good deal for the city.  It pays off the remainder of the previous loan from ten years ago to renovate Key Arena.  It allows Bennett to move the team to Oklahoma City, which is where he wanted it to begin with.  It allows the state legislature and Seattle City Council a only year and a half - a blink in political terms - to secure $300 million in approved renovation funding for Key Arena in their efforts to receive that $30 million additonal payment.

However, with a little digging, it's not difficult to discover that millions of people - taxpayers who have approved and paid for arena renovations in Seattle - have been hornswaggled, fleeced, had the wool pulled over their eyes.

David Stern, NBA commissioner, said a year and a half ago that should Seattle lose its NBA franchise, the NBA would not look to Seattle as a possible location for an expansion (not likely) team or a possible relocation destination for a long time to come, and that Key Arena, regardless of renovations, was not an NBA-class facility..  Yesterday, Stern stated that Key Arean, with those $300 million in renovations, is an NBA-class facility, and that if the funding is approved, then the NBA will work on getting Seattle another team right away.  Well, which is it, Mister Commish?  The good people of Seattle are threatened by the Sonics' owner, then by the NBA commissioner?  And now, some two years later, it has been revealed that, a) Bennett and the rest of the owners had no intent whatsoever to keep the team in Seattle, b) No 'good-faith' effort was made by the ownership group to coordinate and negotiate with government and civic leaders for either the renovation fo Key Arena or the construction of a new facility, and c) there are emails and documents that show these truths.

In terms of a timeline, it took Bennett and Stern two years to steal an NBA team from a city with a rich 41-year history of professional basketball, and how.  But, the question of why is what nags at us all.

Why was Bennett allowed to make such a thing happen?  Why didn't the other NBA owners deny Bennett?  Why didn't Stern ever say "No"?  Why didn't the state or city or county leaders ever step up and propose something that would work for all parties involved?  How did Greg Nickels allow this to happen?  Where was Christine Gregoire?  The saving of the Sonics in Seattle was left to the fans, a small group of die-hard loyalists who identify with the city partly because of the Sonics' and their tenure in Seattle that spanned five decades.  Why was this the case?

Simple: greed.

Greed, avarice, wanting.  Call it what you want, all the officials and owners and representatives and yadda yadda yadda are greedy and wanting for money.  If it wasn't only about money to the city - the $75 million buyout is a fair sum, considering the lease contract that was in place prior to the settlement agreement - then why didn't anyone ever propose public ownership of the Sonics, a la the Green Bay Packers?  The FANS own the Packers, and there is a limit as to how many shares any one fan can own.  They are a solvent, profit-making professional sports team, and there is no reason at all that a similar structure would not work in Seattle with the Supersonics.  If it wasn't only about money to the owners - they DO own the franchise, after all - then why did they pay such an exorbitant sum for a franchise in such disarray if their intentions all along weren't to move the team to a new location?  If it wasn't only about money to former owner Howard Shultz - he sold the team to the highest bidder - then why is he now suing Bennett and the rest of the owners for breach of contract because of their failure to negotiate with government leaders in good faith?

There are many unanswered questions floating around right now, and a great deal of anger is rising from the fans of the Sonics.

Unfortunately, the people in control of the entire situation, from start to finish, showed only one thing above all else: apathy.

So, Seattleites, you and yours are worth $75 million.  How does it feel to be deceived, stomped on, and then spit upon by the NBA and city leaders?  How does it feel to be so sadly undervalued and so easily dismissed?

None of this should surprise any of us, anyway.  The NBA is going the way of the WWF.  Entertainment for entertainment's sake.  Big money right now, and thanks for the tax breaks.  Build me a new arena or we're moving to [fill in the blank].  Oh, sure - the refs are honest.

Since all of the people involved who brought this horrible day upon us all aren't ashamed of themselves and their actions, it is up to us to be ashamed for them.  It's no consolation, of course, but at least it's righteous, and that is a lesson to be learned by everyone who had a hand in the Supersonics leaving Seattle.

As the All-Star break approaches and the Mariners find themselves 81 games into the 2008 season, it's time for a little first half assessment.

Kenji Johjima (C): .233 BA, .274 OBP, 3 HR, 20 RBI - Johjima is a consistent baacckstop with good range, a middle-of-the-road arm, and good blocking skills.  However, his anemic production statistics must improve.  13 extra-base hits in 215 at-bats is not acceptable considering what he has accomplished in the past.  A strong 2nd half is mandatory for Johjima to maintain his current status with the team.  GRADE: C-

Richie Sexson (1B): .220 BA, .309 OBP, 9 HR, 26 RBI - Sexson personifies everything wrong with the Mariners' bats during the first half of 2008: no power, no discipline, no hope.  With 74 strikeouts in just 223 at-bats, Sexson is the poster child for failure.  His .265 pace in June is by far his best in over a year, but he has accumulated just one extra-base hit in 68 June at-bats, something that defies logic when considering the huge 6'-8" frame Sexson provides.  Making $14.5 million in 2008 - a contract year for the slugger - Sexson will find himself seeking the employ of another team come 2009, most likely in the National League, where he had his best seasons.  A good glove and excellent range are his only saving graces for this season, however.  GRADE: D

Jose Lopez (2B): .305 BA, .323 OBP, 5 HR, 41 RBI - Lopez has been the model of consistency all season, hovering around the .300 mark.  His on-base percentage takes a hit due to his nature as a free-swinger, but a .300+ BA is a career high for the second baseman.  His fielding is good, and although his range is limited, he has quick hands and works extremely well with shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, with whom he is ties for 2nd on the team with 20 doubles.  GRADE: B+

Adrian Beltre (3B): .251 BA, .324 OBP, 7 SB, 15 HR, 41 RBI - Beltre's 15 home runs pace the team, and his defense is unquestionably stellar - he has great range, a laser arm, and quick feet.  He is a streaky hitter, though, and his down times are just as extreme as his up times.  At $13.4 million this season and signed through 2009, Seattle may look to deal Beltre at the trading deadline, or they might want to try to lock him up past 2009 with an extension.  GRADE: C

Yuniesky Betancourt (SS): .269 BA, .277 OBP, 3 HR, 25 RBI - Betancourt and Lopez are a fantastic middle infield combo, so his plate production must be taken into consideration with a grain of salt.  The Mariners' defense up the middle is very strong, and Yuni's contributions to that are not minor.  However, poor plate discipline severely limits his value to the club.  GRADE: C-

Raul Ibanez (LF): .279 BA, .345 OBP, 9 HR, 50 RBI - After struggling through a 2-for41 slump, Ibanez has rebounded nicely.  He is a good clutch hitter, and his 32 extra-base hits lead the team.  However, his best defensive years are far behind him, and the Mariners may look to move him to 1B/DH in 2009, should they come to terms on another contract (he's a UFA after 2008).  Slow feet and a weak arm are his only drawbacks, however, and consistency has been his mold since coming back to Seattle in 2004 after three years in Kansas City, where he posted his first 100-RBI season (2002).  GRADE: B-

Ichiro Suzuki (CF/RF): .297 BA, .356 OBP, 33 SB, 3 HR, 21 RBI - On pace to break his career high of stolen bases (set in his 2001 ROY campaign), Ichiro has been aggressive on the basepaths, something that sets the tone for the offense.  Unfortunately, his batting average is over 30 points below his career average.  That should improve in the 2nd half of the season, however, and he will almsot certainly reach the 200-hit plateau for the 8th time in his 8 MLB seasons.  his defense is second-to-none, and now that manager Jim Riggleman has moved him back to his comfort zone in right field, his offensive numbers should see an improvement.  GRADE: B+

Jeremy Reed (RF/CF): .307 BA, .369 OBP, 2 HR, 9 RBI - Reed almost gets an incomplete grade here, as he has only seen 75 at-bats in 2008.  However, he is getting consistent playing time now that Jim Riggleman has inserted him into the outfield.  In short, he has not disappointed.  His opportunities have been minimal, but he has generated production when given the chance.  He is a natural CF, however, and will probably get the starting nod there for much of the rest of the season.  GRADE: C+

Jose Vidro (DH): .220 BA, .269 OBP, 5 HR, 35 RBI - This is not the level of production the Mariners were hoping for from Vidro as the regular designated hitter, and his stats are well below par for the position and his slot in the batting order.  Vidro has nominal defensive ability, thus making him a pure DH.  However, he has not come out of his early-season funk unscathed, as Jeff Clement begins to emerge as a possible replacement DH.  GRADE: D-

Felix Hernandez (SP-R): 16 GS, 6-5, 2.83 ERA, 108 IP, 93 K - Felix has been excellent for most of the season.  A minor left ankle sprain has him dinged up a little bit, however, and the Mariners are likely going to play it very safe with the 22-year-old righty.  He has finally developed into the consistent and dominant pitcher everyone knew he would become, and he is surely the future anchor of the Seattle starting staff for years to come.  GRADE: A

Erik Bedard (SP-L): 14 GS, 5-4, 3.79 ERA, 76 IP, 66 K - Bedard is a mystery.  He has electric stuff and can strike out anyone in the majors, especially with his devastating curve.  But, he embodies inconsistency, and his durability has come into question with one 15-day DL stint and three missed starts.  He has had a difficult time pitching beyond the 100-pitch mark, which is not what the Mariners mortgaged their future for in bringing the lefty to town.  When he pitches, however, he is usually effective.  GRADE: C+

Jarrod Washburn (SP-L): 15 GS, 3-7, 5.23 ERA, 84.1 IP, 52 K - Washburn has been on a tear recently, lowering his ERA from about 6.30 to its current level in his past six starts.  His re-emergence as a solid starter has surely eased some of the stress of interim manager Jim Riggleman, and it gives the M's an option at the July 29th trading deadline.  After a horrible start, Washburn worked with his old college piptchign coach, this resulting in the recent improved success.  GRADE: C-

Carlos Silva (SP-R): 17 GS, 4-9, 5.69 ERA, 99.2 IP, 39 K - Silva has pitched well enough to win in at least two of his losses and at least three times in his no-decisions, which would put him at 7-7 or 8-7.  However, he has been inconsistent and has given up more hits (130) than anyone else on the team (Washburn is 2nd, having allowed 102).  He is a ground-ball pitcher, so if his 13 HR allowed seems very high, it is.  GRADE: D+

Miguel Batista (SP-R): 14 GS, 3-10, 6.53 ERA, 71.2 IP, 46 K - Batista also has 6 relief appearances, so his numbers look a little askew to anyone who has seen him pitch more than two or three times in 2008.  He has been bad, awful, and worse - he has amassed 52 walks and allowed 89 hits in his 71.2 innings.  At $8.5 million in 2008 and $9.5 million in 2009, Batista is an expensive option as a 5th starter/LR, and he and the M's will likely part ways before the 2009 season.  GRADE: D

R.A. Dickey (RP/SP-R): 12 G, 4 GS, 2-3, 4.79 ERA, 41.1 IP, 29 K - Dickey has been the perfect knuckleballer - inconsistent.  He looks unhittable at times, and at others he is a below-average MLB pitcher.  Look for Dickey to get his share of starts the rest of the way in 2008, however, as the clubs continues to let Ryan Feierabend and Chris Jakubauskas develop further in AAA Tacoma before promoting them.  GRADE: C-

Brandon Morrow (RP/CL-R): 27 G, 0-1, 0.77 ERA, 23.1 IP, 32 K, 4 SV - Morrow has been one of the few bright spots for the Mariners, and has been absolutely dominant in nearly every outing.  He has stepped into the closer's role with J.J. Putz hurt, and he has not disappointed one bit.  A potential starter for the Mariners in 2009, Morrow is proving his versatility thus far in 2008.  GRADE: A+

Ryan Rowland-Smith (RP-L): 32 G, 2-1, 2.66 ERA, 40.2 IP, 33 K - Rowland-Smith has been very effective, especially against lefties, in 2008, and manager Jim Riggleman is likely to use him as a spot starter this season.  He's young, he throws hard strikes, and he's a lefty - that's a great combination.  GRADE: B+

Roy Corcoran (RP-R): 16 G, 0-0, 2.95 ERA, 18.1 IP, 12 K - With the exception of one horrendous outing shortly after coming off the DL, Corcoran has been fairly effective.  GRADE: B-

Arthur Rhodes (RP-L): 26 G, 2-0, 3.68 ERA, 14.2 IP, 17 K - Rhodes is the perfect left-handed setup man for this bullpen: he offers experience, knowledge, and wisdom to the youngsters.  Additionally, he is proving to many that he can still pitch effectively at the MLB level.  GRADE: C+

Mark Lowe (RP-R): 32 G, 1-3, 4.67 ERA, 34.2 IP, 32 K - Lowe has been somewhat inconsistent in 2008, but that may be partly due to former manager John McLaren not knowing when to use him properly.  He is a terrific setup reliever when put into the right circumstances.  However, he needs to continue to improve his ability to hit the strike zone and stay away from 3-ball counts.  GRADE: C-

J.J. Putz (CL-R): 20 G, 2-3, 5.21 ERA, 19 IP 23 K, 7 SV - The most glaring of Putz's stats isn't a positive one - 17 walks issued in his 19 innings.  He's injured, and it's possible that his injury has been nagging him all season.  But, he reported to camp seemingly out of shape and not in the condition necessary for him to hurl his high-90's fastballs consistently.  When he does come off the DL, he will have a fight on his hands to wrestle the closer spot away from Brandon Morrow.  GRADE: D+

Bench Players (Willie Bloomquist, Jeff Clement, Miguel Cairo, Jamie Burke): This group has performed when asked.  Bloomquist is finally proving he can play, given the opportunity.  Clement is one of the big pieces of this club's future, and he is showing he, too, can play with the big boys during his second call-up of the season.  Cairo has done everything asked of him, and more.  Burke's time with the cllub is likely limited, but he has beeen a capable backup.  GRADE: C+

Incomplete Grades: Wlademir Balentien, Mike Morse, Eric O'Flaherty, Jared Wells

Two weeks away from the All-Star break, and nothing has happened.

Miguel Batista is still starting games and providing absolutely no effectiveness, injuries continue to ravage a dinged-up club, Richie Sexson keeps playing every day, Jose Vidro is still on the roster, and there is still no word from Mariners upper management regarding the direction and future of this club.

Does anyone else find this as frustrating to accept as I do?

As fans, we are - whether management believes it or not - somewhat entitled to answers to our questions.  We buy tickets, drink $8 beers, buy garlic fries, and root for our team with fervor and passion.  We discuss the changes we feel need to be made and why, and although none of us are in the unenviable position of being members of the Mariners front office, some of our ideas are sound and show a great deal of forethought, knowledge and intelligence.

I accept that interim GM Lee Pelekoudas has a difficult job, and in no way am I suggesting I could do better.  Nor am I suggesting makiing a move simply for the sake of making a move.  But, some input from the ownership group or the front office would show the kind of good-faith effort in return to the fans for our good-faith ticket purchasing and fan support.

As of yet, the only changes that have been made are off the field.  As fans, we rightfully demand more.

So, Lee... what are you doing to change for the better the team we all root for and follow so closely?

We eagerly await your answer.

... they go and get worse-er.

If that isn't a word, it wought to be, because it's the best way to describe the 2008 Seattle Mariners: worse-er than expected, worse-er than considered, worse-er than anyone, worse-er than ever before.

This Seattle club is perhaps the worst Mariner club in the team's history.  The roster is chock full of talentless has-beens (Jose Vidro), skilled once-was players (Adrian Beltre, Jarrod Washburn), unmitigatedd disasters (Richie Sexson, Miguel Batista, Carlos Silva), and and players with little or no visible or definitive future with the team (Miguel Cairo, Erik Bedard, Kenji Johjima).  Even the perennial All-Star Ichiro Suzuki is performing well below his career averages and not putting up the numbers we have all come to expect.

In 2007, Seattle won 88 games, and no one in baseball knows how or why.  They were outscored by 50+ runs for the season, weren't a particularly sound club (solid defensively and lucky at the plate, but very inconsistent across the board), and had a starting first baseman for 3/4 of the season who was battling to keep his batting average above the Mendoza line, something that ought to be a no-brainer for an MLB-caliber player.  They were the over-performing darlings of the American League until an ill-fated nine-game losing streak dashed their early hopes for a potential postseaosn berth.  Amidst that up and down season, Manager (at the time) Mike Hargrove resigned unexpectedly, thus leaving the team in a virtual state of "what the hell do we do now?"

Well, now that we are in the post-Bavasi/McLaren era (sorry, but Jeff Pentland's dismissal as hitting coach was window dressing from Bavasi, and nothing more), what is it about the people in place as interim GM (Lee Pelekoudas) and interim Manager (Jim Riggleman) that leads any of us to believe for even a second that anything will be any different now than for the first 70-ish games of 2008?  Well, nothing, actually.

The roster, inexplicably, remains instact.  Perhaps Pelekoudas is hoping Sexson and Beltre, both of whom had their only good years in the National League, will step it up a notch during interleague play in order to make them at least mildly attractive to clubs looking to bolster their lineups.  However, Beltre hasn't played for two days now with a "bruised" index finger - I'm sorry, but if you can't play through a "bruise", then why are you making $13.4 million per season? - and Sexson is 5-for-26 with no extra base hits, no runs batted in, no runs scored, and eight strikeouts since the start of interleague play (six games).  His last RBIs were on June 6th against the Red Sox.  Not exactly the advertisement Pelekoudas was hoping for, I'm sure.

The re-emergence of Jarrod Washburn's consistency has been good to see - in his four June starts, Washburn has logged 23 innings and a 3.13 ERA, a vast improvement over his May numbers (5 APP, 20.1 IP, 28 H, 9.30 ERA).  Nonetheless, his June performance has been mostly for naught, as the M's are 1-3 in his appearances this month.

Miguel Batista, to me, is the stangest circumstance on the roster, however.  As bad as Richie Sexson has been since opening day, Batista has been a walking nightmare for M's fans.  In seven June appearances, he's managed a 7.43 ERA, 2.03 WHIP, 13.1 IP (including two starts), and 13 walks.  This from a guy that won 16 games in 2007 and earns $19 million for 2008 and 2009.  His best month was April, when he put up numbers that should have resulted in his release: six appearances, five starts, 25.2 IP, 1.83 WHIP, 5.26 ERA, and a 15:18 BB:K ratio.  His performance has been nothing short of horrible all season, and with the exception of three starts and a couple relief appearances, Batista has been a terrrible hindrance to this franchise.

Erik Bedard, the pre-season "ace" of the staff, has been fragile (3 missed starts, one DL stint) and not nearly as durable as advertised (70.1 IP in 13 starts).  Now, he hasn't been bad - his 3.97 ERA is good for 2nd among all the starters, and he has managed 63 strikeouts in those 70.1 innings - but his on-field demeanor and refusal to work with Kenji Johjima, the team's every-day backstop until Jeff Clement was promoted from AAA, severely limit the benefit he brings to the team.  As testament to that reality, the M's are reportedly shopping the lefty to NL teams in an effort to rid themselves of a player many perceive to be a cancer.  Wouldn't George Sherrill and Adam Jones look great in M's unforms right about now?

And now we come to the coup-de-grace of the Mariners' roster, the aforementioned Richie Sexson.  Sexson spent most of this past winter working with M's hitting instructors to help plug some of the holes in his swing that became glaringly obvious during the 2007 campaign, during which he logged a .205 BA/.295 OBP/.399 SLG in 434 at-bats and managed to fight his way to his 8th consecutive 100+ strikeout season (not including 2004, an injury-shortened season for the 6'-8" slugger).  2008 hasn't been any better, as his .213/.298/.370 line instills fear in some of the local little league pitchers.  Well, some of them, at least.  His $14.5 million pricetag for '08 is unfathomable, and no one on the roster has been less productive and less helpful to the team than Sexson.  It's a wonder Seattle hasn't simply released him and rid themselves of the poster child for their 2008 woes, eating his salary in an effort to show the local fans and media that such poor performances do not go unjustifiably un-punished.

This club - the entire franchise, including the minor league system - is completely devoid of any leadership or immediate help waiting to happen.  We will see a lot of different lineups from Manager Jim Riggleman, and some roster moves are undoubtedly coming in the near future, but no help exists for salvaging any respectability for 2008 and very little exists within the organization for any level of promise for 2009 being an improved year.  We could very well be witnessing the first of 2 or 3 consecutive 90+ loss seasons for this team, and while we all have high hopes for the likes of the young players that are surely going to see significant playing time this year, the cupboard is relatively bare for the forseeable future.

Lee Pelekoudas has inherited a franchise in complete disarray.  Jim Riggleman is in the midst of the most unmotivated and undriven group of players he's ever had to coach.  VP Chuck Armstrong has to be feeling the heat from CEO Howard Lincoln.

The hole this team is in is very deep with very few options for escape.  Only through very careful planning, exceptional patience, and unbelievable fortune will the Mariners find themselves competing for division titles and playoff berths by 2011.