An M's Thanksgiving: Much to be Thankful For

Oh, to be thankful on Thanksgiving Day. It is why we celebrate the last Thursday in November.

There are many things to be thankful for on a day like today. Family and friends sit atop the list of dozens.

In the baseball world, there are things to be thankful for, too. Like the fact that the game has survived six wars and 26 different presidents since the National League first formed in April of 1876.

We are often thankful for our favorite team or player and many times are thankful when the third out is recorded in the ninth inning and the hometown bunch has the final lead of the game.

Here in Seattle we have a special situation and therefore a particular list of things to be thankful for. The Mariners are 28-years-old, have a state-of-the-art facility and are one of the more financially secure franchises in the game today. Those two, for starters, are enough to make a fan a happy camper.

But after that the list is tougher to complete so we will take a workman’s like approach to putting together a prayer list for Mariners baseball fans.

Below are the things that Mariners fans should be thankful for today.

Safeco Field

The millions of fellow Mariners fans in the northwest and across the country

Owners that spend $90+ million on player payroll

M’s right fielder Ichiro Suzuki

The career of now-retired designated hitter Edgar Martinez

The talented P.A. announcer at Safeco Field, Tom Hutlyer

The Mariners Moose and all of his goofy antics

Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen for their award-winning community service

The memories brought to us by past Mariner heroes such as Ken Griffey, Jr, Jay Buhner, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez, Joey Cora and Norm Charlton

The last remaining Mariner from the Refuse To Lose 1995 club, catcher Dan Wilson

The voice of the Seattle Mariners since their inception in 1977, Mr. Dave Niehaus

Available payroll

Relatively reasonable ticket prices

The fact that there is always next year and things can only get better for a 99-loss Mariners club

That is a nice group of things to be thankful for in the world that is Seattle Mariners baseball. There is just one thing missing and is the final piece of this year’s Thanksgiving puzzle.

The fans in the city of Seattle should be thankful for one more thing. We should all embrace this one thing as if it’s our own-and I know some of us already do.

The pure entity that is Seattle Mariners baseball

I think I speak for all of us when I say, ‘thank goodness for Mariners baseball.’

InsidethePark.com would like to wish all of you fans and ITP readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe through the holidays and we look forward to heading into the new season with each of you.