The Mariners suck, but all is not lost. Not yet. We still have one more thing to root for. It's something more realistic than our preseason expectations for the team.
They are one game ahead in the race for baseball's worst record and the perk that comes with it. This year's prize is Stephen Strasburg, a hard-throwing righty from San Diego State. His stats are staggering. 11-3, 1.57 ERA, 133Ks and 16BBs in 97.1 innings. He carried a no-hitter into the 7th at the Olympics against the Dutch (Yes, I know it's the Dutch) and struck out 23 batters in a game earlier this year.
Drafts in baseball are more of a gamble than in other sports, but this kid is very intriguing. (He throws really hard so there is the possibility of the Mariners putting him in the bullpen for two years and delay his development into being a starter.)
The competition for Strasburg is the Washington Nationals, who gets the tie-breaker advantage because they sucked more last year. The (G)Nats have one more win than the Mariners, who are doing their part with 12 straight losses. The Nats, losers of five straight, close the season with the Marlins at home and the Phillies on the road while the Mariners wrap up with the Angels and Oakland at home.
So, let's root for the Mariners to do what comes naturally to them.
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