The Calming Joy of the Seattle Mariners

By Patrick

Thanks man

Yesterday sucked. I woke up around 10:30, only to find out that there had been a double homicide pretty close to my quiet neighborhood on Roosevelt street. All day I sat in my basement as my mom freaked out about whether we were safe or not and what to do about picking my brother up from school. I watched King 5 as they kept reporting the grim details of the horrible murders, that also included another fatal shooting by the same man downtown. 

This stress continued all day, and it really sucked to live where I live. I've never felt so unsafe and unsure of my surroundings in all ten of my years living in this great city. 

Then around 4:30, as we ventured out to pick up my brother, KOMO 1000 news radio played a live interview of the deputy sheriff of the Seattle Police Department. He announced that the shooter had been identified in West Seattle by detectives and had shot himself once he realized that cops were about to arrest him. The man hunt was over, since detectives had linked the man to both shootings.

Almost miraculously, the Mariner game started just a half hour later. While my nerves had calmed significantly now that the shooter was apprehended, I was still shaken up about the whole ordeal. 

What I love about the Mariners is that they have a way of completely taking my mind of of it. Did the team hear about the shootings and decide to play harder today for the city? Probably not. But if they didn't, they sure made it seem like they did. 

The Mariners put forth one of their most impressive offensive showing in franchise history yesterday, ripping off three touchdowns in a 21-8 victory over the Texas Rangers Wednesday night. They scored eight runs in the second inning, but didn't think that was good enough, so they went out and scored eight more in the third to put the game well out of reach. 

Justin Smoak hit two three-run homers and had three hits. Kyle Seager went 4-for-6 and scored a run every time he reached base. Michael Saunders had three more hits. Dustin Ackley snapped his slump with a three-run homer and two hits. Jesus Montero drove in four and scored four times. Even Chone Figgins scored twice.

This game was chicken soup to the Mariner fan's soul. But more importantly, this game did exactly what sports are supposed to do: provide a diversion from the perils of everyday life. Four people died in fatal shootings yesterday in Seattle. While the grief and suffering of the families affected cannot be overlooked, the way the Mariners made fans happy last night temporarily provided a distraction from the horrible atrocities of Wednesday morning.     

The crimes won't go away. Those feelings of insecurity won't just disappear never to resurface again. They'll be there. But so will that Mariners win. That feeling of invincibility that makes life so great. The incredible reality that your team is beating the Texas Rangers, the two-time defending AL champs, buy 17 runs after four innings. Shooters like Ian Stawicki can take away our peace of mind, and even some of our loved ones, but they can't take away our ability to rally around those people and things we love.

A lot of people in Seattle love the Mariners, and on Wednesday, that love overpowered the desolation that the horrible shootings caused.