Mariners

Sick and tired of this team

Jay Buhner has lots of company in what he said ("Buhner: 'I'd vomit' if Ichiro got big contract extension," Wednesday). So many fans are just plain sick of Mariners management, or should I say mismanagement.

Ichiro should have been traded a couple of years ago when he had some value. Now it appears he is valuable only to M's ownership. Change is needed at the top instead of applying Band-Aids to broken bones, with a constant merry-go-round of players and managers.

Don't give multi-millions to a player who will not make one iota of difference in whether the team finishes last or next to last in its division. The needs are simply too great. Trade him.

— Don Curtis, Clinton

Wells, Saunders and Gutierrez

Casper Wells is the real deal! Let's start an outfield of Michael Saunders in left, Franklin Gutierrez in center, and Wells in right (Ichiro on the bench).

— Paul K. Secord, Kirkland

Retractable fences just might work

OK, everybody, please lay off on the Safeco Field fences issue. Do you not think that if they move the fences in, our opponents (who already seem to be able to hit home runs in Safeco) would just hit more home runs? And in most of the games the M's lose, they don't really need a home run. They just need a single with a man on second base. Surely we can't blame the fences and the cold air for us not being able to get any kind of a hit when it counts.

The ultimate answer for the M's is retractable fences. We move them back when the opponents hit, and move them forward when we hit.

— Mike Benson, Kent

Backdrop is really to blame

The Mariners have tried various backdrops for hitters before adding a black mesh to reduce shadows seven years ago.

When you view it from the plate during a night game, it's jet black. Black as night. Outer space black. There's no depth perception. But only on the top half of the batter's view. The bottom half is green, bisected with a bright yellow line on top of the center field wall.

In the split second the ball from the pitcher's hand travels to the plate, it crosses three color areas. It makes my eyes cross every time I see a behind-the-plate replay of another Mariner flailing away at a sinker.

Here's a suggestion: Remove the yellow line, paint the backdrop the same color as the wall and leave the fences where they are. Paint is cheaper than concrete.

— Kurt Hughes, Woodinville

Move diamond, not fences

Leave the fences where they are. Instead move the diamond closer to the fences. However, it will make a trip to the mound a longer walk to remind the pitcher more balls could be flying out of here.

— Noel Freedman, Stanwood

Take a picture

I have an idea that I think may be very helpful for our struggling Mariner hitters. The M's should send a photographer to Kansas City to take panoramic photos of the view from home plate at Kauffman Stadium. The photos should be provided to the Safeco construction staff who should proceed with a recreation of the view. Every time a Mariner hitter steps into the batter's box he will be thinking he is back in Kauffman, hitting away!

— Jeff Creager, Lake Forest Park

Anybody want to buy M's?

I just read reading Steve Kelley's column ("Mariners owners: do fans a favor, sell team," July 15) about how the team needs new ownership. I agree. The majority owner lives in Japan and hasn't even been to one game the Mariners have played. The ownership did save baseball in Seattle, which is great, but they don't seem to care about the sport.

Let me ask this, though: Who's out there to buy them?

— Ransom Gardner, Edmonds

Penn State

Wrong turn for Nittany Lions

Penn State went from PSU to PU.

— Gary Thielen, Kalama

Senior project

Reader gets back in swing

Good for Steve Kelley for renewing his golf game at age 63 ("Renewal on the links," Monday). I'm 79 and was playing regularly until a year ago, when I had to take time off for knee-replacement surgery and was just about to restart my game when I got hit with cancer and am recuperating from radiation and surgery. Now I'm getting ready to hit the range and start my game again but at a little more advanced age. Steve's column has given me the impetus to get started right away..

— Chuck Vogeler, Wailea, Hawaii

Auto racing

Thanks, but let's do more

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Finally a good story about local NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne and his win in New Hamphire. NASCAR is rated one of the highest attended sporting events, yet you usually give it a small story in the corner of the sports page. I and many other Seattle readers are rabid auto-racing fans and we love to see stories Monday about the Sunday race.

Thanks again for your story. I will be looking for more in the future.

— Tom Hinkle, Kent