Revive '95

It’s Mariners Day. Can we rekindle the magic of old?

Happy Mariners Day.

On August 24, 1995, Ken Griffey Junior hit a two-run home run against John Wettelend in the bottom of the 9th, walking off the New York Yankees 9-7. The dinger (above) sent the Kingdome into a frenzy – but more importantly, it sparked the incredible run that rounded out that magical sea-son. On the morning of August 24, the M’s were one game below .500 and 11.5 games out of first place. From that day until the end of the season, they went 25-11 and won the AL West, sending the Ners into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and essentially saving baseball in Seattle.

Think about that for a second. Eleven and a half games back at the end of August. Then, in just 36 games, the Ners posted a .694 winning percentage, covered a seemingly insurmountable gap, and eventually clinched the division in a one-game playoff against the Angels (that's Randy clinching it below). That streak still stands as one of the greatest season-comebacks in sports history.

I bring this up today for two reasons. First, to wish everyone in the Pacific Northwest – and all those around the country/world who wear the compass rose on their hats – a happy Mariners Day, reminding you that this date is the Ners’ Bastille Day of sorts; it set into action the baseball revolution that kept America’s Pastime in the Emerald City. Second, to offer a bit of perspective.

I know that the overall vibe toward this season has taken a significant downward turn since the beginning of July, but this 2018 campaign actually mirrors the magical 1995 one in a few ways you might not have expected. In fact, some things are even better. Let’s take a brief comparison between where we were then and where we are right now.

The Same

The 1995 Mariners were originally expected to be a decent baseball team, but not one that would content for postseason play. The team had posted its first winning record in franchise history just 4 years prior, after 14 consecutive seasons ended below .500 – and had never made the playoffs in all 18 years of its existence. Seattle had a few young(ish), promising players – Ken Griffey Jr, Randy Johnson, and Edgar Martinez – that caught the interest of many, but still were not enough to convince anyone that the team had what it took to sneak into October. By August 24th, most of these predictions looked to be panning out exactly as expected. The team was circling around .500 and sitting in third in the AL West, trailing a team from Texas and one from California.

The 2018 Mariners were expected to finish third in the AL West in preseason predictions. The team has not made the playoffs in 17 years, but has seen a handful of winning seasons over the past five, thus giving some confidence to a few young(ish), promising players – Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, James Paxton – but even then, no professionals realistically thought that this team had what it would take to sneak into October. By August 24th, most of this looks to be be panning out as expected. The team is sitting in third in the AL West, trailing a team from Texas and one from California.

The 1995 season started out strong, with the Ners holding first place in the division throughout the majority of the first month of play. But then, in mid-May, the team’s potentially best player (Griffey) suffered an injury that sidelined him for almost three months (above). This soon triggered a losing streak that saw the Ners stumble, relinquishing first place in the division and winding up in third place on August 24th.

The 2018 season started out strong, with the Ners dancing in and out of first place in the division throughout the first two months. But the team’s potentially best player (Robinson Canó) suffered an injury in mid-May that sidelined him for almost three months (above). While the team surged for a bit following this setback, a losing streak soon set in and the Ners began to stumble, relinquishing first place in the division in mid-June and winding up in third on August 24th.

What’s Worse

The 1995 Mariners had Randy Johnson. No pitcher in franchise history can even compete with the dominance the Big Unit gave to the Ners on almost every outing – and particularly in ’95, when Randy went 18-2 and won the Cy Young. The M’s went 27-3 in all games that the big lefty pitched in.

The 2018 Mariners’ ace is similar in that he’s a hard-throwing lefty… but different in that it’s James Paxton. Nothing against the Big Maple – but he’s not the Big Unit. Even when healthy (which he is almost rarely is these days), Pax is not the type of guy that you can rely on to go out every single start and blow teams away. He’s very good, but he’s not very great. Where Randy gave Seattle a win almost every time he took the ball, James gives Seattle a win here and there.

The 1995 player that returned from injury was Ken Griffey Junior. Seattle’s greatest sports star of all time was not just electric on the field, but also off the field, as the entire city united around the face of the franchise. His walk-off home run on August 24th sounded the alarm to the rest of the American League that The Kid was indeed back – and that Seattle might have a little bit of gas left in its tank.

The 2018 player that returned from injury was Robinson Canó. Canó is certainly a candidate for best player on the Ners, but he’s no Griffey. He’s not as young, not as good, and not as liked as Junior was, thanks to his recent PED suspension that added insult to his injury. Even though Canó’s dinger on August 20th of this year was somewhat similar to Griffey’s aforementioned ’95 blast, “Don’t Ya Know” does not have the persuasive power to rally a city in the same way Griffey did.

Or does he? Pop culture loves a good anti-hero. Think of the Walter Whites, Rick Grimes, and numerous Game of Thrones figures that have fronted the most popular TV shows of the recent past. These characters have loveable and hateable sides; people love them because they also hate them. It’s an oddly intriguing mix. What if Canó caught fire in September and led the team on a surge, shooting for a postseason that he isn’t even allowed to play in? That would be about as intriguing of a storyline as baseball could offer. Hm.

What’s Better

I could go on and on about how the current team’s “non-stars-who-are-still-key-players” are better than those that filled the gaps in 1995, with Mitch Haniger being better than Alex Diaz, Jean Seugra better than Felix Fermin, and Edwin Diaz better than Norm Charlton, etc etc. I could go on about how this team finds ways to win one-run games better than any M’s team in the recent past, which is essential down the stretch of a close season. But I won’t. What’s better in 2018 than in 1995 is plain and simple:

In 1995, the Mariners were 11.5 Games Back on August 24th. In 2018, they are only 4.5.

Who says this team can’t find a spark in the final month of the season and rekindle the fires of 1995, sending the M’s to their first playoffs in almost an equal amount of time? The team has shown they are capable of beating the best, and even though they slumped in July and most of August, that capability is still there. Confidence is contagious; all it takes is one player to get hot, and the whole team will follow suit. I mean it.

. . .

On August 24, 2009, a handful of my best friends and I attended the game and hung a gigantic sign from the right field rafters that read “Revive ’95.” The team went on to win that day – on the backs of a Griffey home run, go figure – but wasn’t able to finish the job and push into October.

So here we are, 8 years later, and I still call on the team and fanbase to Revive ’95. Recognize where we are as a club right now; that we are still within striking distance, and you never know when a surge might be coming. Recognize the history that August 24th holds for Seattle baseball, both in saving a season and saving our beloved team. Recognize that optimism abounds in the Emerald City – and that you never know, we may still yet be in for a treat this September. So take today to throw on the wonderful video that is My Oh My! (you can find it on YouTube) and take note of the moment when we beat the Yankees 9-7. 2018 ain’t over yet.

Oh, and Happy Mariners Day.

#NerNostalgia #Opinion