Seattle, WA
Salk on Seattle Mariners: What 'it's early' does and doesn't mean
“It’s early.”
No words have frustrated Seattle Mariners fans quite like those ones. (Well, I could probably think of a few others, like “now batting, Chone Figgins,” but hopefully you get my point).
I think I understand why. When a team starts as horribly as the Mariners have each of the last three years, especially given the high expectations that come with having a superstar like Julio Rodríguez in your lineup, no one wants to hear any excuses. And “early” sounds like an excuse. It sounds like the games don’t matter. It sounds like the poor performance in acceptable.
It invalidates your frustration because it runs contrary to what your eyes clearly see.
Seattle Mariners Notebook: Will dramatic win get the M’s going?
So why do you keep hearing it? From the manager, the GM, the president of baseball operations, reporters, announcers, analysts and radio hosts alike. Are they all trying to make excuses for the team? Are they all just baseball elitists who think they see the game “better” than you do? Are they either protecting their job security or covering their tails?
No. I think they just mean it a little differently than you might be hearing it.
Before we tackle what I think it means, let’s eliminate what it doesn’t mean. Speaking for myself, it does not mean the games don’t matter. Games in April matter every bit as much as the ones in September. They might not be as packed with pressure but they matter just as much. They might be played differently – managers and players have to account for the looooong season, and they tend to treat early games like marathon runners who set a manageable pace before sprinting all out once the finish line is in sight. But they certainly matter.
Early also does not mean excusable. No one wants to see lousy baseball, and what we’ve seen so far from the Mariners would qualify for that description. The offense has been stagnant, the pitching subpar, and the defense worse than anyone would have expected. Being early doesn’t mean those things are OK, and it doesn’t mean they aren’t true. No one thinks the Mariners have played well to start this season, and that includes any and everyone who has said that it’s early.
This year, it’s even more problematic because of the emphasis the team put on trying to fix this trend. They addressed the issue by clearly stating they were aware of its existence and then changing their approach to solve the puzzle.
Being early also doesn’t guarantee that a big winning streak is ahead. The team has relied on those in each of the last two years but they aren’t automatically assumed.
It also doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to react emotionally to what you are seeing. I certainly do! No one wants to see a crucial error. Everyone gets mad when a team gets shutout. It’s completely normal to feel the sing of every loss.
But to me, “early” means that it’s too soon to pass judgement on the future.
Baseball, more than any other major sport, is played over a long stretch of games. That’s handy because it’s also the sport that relies on averages to tell us a story more than any other. Good players have bad stretches, bad players sometimes play very well, and those stretches can last longer than you would think. Generally, it takes a long time for them to even out. But by the end of the season (or sometimes the end of a career), we have a solid amount of data and can determine what (or who) was successful and what was not.
That is nearly impossible to do by looking at a 10- or 12-game snapshot. Unlike basketball or football, baseball teams are not always what they appear in a small sample size. The 2022 Mariners are a great example. They were neither as good as they appeared during their record win streak nor as bad as they seemed to start that season. Over time, we got a true measure of their worth.
The 2024 Mariners have played horribly so far. They attempted to cut down on strikeouts this offseason yet have seen those skyrocket. They traded power for contact and instead have seen a decline in both. They gambled that they could survive despite weakening their defense and it has hurt them in a handful of games. Their pitching has offered them quality starts in just four of 13 games and has failed to lead the team the way it needs to for them to be successful. All of these things are true and all of them are frustrating.
But the fact that those things have been true for 13 games does not mean they will be true for the next 149. Nor does it mean they won’t be. It simply means it has been true for these 13, and if it continues, the team won’t finish anywhere close to .500, let alone in a playoff spot or with the division title.
So when is it no longer early?
It’s a fair question with no specific answer. Generally you need at least a month (maybe two) to generate a large enough sample size to make judgements with any confidence. And even then, players and teams often turn things around for better or worse. But what stands out to me is that manager Scott Servais and the Mariners aren’t treating this slow start as something that must be accepted.
In Game 13, Jorge Polanco dropped from third to fifth in the lineup. It was an easy move to get a hot Ty France behind Julio and to give Polanco a break. But what struck me more was that Cal Raleigh played in that game at all. The Mariners are planning to play him a lot this year, but that plan has always presumably included him getting days off when they play a matinee following a night game. The series finale in Toronto fit into that category, but there was Cal hitting seventh with a lefty on the mound. It turned out to be an important spot as he drove the game-winning home run (his second of the season) in the 10th.
Fans often want to know that the team is taking things seriously and showing the same sense of urgency that they themselves feel, especially during a losing stretch. Modern managers don’t flip tables and they don’t call out or bench their players very often. But if you are looking for proof of urgency, consider that decision to play Cal in the last game of a road trip. Consider Ryne Stanek closing the game in the 10th despite the five-run lead. Those are real indications that the team takes the losses just as seriously as you do, even if they express it differently.
It is early. The story of this season has not yet been written. But the people involved know it won’t stay early forever and this team needs to play a lot better for it to have a happy ending.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• Beef Continues: Cal Raleigh burns Blue Jays manager after big HR
• Why Passan is ‘not there yet’ on panicking about Mariners
• What Servais said about slow starts for Julio, Castillo and M’s
• Seattle Mariners Roster Moves: Seven players involved in flurry
• Seattle Mariners infielder tests the limits with impossibly slow pitch
Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year
(Story originally posted 8:22 pm, updated 12:32 am)
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
From a distance, they looked like a regular crowd of people enjoying a nice evening walk on the shores of Lincoln Park. But they were gathered here for a singular purpose: to scream. Since September 2025, the Scream Club Seattle has met at Lincoln Park on every third Sunday to scream, led by head organizer Amber Walcker. No explanation, justification, or invitation to scream is needed – come as you are. “There are some harder emotions people come here to deal with, sure, but some people also just come to scream.” head organizer Amber explained.
Tonight’s crowd showed the club is rapidly growing. From around a dozen or so participants in the first gathering in September, tonight seemed to attract around 40 people gathering to let it all out.
As the sun started to set, and everyone was finally gathered together, the Scream Club was ready to begin.
There are only three screams, organizer Amber explained. The first, she said, is a scream to get used to doing it in public. The second scream is there to ground you. And the final – and longest scream – is there to let you have an emotional catharsis.
She also wanted to make sure people were taking care of their vocal health beforehand. As she told everyone to walk a little bit from the meeting place and start to gather near the shore, she instructed the crowd to hum for a few minutes on the way, to warm up the vocal cords.
With that, the crowd walked towards the shore.
“On the count of one – two – three – scream!” said organizer Amber.
You can see our video of the proceedings here. After the screaming, we talked to a few participants about why they came out.
“There’s not one thing that’s really making me want to scream. There’s a lot of stuff going on for me, a lot of emotional ups and downs. Screaming into the ocean together gives you a sense of community.” said Jessie.
“This is my third or fourth time coming to scream. With the political climate, with everything that’s happening, getting together with local community to scream feels more productive than screaming into the internet on social media.” said Ursula.
“This is my first time coming out.” said Liz. “I screamed after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, and I really felt something. I realized I’ve been feeling a lot of frustration recently, and it felt like coming here was a healthy way to get it out rather than screaming at your neighbors.”
Organizer Amber recognizes much of what they were saying. “Meeting like this can be an important element to have in your mental health toolbox. It’s rare to have scream therapy.” She shared an anecdote about the therapeutic origins of the group, which originally started with a chapter in Chicago. “The founder was a life coach. Their girlfriend was having a bad day, and they encouraged them to go to the Chicago Pier and just let it out. He walked her through the process, and that was that. Eventually they invited more people to come do it.” She hopes to bring that same therapeutic energy to the practice here. “It’s a moment of emotional release more than anything else. Depending on what’s going on in people’s minds, everyone will come here with a different mindset and purpose. We’re providing a safe space to do that.”
Scream Club Seattle meets at Lincoln Park on the first Sunday of every month, and they are also starting to meet on the third Sunday of every month at Golden Gardens in Ballard. Tentatively, the next events will be in Lincoln Park on April 5th around 6 PM, and Golden Gardens on March 15th around 5 PM. If you’d like to know more, you can find them on Instagram here or look at their future events on their Eventbrite page here.
Seattle, WA
Detectives Investigating Robbery, Shooting Over $20 Necklace – SPD Blotter
Seattle police detectives are investigating a robbery and shooting of a 23-year-old man over a $20 necklace in Pioneer Square this morning.
At about 12:40 a.m., patrol officers responded to a shooting in the 500 block of 2nd Avenue. There, they found a victim, bleeding, with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Police and the Seattle Fire Department treated his injury. Medics took him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition.
Police determined that the victim just left a bar, getting into the passenger seat of his friend’s car, when the suspect, wearing a ski mask and armed with a firearm, approached him and demanded his necklace. They struggled over the item, and the suspect shot the victim in the leg. The shooter fled in a vehicle with the necklace before police arrived. The value of the “chain” is about $20.
Detectives in the Robbery Unit responded to the scene and HMC. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.
Incident Number: 2026-57536
Seattle, WA
Fast Start for Kraken Win, Homestand | Seattle Kraken
That stretch begins with five more home games: A skilled and successful Carolina squad Monday, followed by St. Louis (for the second time in a week) Wednesday, Ottawa next Saturday, then Nashville (just behind Seattle in the West wild-card race) on March 10 and then finishing with Western Conference leader Colorado March 12.
Stars Shine and Star-Crossed Hat Trick
Vince Dunn opened the scoring in his 600th NHL game. Jordan Eberle topped the best Kraken-season goals mark with his 21st and 22nd goals of the year, with 23 games left to flirt with his first 30-plus goals on the year since his sophomore season in 2011-12. Joey Daccord registered 27 saves on the victorious night, including nine high-danger chances in the first 40 minutes alone.
To the fans’ disappointment, the slick-stickhandling Daccord missed a historic goalie goal by inches. But the sellout crowd was rewarded when Eberle cashed in on the Vancouver empty net. Eberle now has four two-goal games this season.
In a bizarre twist, when Eberle scored that empty-netter, Kraken fans rightfully cheered and tossed headwear for what was presumed to be a hat-trick score. But after Eberle scored, the scoring change on the Kraken’s power play goal was announced when off-ice officials realized Eberle’s shot had just ever-so-slightly deflected off Matty Beniers’ skate. So no hat trick for the second time this season. Linemate Jared McCann and hat-tossing fans thought the Kraken’s all-time leading scorer had notched a hat trick earlier this season, only to have it reversed when an offside infraction by, wait for it, Beniers, erased the goal.
Eberle joked post-game that maybe fans deserved some hats. The Kraken captain also said when Daccord missed by inches on his goalie goal, he was on the bench saying, “he got it, he got it.” Post-game, Eberle said, “It’s just a matter of time before he gets one” because he greatly admires the goaltender’s puck-handling skills.
The Kraken came out fast Saturday night with two goals, a couple of near-misses, lots of scoring attempts and pucks on net during the first 20 minutes. One near-miss was a hard wrist shot from Jordan Eberle that clanged off the far post. But no matter, Eberle scored a pivotal goal in the second period, getting in front of a Vancouver shot and chasing his own ricochet to create a breakaway with his still-elite speed. The 35-year-old Seattle captain went to his lethal backhand to beat Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen. Eberle’s tally re-upped the two-goal lead.
Good night for Kraken special teams as well. The penalty killer snuffed an early third period Canucks power play to keep the two-score cushion. Later third period, Matty Beniers scored on the power play, deflecting an Eberle shot, to push the score to 4-1. Chandler Stephenson earned his second point of the night with the primary assist. Same for Dunn, who notched the second assist. The Kraken needed just 10 seconds to score the man-advantage marker.
Captaining His Best Kraken Season…
It is Eberle’s 21st goal of the season. The next one he scores will set a new high as a Kraken for the teammate everyone calls “Ebs.” That makes it three of five seasons that Eberle has scored 20 or more goals. Eberle almost scored again later second period when matching cross-checking penalties on SEA forward Kaapo Kakko and VAN defenseman Filip Hronek. The ensuing 4-on-4 play was dominated by the Kraken quartet of Eberle, Matty Beniers, Brandon Montour and Ryker Evans. Beniers stood with some moves and an improv that had future Hall of Fame play-by-play man John Forslund saying, “Beniers did everything but score.” It was heartening to see Seattle flexing its offensive chops with a 3-1 lead.
The Kraken scored twice in an opening 20 minutes played to order, returning to the hard forechecking game they exhibited on a heater 10-game streak before the Olympic break. The starting goalie did his part, stopping all nine of Vancouver’s shots in the first 20 minutes to bring confidence to the first-intermission home locker room.
Jumping Out of the Starting Blocks
The Kraken faithful were mega-decibel loud during the announcement of the starting lineups, welcoming back Olympian bronze medalists Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen, as well as Seattle teammates. This week’s two road losses forgotten, replaced by rousing cheers for starters and fourth-liners Freddy Gaudreau, centering Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers (on the wing for the first since a road matchup in LA right before the winter holiday break).
Defenseman Cale Fleury and Ryker Evans rounded out the skaters in front of Joey Daccord. It’s not a stretch to think head coach Lane Lambert was sending a message with his fourth line and third pair getting the first shift after losing two games in the Midwest by a composite score of 9-2.
Saturday morning, both defenseman Vince Dunn and Lambert both talked about what would be the ideal first 10 to 20 minutes in this Pacific Division showdown with rival Vancouver.
“We need to play simple and hard and direct,” said Dunn, who was playing in his 600th NHL game, 333 with Seattle. “I think we’re very connected when we can get our forecheck going. I think the way we play as a five-man unit is that we slow teams down and don’t get scrambled in our own end. We’re more patient in our own end and letting guys accept their positions and roles and areas that they need to defend in.
“Right away, we need to start shooting pucks … the past two games, the shot count hasn’t been where we wanted it to be in the first 10 minutes. So let’s get some looks and see what happens. Let’s see if we can get the other team scrambling.”
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