For Jesus Montero And The M’s, 2015 Is A Season Of Hope

This is the 40-Something Files!

A weekly take on the state of Seattle Sports through the lens of a guy whose four decades of fandom has earned too many scars, and seen too few celebrations.

“Hope springs eternal” is a common phrase tossed about this time of year.

Doesn’t matter how the weather may be around the country: this time of year, fans of Major League Baseball have their hopes squarely pinned on guys in aerodynamic shades, showered by sunshine, and cushioned by lush, green grass underfoot.

Watch any local sports news segment from any town and you know you will catch familiar and not-so-familiar faces beaming out smiles from beneath brims of crisp new caps.

30 teams. 30 fan bases. 30 sets of hope that all the sunshine and good vibrations are the start of a spring and summer’s successful push towards the ultimate prize of playing baseball into the cold and dampness of fall.

Speaking of which, ever wonder why the MLB plays it’s least important games in the best weather, but then lets it’s most important contests be played in the worst weather?  Sorry, this is definitely not the time for a critique.  No, this is a time to love all the good of this game, to love every promising prospect and rejuvenated veteran, to love every sunburned inning spent on the berm, and to embrace the journey of the baseball season to come.

As Emerald City Swagger editor Raymond Schwabacher said in this piece the other day, “it’s all too good to be true!”  This is spring training and, defying logic, hope springs eternal, again!

Dec 12, 2013; Settle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (center) poses for a photo with Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik (left) and Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon (right) during a press conference at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

This year however, at least for loyal fans of the Seattle Mariners, the thought that Arizona is NOT just the land where eternal hopes go to die could actually be more than just an annual mirage. Unlike far too many seasons past, allowing oneself to imagine a joyous jog through this season’s 162 game marathon doesn’t appear that it will be accompanied by the usual head shaking chuckle of a “what the heck was I thinking” moment, come late April/early May.

Last year’s results were encouraging, especially considering certain acquisitions and call-ups that just didn’t pan out (a familiar story that can’t be ignored in Zduriencik’s tenure as the team’s GM). But to his credit, Jack Z., after hiring Lloyd McClendon to be manager and then acquiring Robinson Cano in 2014, kept the off-season pedal to the metal heading into 2015.

Having added the right-handed slugger, Nelson Cruz (last year’s AL HR Champion), along with several other puzzle pieces, the sometimes-perplexing GM appears to have finally assembled a group of players that any competent manager has a chance to lead to a title.  And also to Z’s credit, this team’s straight talking leader, Lloyd McClendon is much more than simply a competent manager.

So, here we are, excited and full of hope, just like every year and every other fan base. But for us, the excessively patient and ready to explode fans of the Seattle Mariners, it is surely justifiable.

Even while all of the hype surrounding the M’s 2015 promise of exciting, winning baseball appears to be very real, one move Jack Zduriencik pulled off this year might just trump them all.  And it has less to do with winning on the diamond than it does with having compassion and a sense of obligation. It’s one move of Jack’s that even his worst critics won’t second guess.

Last season ended with a thud for head-scratching bust Jesus Montero, aka “El Galapago”, as he was named by the 710 ESPN Radio morning crew.  A well-publicized minor league rehab stint shouting-match with a team scout that escalated into a fight in the stands finally signaled rock bottom for Jesus Montero, who, it turns out, was dealing with less-publicized personal issues as well.

For Jesus, the once can’t-miss prospect who the Mariners snagged in a surprise trade with the Yankees in exchange for top young pitcher Michael Pineda, his failures on the field seemed the least of his worries. And kudos to the Mariners front office and management for not tossing him out with the trash, in a moment when the organization appeared completely justified to do so. 

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The M’s gave Montero one last chance, creating a support system for his physical and mental conditioning that he seemed to need so desperately.  However, the one thing they couldn’t do was force him to take them up on their offer.

Fortunately for Jesus, his wife and newborn child, a Mariners team that can only benefit from him finally reaching his potential, and for fans like us – who would much rather love a guy for his triumphs in life than loathe him for his attitude on the field – he accepted the parameters of the offer the Mariners extended.

Put simply, Montero, who reported last spring to Peoria 40 pounds overweight and remorseless, arrived (well, more like remained, as this is where he took up residence to embrace the team’s help) in Peoria for Spring Training this year, 40 pounds lighter, and nearly unrecognizable. The newly svelte and confident Montero is squarely in the lead for comeback person of the year, let alone his potential to become the 2015 MLB Comeback Player of the Year.

The excitement the M’s generated by impressive off-season moves, coupled with standard spring training optimism, has fans of baseball in this town buzzing about the Mariners’ chances in 2015.  But one thing that should truly excite fans right now about our team is the manner in which the organization handled Montero in his time of need, and the encouraging way that he responded.  His turnaround provides a kind of hope that transcends the usual spring training fare.

I find his success at turning his life around heartwarming, both as a fan and as a human being.  With a fresh start at baseball and at becoming the man he always had the potential to be, Jesus has a lot of eyeballs on him these days. Getting here under the radar was one thing; staying here under a microscope, that’s going to be a new challenge entirely.

This “comeback” is just beginning for Jesus, at the same time that this season of promise is just beginning for the entire M’s organization and their fans. Not only should Seattle fans look forward to unmatched success in 2015, but also to a future where Jesus Montero has the strength and support to continue on his current path, no matter what the season may hold.

That would be the most encouraging outcome for any of us to spring our hopes on.