Seattle Mariners

Larry LaRue from The News Tribune is reporting that Kenji Johjima has opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Mariners:

It has been exactly 14 years and six days since that fateful evening in October when the Mariners toppled the mighty New York Yankees to advance to the 1995 American League Championship Series.

Something caught my eye the other day while surfing the Internet—an interesting piece of sports gossip I had yet to come across.

This article said Boston Red Sox All-Star left fielder Jason Bay currently lives about 15 minutes from Safeco Field.

On the record, let me say that Bay is most likely staying with the Sox, who have a better record and a pair of recent titles compared to the Mariners' lack of a World Series appearance.

It’s no secret that Carlos Silva has been absolutely terrible since signing with the Mariners last year. He had a good first month, back in April of 2008, but since then he’s been worth somewhere around -1 wins.

I’d even go so far as to say that there’s a petty good chance the Carlos Silva signing will go down as one of the worst in Mariners history.

It's been 19 years since the Ken Griffeys, Sr. and Jr., went back-to-back for homers off the Angels' Kirk McCaskill in Anaheim Stadium on September 14th, 1990.

This moment was the peak of the fairy tale of having two Griffeys in the Mariners' outfield for the latter part of 1990 and first part of 1991.

To recognize the anniversary of one of the real one-of-a-kind moments in baseball (and sports) history, here are some quotes from the two principals:

Brandon Morrow should be kept around in the 2009 MLB off-season to be groomed as the team’s future closer.

Morrow has been the subject of fan dismay for the past few seasons. After being drafted a handful of spots ahead of 2008 Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, then bouncing between the bullpen and the starting rotation—by both his own and the front office’s volition—he’s become a target for frustration.

The Mariners made a necessary move this week sending struggling pitcher Brandon Morrow down to AAA Tacoma after his disappointing start in the 6-4 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Gotta love the picture

At this time during the baseball season things are beginning to wind down before the All-Star break. The selections have largely been announced, and every team gets a much needed break, while a majority of the players get some time to ease off the tension and relax.