I think everyone up here realizes that this means a lot more from an emotional level, but that is all good. We've had plenty of great players leave, but this is the first guy to come back. I get to take my son to see Griffey play in a M's uniform. It was a decision on his part to end his HOF career with the team it started with; today is a good day for a city that has been spurned numerous times.

I was pretty happy to see this news come across the bottom of the screen last night. Good for Grif, good for the M's and good for the fans. This should help sell even more tickets as he's is beloved there. They were reporting last night that with the extra amount of ticket sales and other sales- food, soverneirs, etc. because of Griffey coming back that it would more than justify and cover the cost of his contract.

Man I remember when I lived Oak Harbor for 2 years and watched the implosion of the Kingdome from about 3 blocks away. I remember distinctly a man behind me say "And there goes Griffey and all the memories". Great news for Mariner fans and the city of Seattle.

Griff might have a little left in him but the Ms aren't gonna be very good methinks. Good to see him go back, though... play a few years, retire... get his number retired and head into the HOF as a Mariner. Good for him.

Crap, I was hoping the Braves would get him.

Oh well, if he was going to go anywhere other than Atlanta, it might as well have been where it all started in Seattle...congrats!

Ah, it is springtime. Almost.

A healthy rotation of Erik Bedard, Felix Hernandez, and Brandon Morrow at the top? Reasonable talent in the bullpen? Ichiro leading off with Adrian Beltre and the first legit LH power hitter in the middle of the lineup since....well....Ken Griffey Jr....hitting to a short porch in right? Top notch defense across the board......I ain't going to go THAT far out on the limb and say they're going to win the division, since this was a terrible team last year, but I saw Anaheim lose a huge bat and get a year older, I saw Oakland retool, and I saw Texas do nothing. Stranger things have happened.

@ Adrian Beltre. Really? You mean the Adrian Beltre that hasn't hit over .276 since 2004?

King Felix is a stud, but Bedard was a complete disappointment last season. Maybe he rebounds.

Texas will be improved. The Angels are still the cream of the West, even if they're a year older.

Sure, OK, I see where you're goin' here, but losing Ibanez was hugh and Griff's gonna have to have a big surge to get close to replacing those numbers.

Good luck!

Beltre is on the DL, Felix is doing his. Bedard has been out for a month but incredibly effective while playing. Texas is improved I guess. The Angels aren't your younger brothers Angels, just like GTS was alluding to.

Seattle just went 3 games at LA Dodgers, 3 games atYankees, and 1 game at Boston with a 4-3 record.....

When Seattle scores 4 or more runs a game they are winning more than 75% of their ballgames.

The Mariners aren't going to trade Bedard or Washburn, and it is going to insure that they remain mediocre for the next 5-7 years at minimum. I am so sick of Seattle management catering to fans.

I still am strongly opposed to the Griffey signing, but that is neither hear nor there. Please just let us hope that the M's don't trade a few of the six prospects in their system.

Jack Zduriencik picked up and/or traded for young guys and old guys who are apparently on their way to putting up career years. He signed Ken Griffey Jr. for a one year $2 million contract. While his numbers are underwhelming, he has appeared to cement an attitude in the club house. It may not be worth $2 million, but we had Jose f'n Vidro at that position last year making $9 million. In relative terms, I don't understand the strong opposition. Did you expect us to go sign Albert Pujols for our DH?

You've apparently forgot that in the off-season we traded out JJ Putz for Guiterrez, Rodney Cedeno, Jason Vargas and a boatload of prospects.

I think that is a little premature to claim that either Washburn and Bedard won't be traded. Yes, they are a big reason for the early season success as I doubt too many teams have their number 2 and 3 starting pitchers with ERAs under 3.00.

In not trading Washburn last year at the end of season for scrap was a coup; his trade value is much higher right now.

If we don't trade Bedard or don't sign him long term, it will be a disappointment. But, I hold off on my whining until it actually happens.

As the season goes on, Zduriencik finds himself in an increasingly difficult situation. A team built for the future playing better than expected in a league that has reached parody.

You aren't even a fan, so why bother making a comment?

Do you ever stop and think how ridiculously stacked those old Mariner teams were . Man

Griffey
Arod
Buehner
Edgar Martinez
Unit

I remember watching amazing series between them and the Yankees

and they had Tito back then for a while before he became a Yankee.

They made all the wrong moves then, and nothing has changed. Those teams were a decent deadline deal away from a World Series on at least a few occasions. Yet every deadline passed with no action. It cost us Piniella and any real shot at a title. Now the tables have turned and they should be selles. I seriously doubt they do that correctly either. Its sad.

I was a diehard fan my whole life until the M's went cheap on us when it mattered. They just broke my heart too many times. As I just mentioned, they never did what was necessary to win, instead we would get quotes about staying inside the budget and staying the course. Once they filnally realized how bad they blew it, they tried to throw my money at Beltre and Sexson. How much of my money does Richie Sexson have in his pocket right now? Rich Aurilia? Scott Spiezio? I'm not going to give that franchise another dime. Extra money will only make things worse. Everybody likes to say "what are you talking about, at least they're spending the money and trying". Those fans choose to forget that both Vlad and Tejada WANTED to play for Seattle and we wouldn't make them offers. Instead we saved about a million a year and chose to pursue Sexson and Beltre. Seattle fans are lemmings. I refuse to give that franchise any more money. Now.....I'm in love with Jacky Z. His moves to date have been very solid. But he's gonna blow it. He is going to cater to fans and get absolutely nothing for Washburn, Bedard, Beltre or Branyan. Nothing. Nada. Zip. And it is going to cost us five years of mediocrity. Jack Z knows what's right, but he is going to cater to the fans. The lemmings. And i"m going to stay away from the stadium.

Again, you're not a fan, so why bother making a comment?

Wait, I'll amend that: You're only a fan when the team is winning, so why bother making a comment? Every personnel decision you refer to in the above screed was made in 2004. Interestingly, your disdain for the club that started in that off-season coincides with the last 90+ winning season the M's had in 2003. And you complain about "Seattle fans" being lemmings?

Today, in 2009, for those of us who actually follow the team, the first year GM has four pretty significant free agents on his roster, two of whom are too injured to get anything significantly worthwhile in return (Bedard and Beltre) and two who are having career seasons and leading the team (Washburn and Branyan) to where they are right now. That's a 51-44 record, good enough to be within 5 games of the Angels and 4 1/2 games of the Red Sox for a post-season nod. And this is all one week before the trading deadline, when some of those prized arms and bats and gloves were supposed to restock the farm system.

It's a tough spot to be in with some ramifications potentially for several years after this one.

Fact is though, one year ago today, the M's were 38-63, in the middle of a 7-game losing streak, and on their way to a 101-loss season. So complain all you want about how dumb the last GM was 5 years ago. That's apparently ruined everything for you. The current version of this team is gutty and plays a brand of baseball that is exciting, if not for its technique, then for the number of close ball games it produces.

Douchebaggery and bandwagonery?

...or parity...

Both apply, in many cases.

I guess if you make enough predictions on a message board based on nothing but conjecture you may eventually hit 50/50. I think it's pretty obvious that if Bedard didn't tank his trade value with injury he would have been gone also.

How is Jr. doing anyway? No major injuries yet this year?