Daily Craig: Seattle Slew

The Mariners came to town for the first of four and they won the first one.

Seattle isn't inclined to be rainy and cold on the road. They are now 12-4 AWAY from home. Pretty darned good for a team that reloaded with Houston ties.

Mgr. Scott Servais looks the same as he did when he played in the Dome and then Enron Field. Casey Candaele looks a bit older but is still funny. He waived guys around first Thursday night. Mike Hampton is the bullpen coach and Mel Stottlemeyer Jr. is the pitching coach. All of those fellas had SEATTLE on their shirts. Jose Altuve gave those guys fits going 4-4 but he was the only Houston story.

I have a radio friend who once owned the Mariners. Jeff Smulyan had me fill in from time to time on one of his stations in the 70's. The station was WENS in Indy. He also had a station in rural Indiana that was all-Christian. Jeff is Jewish, but said the Christians paid in advance so that was a good thing. Jeff, a lifelong Cubs fan, also owned WFAN in New York. They were the Mets station. Jeff must have been confused as he had to root for the Mariners and the Mets.

The bottom line was simple as it turned out. Jeff would tell me later there are many ways to get a really good seat at a ballgame without owning the club. The seat might be expensive but not nearly as expensive as players who never seem to do the owner any favors. Jim Crane is figuring that out too.