Dear September Baseball,
The heat of August has given way to your cooler air, and the last several days of cloud cover and occasional drizzle have driven me further into the seasonal mood that you bring annually. Also, the Mariners just lost their second straight home game to the division rival Athletics, 7-6, that helped set the mood as well, if I’m being entirely honest. More important than any date in December, I have always found myself writing to you with special October days dancing like spiced pumpkins around my head. For many years my letters to you were simple appeals wrapped around that big one; hopes and wishes for prospect debuts, and competitive baseball, and of course if September Baseball so allowed, playoffs, you know, the big one.
For years I kept my wishes small, and over the last several years, that patience seemed rewarded. Prospect debuts to look forward to every year for the last several, and multiple securing of playoff appearances, and close misses when not in them. I could have asked for more, September Baseball, and surely, you could have given more too. But I only asked for so much because I understood this was just the way it had to be, this was baseball. I didn’t ask for history, because, well… baseball will make you careful what you wish for. I certainly would not have asked for Logan Gilbert to put up a pitching line that has never been put up before.
Well, maybe I would, but not that one. You can put ten strikeouts from a Seattle pitcher in any one of my September stockings, but next time you can leave out the 4.2 innings pitched, seven earned runs on eight hits bit. And the edging cool of the season can do nothing to match the dread cold that seeps into my bones hearing defeated quotes from Logan Gilbert post-game. “It’s pretty disappointing. We’ll look at it tomorrow and see what we see. It’s a little confusing, but they were on a lot of the pitches, so definitely made some mistakes. But I felt like they were just on it.” Logan, fully embracing the rain cloud of a post game presser, continued “It’s pretty disappointing. It’s a game we have to win. Let the team down for sure.” Ouch. Giving up four home runs in one inning and quotes like that kind of take whatever air out of the room his 21 Whiffs today may have created. 21 Whiffs though!
Maybe by now, September Baseball, you’re picking up on the direction of my letter. I have kept my asks simple over the years… but this year I have some notes. First, I would like to give credit where credit is due. I often ask for players who have underperformed throughout to year to have strong finishes from you, and this year you have been delivering so far. I will never, ever, ever complain about a Cal Raleigh home run, his 21st of the season, let alone a game-tying one.
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Okay, now that we got that out of the way… the aforementioned notes. Dare I say, requests? About those prospect debuts. You have been a very generous September Baseball over the years in this regard. This year, you are already giving us the gift of Lazaro Montes, a player I was particularly excited about watching enter the big leagues. Laz had a pretty good debut day, and there will be struggle days like he had at the plate today, and all of that and the in between is fine. This, watching him crash into the wall and have to leave the game, is not. Why, September, why‽
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Well, so far at least the X-Rays have come back negative, so we will see just how cruel you have decided to be this year, S.B.
My biggest wish for this particular September baseball season, my one plea for a change for what seems to be on this year’s agenda, and addendum to all my asks of year’s previous: can you just be a little less confusing? What am I supposed to do with a 7-6 loss where the Mariners walked twice as much (four walks) as they struck out (two strikeouts) all game, put up six runs, but still lost? Behind a pitcher who put up ten strikeouts but allowed the seven runs, and then a bullpen that went the rest of the game without giving up a run? What am I supposed to do with a team that is down one run at home, and leads off the last chance inning with pinch hitting Patrick Wisdom? I have kept my asks simple in the past and just asked for watchable, competitive baseball. Fun storylines around fun players. I wasn’t more specific and maybe that was a me problem.
Please, please, September baseball, if you are going to break our hearts, just break them. You know I can handle it, I will gladly be happy with what I get and anything I don’t can make an appearance in next year’s letter. Or, if you want to give us a weird backward AL West Waltz I will happily dance to that tune too, but I won’t hold my breath. But whatever you do, less of whatever today was.
P.S. I left you out some clam chowder and cocoa flavored liqueur.
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