For those who imagine this dialog will someway jinx the postseason aspirations of the Mariners, I don’t know what to inform you aside from recover from it. Speaking about baseball is enjoyable. Chill out and benefit from the experience! Supervisor Scott Servais, his employees, and most significantly, his gamers management their very own future. Not this nerd or anybody else within the blogosphere.

Contemplating the Mariners simply got here out of a rebuild, it might not shock you the crew doesn’t have many gamers with postseason time. Let’s stroll via the roster starting with place gamers.

Place gamers

The veteran simply talked about is Carlos Santana. The 36-year-old’s first style of the postseason was throughout Cleveland’s Wild Card recreation loss to the Rays in 2013. Three years later, he was a member of an Indians membership that fell to the Cubs within the World Collection. Santana additionally performed within the 2017 ALDS and 2020 Wild Card recreation with Cleveland. All advised, Santana slashed .193/.302/.361 with 4 house runs in 96 plate appearances.

Jake Lamb is the second most skilled Mariner in relation to October baseball. Lamb performed 4 video games in 2017 with Arizona and the identical variety of contests with Oakland in 2020. The Seattle, Washington native had seven hits in 20 plate appearances with each golf equipment.

There’s a noticeable Cincinnati connection amongst playoff-experienced Mariners. Eugenio Suárez, Jesse Winker, and Curt Casali had been teammates on a 2020 Reds unit swept 2-0 by the Braves within the NL Wild Card sequence. In 20 mixed plate appearances in opposition to Atlanta, the trio had three hits, two walks, and struck out seven occasions. It’s price noting Suárez had one plate look in Detroit’s ALDS loss in 2014. Equally, Casali got here to the plate as soon as when the Giants fell to the Dodgers final yr within the NLDS.

Our closing place participant, Abraham Toro, was a part of the 2020 Astros postseason roster. That stated, Toro didn’t seem within the Wild Card sequence or the ALDS. Nevertheless, the switch-hitter hailing from Longueuil, Canada did stroll in his lone plate look throughout Houston’s ACLS loss to the Rays.

Pitchers

As with the place gamers, there’s one solely pitcher with notable postseason expertise – reliever Diego Castillo. Initially from Cabrera, Dominican Republic, Castillo was an anchor in Tampa Bay’s bullpen throughout its 2019-20 postseason runs. He walked 9, struck out 20, and allowed two earned runs in 16.2 innings spanning 14 appearances. the 28-year-old additionally has World Collection expertise on his résumé.

The opposite Castillo with playoff innings additionally has a Cincinnati connection, Luis Castillo. The native of Bani, Dominican Republic native began one recreation in opposition to Atlanta permitting one run in 5.1 innings, whereas putting out seven and strolling one. Regardless of this sturdy contribution, Castillo can be tagged with the loss. It’s price noting the Reds had been blanked in each of its losses to the Braves.

Robbie Ray has three postseason appearances – two with the Diamondbacks in 2017 and one with the Blue Jays in 2020. Ray allowed seven hits, walked 5,  and surrendered six earned runs in 9.2 innings of labor. That stated, we shouldn’t neglect the Tennessean would have a breakout season and win the AL Cy Younger Award a yr after Toronto’s postseason defeat.

It’s been some time, however Marco Gonzales has demonstrated his postseason mettle. As a rookie, Gonzales appeared as a reliever in three video games for the Cardinals throughout the 2014 NLDS in opposition to the Dodgers and three extra contests within the NLCS versus the Giants. The Gonzaga product pitched extraordinarily properly in his first 5 appearances. Sadly, San Francisco roughed him up for 3 runs in 0.2 innings throughout Recreation 4 of the NLCS. Total, Marco demonstrated a bulldog mentality as a freshman hurler with St. Louis.

Employees

The teaching employees doesn’t have a lot postseason expertise both. Servais hasn’t coached in a playoff recreation. However he did play in Recreation Two of the 1998 NLDS with the Cubs. The La Crosse, Wisconsin native had two hits in three plate appearances throughout the North Siders’ 10-inning loss to Atlanta.

Infield guru Perry Hill was on Miami’s employees when the Marlins gained the 2003 World Collection. Third base coach Manny Acta stuffed the identical position with the Mets when the crew dropped the 2006 NLCS in heartbreaking method to the Cardinals. Effectively, it was heartbreaking for Mets followers – belief me.

President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto hasn’t appeared within the postseason as a participant. However Dipoto was a scout for the Pink Sox in 2003-04 when the Sawx broke its notorious World Collection curse. The Virginia Commonwealth University alum was additionally working within the Diamondbacks group when it was swept by the Rockies within the 2007 NLCS. In a while, Dipoto was the GM of the Angels once they had been swept 3-0 within the 2014 ALDS.

What does all of it imply?

Does the comparatively low quantity of postseason expertise on the Mariners actually matter? Personally, I’ve doubts. Positive, it’d be good to have extra gamers who had “been there completed that.” Then once more, the 2014 Royals demonstrated expertise isn’t every little thing by reaching the World Collection with a comparatively small portion of the roster possessing earlier playoff time.

Amongst common place gamers, solely veteran second baseman Omar Infante had appeared within the postseason. That stated, a number of position gamers had been to the playoffs earlier than. Amongst them, three-time former Mariner Raúl Ibañez and Jayson Nix. A pair of contributors on the Royals’ pitching employees had beforehand toed the mound in postseason video games. Starter James Shields was a part of the Rays’ 2008 World Collection run after which once more with Tampa Bay in 2010-11 NLDS. Backend reliever Wade Davis was Shields’ teammate in 2010.

Dome and Bedlam

For an area instance of a profitable membership with restricted postseason expertise, look no additional than the 1995 Mariners. You understand, the useless horse that continues to be repeatedly crushed over the airwaves. Only a few key contributors had beforehand performed significant video games in October. They had been infielder Joey Cora, outfielder Vince Coleman, starter Tim Belcher, and reliever Norm Charlton.

Cora and Charlton had been central to Seattle’s magical win over the Yankees within the ALDS. However a bunch of unproven entities propelled the crew previous a New York membership teeming with employed weapons boasting postseason expertise. By beating the Evil Empire from the Bronx, future Corridor of Famers Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr., and Edgar Martinez, plus Jay Buhner eternally cemented their legacy within the hearts and minds of Mariners followers.

Ultimately

Assuming the Mariners clinch a Wild Card berth subsequent month, how the crew performs within the postseason most likely has little to do with earlier October expertise. What’s going to actually matter is whether or not Servais’ gamers proceed to carry out properly. For the reason that postseason may be chaotic, they need to really feel proper at house.

In spite of everything, Chaos Ball has been the Mariners’ calling card this season.

My Oh My…