1/4 Pole

A look back at the beginning of the ‘82 season for each team after the completion of 41 games. An inside look at the good, not so good and what may happen in the future.

Seattle Mariners (14-27)

Hitting: Average - .252 Runs Per Game - 3.73

The Good: Richie Zisk and Al Cowens were the bright spots. Zisk’s torrid hitting and Cowens run production paced the offense.

The Not So Good: The Cruz’s. Both Julio and Todd need to increase their production. With one hitting just above the Mendoza line and the other below the Mendoza line, the Mariners need an improvement in both players moving forward.

Pitching: ERA - 4.39 Runs Allowed Per Game - 4.90

The Good: Starters Floyd Bannister and Jim Beattie more than held their own. They have been durable and two of the best strikeout pitchers in the American League. Closer Bill Caudill had a hot start, but his chances to protect games has diminished recently.

The Not So Good: The middle relief. Holding leads and keeping the Mariners in games has been a problem. There is no way Caudill can excel if these guys can’t get the game to him with a lead. Seattle currently is being outscored by more than 1 run per game and wins won’t happen if that continues.

Looking Ahead:

Defensively there has been no better team in the majors at turning a double play. With 55 double plays turned, Seattle is far and away the leader in the majors. It may also be a result of the pitching staff allowing too many runners on base.

The current 8-game losing skid has put a damper on what wasn’t a terrible beginning to the season. This is a better team than their record indicates. They need to turn it around sooner as opposed to later.

Gaylord Perry will get #300 at some point. Like many on the staff, Perry has not thrown well lately.

1 Prediction:

Seattle will have a better next 40 games than the first 41 games.