A couple of six game winning streaks
“All the Mariners need to get back in this is a couple of six game winning streaks.”
– fans
The M’s are 16-26, and the division leaders in the AL West are 24-19 and 23-19 respectively. That’s only eight games, right? How hard could it be?
M’s run off a six-game win streak starting tomorrow, sweeping both San Diego and Detroit. 22-26. Then they lose one to NY and start another six-game win streak (through the first game of the Detroit series at home). They’re at 28-27. Lose a game to Detroit on the 31st to set up the next win streak (28-28), win the first one of the next six (June 1st, still against Detroit) before they face the Angels.
The Angels, in the meantime, have fifteen games in that time. Figure they go 8-7. They’ll be at 32-26. Going into that series, having reeled off two consecutive six-game winning streaks and starting on a third, the M’s are 5 games back. And forgive me if I’ve blown this, I wrote it up while swapping back and forth between schedules.
Sweep three games against the Angels for games 2-4 of this streak.
M’s 31-28, Angels 32-29. Complete the six game win streak with two games in Boston, finish it with a loss, and June 9th they’re headed out to Toronto, 33-29, as the Angels recover from that drubbing with three games against Oakland, a great matchup in the suddenly fascinating three-way divisional race. They’ll come out at 34-29.
Three six game winning streaks starting tomorrow and the Mariners catch up to the Angels. 18-3. And then all they have to do is run with the Angels and Oakland for the rest of the year to get into the playoffs.
What is this winning you speak of?
May 16th, 2008 at 8:06 amWell, if that’s all it takes, where can I purchase my playoff tickets?
May 16th, 2008 at 8:08 amI’d be happy if they could have a two game winning streak at this point…
May 16th, 2008 at 8:09 am1 - That was me - I will take full responsibility for this bold claim
May 16th, 2008 at 8:10 amAWESOME!
I have an idea to help spur the team on on this quest. they should put up a cardboard cut-out of their female owner in the locker room, and for each win they can take off a piece of taped-on paper clothing.
Oh, wait… never mind, let’s just trade for Griffey!!!!!!!!111111ONE11
Jimmie
May 16th, 2008 at 8:11 amand ohhhh man, I have a feeling I will be eating my words like they are clams by the end of this thread.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:12 amThe last time the Mariners started a winning streak that lasted as long as six games, Griffey was in town. Obviously this is a sign that we need to bring him back.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:17 amYOU HAVE TO BELIEVE!!
May 16th, 2008 at 8:20 amSo, who’s going to be scoring these runs we’re going to be winning these games by?
May 16th, 2008 at 8:27 amI don’t believe in fairies.
*refuses to clap*
May 16th, 2008 at 8:28 am[ot]
May 16th, 2008 at 8:28 amso, what, thats like a .1538 winning percentage?
May 16th, 2008 at 8:35 amWhich fans are these? Are these people calling into KJR and spewing, or are these otherwise smart fans who are misguided in their thinking?
May 16th, 2008 at 8:37 am14 - Actually this fan is this guy right here. That original post wasn’t a joke … I really do believe if we put together about 4 or 5 6 game winning streaks we will be back in this thing STAT.
“It could happen” - Angels in the Outfield.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:40 amBut don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it will happen.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:41 amCould we just go for one 18 game winning streak? Those losses in the middle will just make me nervous.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:45 amWouldn’t it be easier if we just won every game the rest of the year? It seems to me that’d solve quite a bit.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:47 amThat’s a nice fantasy there. Unfortunately, opposing teams aren’t likely to cooperate and let a bad team beat them. If only in the real world the M’s weren’t such an easy team for opposing pitching to shut down, didn’t have such awful middle relief and commit so many errors.
Since they were 20 games over .500, 73-53, back on August 23 of last year, they have gone 31-47 since. That’s a 78 game stretch by an exposed team, or just 3 games shy of a half a season. No reason to believe they won’t continue at about this pace of wins-losses for the remainder of the season.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:51 amIf only this were polo, and they could play on pony-back. Than I am SURE they will win, and win them ALL, argh.
Then the Angels, As and Rangers will be the ones who need towels - to wipe the baby tears from their bawling eyes.
It’s a beautiful day.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:55 am18 - C’mon now … let’s look at the bright side:
3 game set with the second worst team in baseball
Fresh off a GWRBI from Cairo, Wash gets the save (although this has done more harm than good)
Weather forecast: 85 today, 90 tomorrow, 72 on Sunday
What more can you ask for than two crappy teams playing each other, summer-time girls in the beer garden and a beautiful day at the ball park (or three days for that matter) - I know I’m going today and sat.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:56 am20-
Try living in Bakersfield, CA where this weekend it’s supposed to be 103 today and triple digits all weekend…fresh off the Blaze taking two of three from the High Desert boys…at least I won’t be at the park in that crazy heat…
May 16th, 2008 at 9:08 amThat screen shot of the Ms home page asserting we were about to win our third game in a row against Texas has given me an idea.
Why not just take the fantasy that we are a contending team to its logical conclusion and simply embrace the fantasy. If 8 years of GWB and a year of HRC have taught me anything, it’s that manipulating perception can often force reality to conform to the manipulated perception. So let’s create a completely separate reality wholly independent from the facts.
The Ms should just start claiming on their website that we won games we actually lost. Big headlines about “Ms on a roll” and “Ms take 3 of 4.” They could post fake standings and stats and feel good stories: “Hot hitting Cairo heads to first All-Star Game.” We here at USS Mariner could do our part and endlessly discuss the Ms turnaround and the collapse of the Angels and how it’s 95 all over again and then bitch endlessly about the media not picking up the story.
At first the media wouldn’t catch on, but eventually, after we wear them down with accusations of anti-Northwest bias, they would start bending over backwards to prove their “objectivity.” By August we could have espn.com running headlines that read “Ms in First?” and by September no one would know who was actually winning the division. Bud Selig would be forced to adjudicate, and in the end decide that a one game playoff between the Ms and Angels is in order.
So, when you think about it, all we really have to do is win that one game. And if we wind up losing that game- we just show up in Tampa ready for a division series our website claims we’re in (”Ms win! Ms Win! Ms Win!). It’ll take big brass balls, but together we can bluff our way into the playoffs.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:26 amThat is an unbelievable and hilarious. I am in full support of just pretending we won games that we lost. HAHAHAHA
May 16th, 2008 at 9:28 am[yes it was]
May 16th, 2008 at 9:39 am24- My spelling and grammar was terrible there…sorry…
May 16th, 2008 at 9:42 amHow many six game losing streaks will it take to finish the season below the team’s record worst .350 winning percentage?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:07 amIf I wasn’t sure this was written with tongue planted firmly in cheek, I’d figure you’d lost your mind. 6 game winning streaks are HARD, and there’s absolutely no reason to think this team is capable of one, let alone two. The most important requirement for winning streaks is a strong starting pitching staff, and the good news for the M’s in that dept begins and ends with Felix. Bedard is underperforming (I still think he’s still hurt), Silva’s been only ok, Batista has been wildly inconsistent, and Washburn’s been himself. ‘Nuff said.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:18 amOkay…I want to suspend reality and take a ride on the Mariner fairyland train for a moment. If I were to, who would catch fire to help carry the M’s? The pitching hasn’t been all that awful. The offense and defense has been the main culprits. Who is going to magically turn around their current trends to magically change this team?
Beyond that, it has to be more than one. When the M’s made their magical comeback in ‘95…it took contributions from everyone…from starting pitching to role players and those off the bench.
The thing is, even if each of these players were to resume playing at their peak levels…I don’t see them playing more than .600 baseball the remainder of the year.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:25 amAbsolutely. I mean, with the M’s losing the last 8 series, how hard can it be?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:33 amSo you’re sayin’ there’s a chance?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:37 amThats why they play the games.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:45 amWhat is the “that” you’re referring to?
Because you know, I’ve been wondering why they play the games, but I just can’t figure it out.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:04 amOh that rapier wit…
Here’s to the start of the first 6 pack of wins! Or at least the start of my six pack.
Go M’s!
May 16th, 2008 at 11:15 amI’m not sure I understand the point of making a claim if you yourself don’t think it is feasable.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:18 amNow that the plan is in place, all they need to do is execute. Who executes best? Gritty veterans of course.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:29 amScrew the Mariners, if I could just get some winning lottery numbers everything would be fine.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:56 amEven Griffey in his prime couldn’t get this team to the playoffs. How is he going to help us now (other than to fill seats)?
May 16th, 2008 at 12:04 pm“I really do believe if we put together about 4 or 5 6 game winning streaks we will be back in this thing STAT.”
I’ll be surprised if this team can put together more than one three-game winning streak all year. The offense is far too inconsistent and lacking in overall power.
Funny thing, even the 1980 and 1983 teams which each lost 100+ games managed a longest win streak of 4 and 6 games. I really wonder if this year’s team will be capable of stringing 4 wins together.
If they can’t accomplish it against our hated rivals the Padres … not sure they could do it against anyone.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:10 pmSeveral six-game winning streaks? Man, someone is absolutely mainlining ponies.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:54 pmoooh, apparently Furness falls on the just-a-winning-
May 16th, 2008 at 1:00 pmstreak-or-two-away side, and is ready to talk about it at 1:00 …. nah.
38
I think we all agree that
is impossible or improbable at best …
im just saying … just sip up some brewski’s at the pyramid ale house, go to the game and boo their team … or ours, which is what I will be doing.
I love baseball though.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:29 pmHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha… heh… woooo… that was funny, Derek. Are you gonna be here all week?
May 16th, 2008 at 1:34 pmSome Brit named Tolkein did some great fantasy writing too.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:15 pmI’m no math wiz but wouldn’t winning the next three series by 2-1 while the Angels lose the next three by 1-2 put the M’s 4.5 games out on May 25? Is that so bad? Or is this thread one big inside joke that I am completely missing? Seriously, this is not sarcasm. 111 games would seem like a lot of time to make up 4.5 games.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:17 pmGeo-
While we’re not statistically out of it, it would almost take a miracle to get us back in it. Take a look at Coolstandings.com and you’d understand that our odds are quite astronomical. Now, you said;
The problem with that is, you’d also need the Rangers AND the A’s to both go on a losing streak at the same time as the Angels. I just don’t see that happening. If the Angels lose 2-3 in a row and we win 2-3 in a row, who’s to say that the Rangers or the A’s didn’t do the same. That means that we’re (relatively) still in the same position.
In order to pull this off, we’d need a 1995 miracle. Won’t happen.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:05 pmLet’s review the 2001 season, shall we? Overall, that team won at a .716 clip. Its worst months were June and July, when it went .667; in April, when it went .800, it only had one run of 6+ wins (Apr 19- Apr 28, 9 wins). Overall, it had five streaks of 6+ wins (May 9 - May 17, 8 wins; May 23- June 8, 15 wins(!); Sept 5 - Sept 19, 7 wins; and Sept 30 - Oct 6, 6 wins). Of course it had lots of runs of 4 and 5 wins, but the point being — you have to be good to have streaks like that. Oh, yeah: you can’t lose in streaks like that, either.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:53 pmIf you switch the coolstandings.com settings to “dumb” mode our odds of going to the playoffs jump from 2.4% to 7.7%. Awesome! I’ll bet if you set it to “retarded” it would jump to 14%. And if you set it to “Bavasi” (ie “persistent vegetative state” mode) it would jump to 34.2%. Not even “clump of dirt” mode gives us a better than 50% chance of getting in. We suck.
That’s why I say we need to concentrate all our efforts on willfully rewriting reality. It’s the only way we’re ever gonna get to the playoffs. In fact- I’m gonna go update our Wikipedia entry right now. League Best ERA here we come!
May 16th, 2008 at 4:01 pmCool- somebody beat me to it. The last headline in the Ms Wikipedia timeline reads:
That’s the spirit! Screw the reality based community. We don’t read history- we make (up) history!
May 16th, 2008 at 4:06 pmmkd — brilliant ideas. Let’s gin up some experts and have hit the media to repeat the mantra that the so-called “standings” do not reflect the essential qualities of baseball teams. Let’s find some metric that we excel at, like, say, balls put in play on pitches outside the strike zone.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:56 pmWell, yeah. What are wins and losses anyway? The standings are just numbers. They’re just stats. And we all know that stats only matter to guys sitting in their parent’s basements; they don’t reflect what really matters on a real baseball team, among guys who have actually put on a jock and spit out some chaw. They can’t capture the intangibles in the ballclub, the heart in the players, the grit in their play. They’re just meaningless numbers! In the land of Joe Morgan, we can all be winners if we just want it enough!
May 16th, 2008 at 5:25 pmThis is one of those win 1, lose 5-6, win 1,, lose 5-6 teams.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:46 am