Seattle Mariners Rant Week: Disappointing Since 1977 – Jaymin Bernhardt

Welcome to Seattle Mariners rant week. Emerald City Swagger encourages our writers to let out the frustrations about the M’s 17th consecutive season watching the playoffs on television. First up is Jaymin Bernhardt.

The Seattle Mariners have always been a disappointment. It doesn’t matter how well they do in the regular season (which isn’t often). They forever have a disease that ought to be named the “We Hate Winning Disease.” It sure seems to me that winning isn’t in their vocabulary, as a viable option. Out of the Mariners 41 years of existence, they have made the playoffs only four times. That is a little less than 10%.

For me, it’s getting extremely hard to root for these guys because the last time they made the playoffs, I was four years old. I am now a 20-year-old awaiting my 21^st birthday that is in a few days. I know it is not the same, but to me, it’s basically like I’m rooting for the Cubs of old. Knowing full well what the outcome will be, year after year.

More from Seattle Mariners

• Seattle Mariners trade James Paxton. Deja vu or re-imagining?
• Seattle Mariners: November mailbag – Face of the franchise and more
• Seattle Mariners: Zunino part of 5 player swap. What it means for the M’s.
• Seattle Mariners: Mitch Haniger, and Edgar Martinez headed to Japan
• Seattle Mariners: Trading for Joc Pederson from L.A. – 3 scenarios

It was supposed to be my year

This year was awesome. We saw the growth of Mitch Haniger, Ben Gamel and Edwin Diaz. They had an amazing first half of the season where I could legit walk around on my college campus in Montana and wear my Mariners jersey proudly amidst all the Twins fans.

2018 was the year that I was going to skip class in October to watch Mariners playoff baseball for the first time in my life, on the day that I become of legal age. Then… the second half happened and the wheels fell completely off the bus. The M’s are once again on the outside looking in, which seems ever since 2001, that’s the best any season has ever gotten.

The Competition

How is a drought like this possible?

The Oakland A’s last year finished 12 games under .500, which was good enough to occupy last place in the American League West Division. This year Oakland finished 32 games over .500. They almost won 100 games and made it to the playoffs. The Mariners must be doing something completely wrong that they can’t turn it around.

The Houston Astros just a few years ago had three straight seasons with 100 plus loses. In 2011 they lost 106 games, and in 2012 they lost 107. During 2013, they lost 111game, one of the worst records in baseball since the MLB went to the 162 game schedule in 1961.

They were absolute trash for so long and then just two years later, they make it to the playoffs. Two years after that Houston won the 2017 World Series. This year, the Astros won 103 games and have a solid chance to repeat as World Champs. What makes an organization get better just that fast? Like previously said… It’s obvious the Mariners are doing something wrong.

Growing Frustration

This year, I caught myself having fun watching Mariners baseball. They were exciting and competitive for most of the season. It was almost like watching playoff baseball for the first time in my life. Then I realized just how sad it was that my first taste of Mariners playoff baseball is during game 57 or something like that.

It’s been frustrating every year to watch the playoffs, wondering what it would feel like if the Mariners were the ones getting that clutch hit that makes a city go nuts. I used to love watching playoff baseball in “Rocktober” but with every year that the Mariners continue to miss the dance, it gets harder and harder to sit down and enjoy the great moments that the playoffs provide.

Stay with Emerald City Swagger this week as more of our staff get their frustrations out about the 2018 Seattle Mariners.