TONY DEJAK / AP
Raul Ibanez was among the veteran Mariners hitters who really stepped up during a recent 18-game team hot streak.
Mariners may have reason for optimism after a slow start | Larry Stone
Such a sentiment in mid-May is probably just as premature as the pessimism of late April. But certainly there is now a road map to respectability that provides some hope of sustainability, particularly with the potential for reinforcements in the second half, via the minor leagues and the trade market.
Blown calls bring glaring spotlight to need for comprehensive replay in MLB | Larry Stone
It's absolutely ridiculous to have millions of people at home watch, in high-def clarity, a base runner's foot reach first base a step before the throw, and yet have no mechanism to overturn an umpire's out call.
Kuma and The King lead top-heavy Mariners rotation | Larry Stone
Twice every five days, the Mariners have the comforting knowledge that they are one step ahead of the game — no matter whom they're...
Nick Franklin is making a strong case for himself in Class AAA Tacoma | Larry Stone
Franklin, the Mariners' second first-round pick in 2009, could provide Seattle a boost at shortstop, should the opportunity present itself.
Just wait, or too late? | Larry Stone
They were, by acclamation, can't-miss prospects. Individually, they were on a path to inevitable stardom. Collectively, they were to be...
Punchless Mariners facing biggest crisis of Zduriencik era | Larry Stone
Unless Mariners come out of their current free fall, GM Jack Zduriencik's blueprint could be irreparably damaged.
Mariners didn't take advantage of cozier confines at Safeco in first homestand | Larry Stone
In the first 10 games at Safeco last year (constituting a nine-game homestand from April 13-22, and one game on May 4) the Mariners hit .201 (63 for 214). This year, in 10 games, they hit .227 (77 for 339) on the first homestand.
Paltry crowds at Safeco will continue until the team starts winning | Larry Stone
The cold, hard fact is that Seattle's days as one of the reliably rabid baseball towns are long past.
No home runs in 1st round of new Safeco dimensions | Larry Stone
Michael Saunders' awe-struck description of the Mariners' new high-definition video screen had a vaguely Seinfeldian ring to it: "It's huge...
Mariners can't afford luxury of overlooking woeful Astros | Larry Stone
Fear not, oh beleaguered Mariners fans, already fretting over some worrisome trends emerging early to dim the shine of a feel-good spring...
As Jackie Robinson is celebrated, African-American participation in MLB dwindles | Larry Stone
Robinson broke the color barrier 66 years ago, but today African-Americans account for only about 8 percent of MLB rosters, the lowest since the earliest days of integration.