Seattle Mariners - 2009 and Beyond

majormet · 12-15-2023, 06:17 PM

December 15th 2023

I am driving down route 347 in Long Island, NY and listening to the radio. I am stunned to hear Fugazi's Waiting room playing on the satellite radio system. It is an unusually warm day in December and there is the typical traffic on the road for Christmas shopping as I make my approach to the bank.

I go to the bank and complete my deposit and think about all the errands and such for the day and realize I will be out of the office for a few hours. I am making the turn to get to the gym and then everything went black.......

A few moments passed and there I was surrounded by clouds and angels and I wasn't thinking about the Brooklyn slice of pizza I would eat that day or the Islander game that night. I was on a line with some old looking people and the thought was that I was not dreaming I was dead. I tried to talk to the person in front of me but they did not acknowledge me. It seems something was different.

I moved through the line and was greeted by a man with a long beard and white tunic.

Man in Tunic: So Everett Lucas you know why you are here:

Me: Umm.. I think I must have died.

Man in Tunic: That is correct, a kid was texting on the phone and you made your left turn into the gym and he crushed your little Prius with his Dodge Ram and now you are here.

Me: Wow, did not think I would end up here.

Man in Tunic: Yes, you were going to the gym religiously to extend your life and it took one young kid texting his buddy about the latest MCU movie coming out to have it all end.

Me: Ironic I would say, what happens now

Man in Tunic: Well reviewing your life you seemed to have been pretty bad when you were young and then negated it all as an adult by being a deacon in a megachurch and really being a giver.

Me: Well I was always heaven minded

Man in Tunic: That's the issue, everyone has it wrong. What I want to see is a challenge and that you beat challenges. It is great that you were righteous and you upheld the laws of the Bible, but in reality you were made for something greater and at the end of the day, you wrote one mediocre book, failed to become an expert in anything and really wasted a lot of time watching sport.s

Me: It didn't hurt anyone

Man in Tunic: It did... it hurt you... you did not maximize yourself.

(Another man came over to the man in the tunic and was conferring with him and the man in the tunic kept nodding his head)

Man in Tunic: OK, so we do this every so often as my colleague just informed me and we have you on a mission. You will be deported to 2009 in Seattle, Washington to do what no man has ever done and that is to get the Seattle Mariners into a world series, as you know they are the only team that has never done this.

Me: What do you mean?

Man in Tune: you will be the owner, gm and manager of the Mariners in 2009 and you will have an eternal job of managing this team. Of course you will know about how good all the players are from 2009 to 2023. But the league will expand to 48 teams or so in 2023 and the challenge will get harder over time.

Me: So I get them to the World Series and then go to heaven?

Man in Tunic: Well you may be managing them for a long time regardless of the circumstances>

Me: Why am I bestowed this immortality.

Man in Tunic: You did a lot for your community. You prayed for so many people that had cancer, ailments, divorce and stress and they relied on you. Your passion in life was sports.... This is your heaven.

Me: But I don't get how this work. How does the outside world see me.

Man in Tunic. Yes you will be inside all the owners, managers and such from 2009 forward so whoever manages those teams you are really owning, trading and managing.

Me: So I get to live, yes you will live and have the normal urges of humanity.

Man in Tunic: Are you ready.

Me: One last question, if I know of the players and everything will I have remembrance of my wife and sons.

Man in Tunic: No you will be existing in a baseball bubble with no knowledge or connection to human beings outside of the Mariners.

With that happening, I felt a huge surge of energy and landed somewhere completely alien to me. It seems I found myself in the middle of Pioneer Square a place I recognized from the grunge rock movement in the 1990's.

I looked at a digital bank and saw it was February 27th 2009 and the sky was gray and I was 40 pounds lighter, the weight I was at in 2009 when I was just 43. A car pulled up to me

Man in Car: Mr Lucas are you read to go to the front office

Me: Take me away...

With that my new life as the Mariners owner, manager, GM had begun.

majormet · 12-16-2023, 12:46 AM

Well reality has set in, I am dead and back to life and just saw the Apprentice on TV and good Lord... this guy becomes the president at some point, wow. Seems like no one despises him at this point in time.

So I am going over the pitching I have inherited, and I am going into the season without making moves or anything.

Starting Pitching

1. Felix Hernandez - It is a nice thing to get a 22 year old King Felix as your ace. He should be at his peak at 22 too, so feel good about him.

2. Erik Bedard - He is 29 years old but did peak as an Oriole. Memory serves correct, Seattle paid a lot and got little from this Canadian.

3. Brandon Morrow - at 26, he was just becoming a starting pitcher, would have his better years in Toronto. My knowledge of his career will probably alter his trajectory.

4. Jason Vargas - Only 26 and this guy really lasted for his career, remember him at the end with the Mets. Junk ball pitcher, he will do as a #4.

5. Jarrod Washburn - at 34 he is at the end, in real life this was his last year. Really was dynamic in 2002 for the World Champion Angels. Not sure if he is going to last the season.

The Minors has these 2 guys

Garrett Olson (25) - was with Baltimore in 2008 he really was never good, so he could be trade bait to anyone that thinks he has potential

Carlos Silva (29) - He was effective for the Twins but really was never good when he got to Seattle. Maybe he has something left not sure.

Bullpen

David Aardsma (27) - he is the closer - He bounced around a lot before finding gold as the Mariners closer in 2009. He should do well this season.

Ryan Rowland-Smith (26) - This aussie was never good for his career but was effective in 2009, maybe we can have impact on him

Doug Fister (25) - This will be a guy to watch as Seattle had him and he was very successful afterwards as a starter for Detroit and Washington. Tall guy who did not throw hard.

Mark Lowe (25) - Work horse type of guy with unspectacular career, he could eat some innings.

Shawn Kelley (24) - On the young side here but would go on to be a solid pitcher in his career so also know to hold on to him perhaps.

Sean White (27) - was good in 2009 but he had no career, so this is a guy to trade at deadline if we are out of it.

Minor league guys

Roy Corcoran (28) - Was good in 2008 and stunk in 2009, not sure what happened but he was not a difference maker.

Chris Jakubauskas (30) - actually was a spot starter in 2009 but he was horrible.

Randy Messenger (27) - 2009 was his last year so this guy won't do much

Miguel Batista (38) - You never knew what you would get with this guy as he was a rookie in 1992, but he played 3 more years. He is somehow in the farms, but I have a feeling we will see more of him.

(Editors Note - going to play all the way through to 2023 with real players and then fictional with 20 famous fictional entering every year, The league will expand to 48 games in that season)

12-15-2023, 06:17 PM	#1
majormet Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,536	Seattle Mariners - 2009 and Beyond December 15th 2023 I am driving down route 347 in Long Island, NY and listening to the radio. I am stunned to hear Fugazi's Waiting room playing on the satellite radio system. It is an unusually warm day in December and there is the typical traffic on the road for Christmas shopping as I make my approach to the bank. I go to the bank and complete my deposit and think about all the errands and such for the day and realize I will be out of the office for a few hours. I am making the turn to get to the gym and then everything went black....... A few moments passed and there I was surrounded by clouds and angels and I wasn't thinking about the Brooklyn slice of pizza I would eat that day or the Islander game that night. I was on a line with some old looking people and the thought was that I was not dreaming I was dead. I tried to talk to the person in front of me but they did not acknowledge me. It seems something was different. I moved through the line and was greeted by a man with a long beard and white tunic. Man in Tunic: So Everett Lucas you know why you are here: Me: Umm.. I think I must have died. Man in Tunic: That is correct, a kid was texting on the phone and you made your left turn into the gym and he crushed your little Prius with his Dodge Ram and now you are here. Me: Wow, did not think I would end up here. Man in Tunic: Yes, you were going to the gym religiously to extend your life and it took one young kid texting his buddy about the latest MCU movie coming out to have it all end. Me: Ironic I would say, what happens now Man in Tunic: Well reviewing your life you seemed to have been pretty bad when you were young and then negated it all as an adult by being a deacon in a megachurch and really being a giver. Me: Well I was always heaven minded Man in Tunic: That's the issue, everyone has it wrong. What I want to see is a challenge and that you beat challenges. It is great that you were righteous and you upheld the laws of the Bible, but in reality you were made for something greater and at the end of the day, you wrote one mediocre book, failed to become an expert in anything and really wasted a lot of time watching sport.s Me: It didn't hurt anyone Man in Tunic: It did... it hurt you... you did not maximize yourself. (Another man came over to the man in the tunic and was conferring with him and the man in the tunic kept nodding his head) Man in Tunic: OK, so we do this every so often as my colleague just informed me and we have you on a mission. You will be deported to 2009 in Seattle, Washington to do what no man has ever done and that is to get the Seattle Mariners into a world series, as you know they are the only team that has never done this. Me: What do you mean? Man in Tune: you will be the owner, gm and manager of the Mariners in 2009 and you will have an eternal job of managing this team. Of course you will know about how good all the players are from 2009 to 2023. But the league will expand to 48 teams or so in 2023 and the challenge will get harder over time. Me: So I get them to the World Series and then go to heaven? Man in Tunic: Well you may be managing them for a long time regardless of the circumstances> Me: Why am I bestowed this immortality. Man in Tunic: You did a lot for your community. You prayed for so many people that had cancer, ailments, divorce and stress and they relied on you. Your passion in life was sports.... This is your heaven. Me: But I don't get how this work. How does the outside world see me. Man in Tunic. Yes you will be inside all the owners, managers and such from 2009 forward so whoever manages those teams you are really owning, trading and managing. Me: So I get to live, yes you will live and have the normal urges of humanity. Man in Tunic: Are you ready. Me: One last question, if I know of the players and everything will I have remembrance of my wife and sons. Man in Tunic: No you will be existing in a baseball bubble with no knowledge or connection to human beings outside of the Mariners. With that happening, I felt a huge surge of energy and landed somewhere completely alien to me. It seems I found myself in the middle of Pioneer Square a place I recognized from the grunge rock movement in the 1990's. I looked at a digital bank and saw it was February 27th 2009 and the sky was gray and I was 40 pounds lighter, the weight I was at in 2009 when I was just 43. A car pulled up to me Man in Car: Mr Lucas are you read to go to the front office Me: Take me away... With that my new life as the Mariners owner, manager, GM had begun.

12-16-2023, 12:46 AM	#2
majormet Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,536	2009 Pitching Well reality has set in, I am dead and back to life and just saw the Apprentice on TV and good Lord... this guy becomes the president at some point, wow. Seems like no one despises him at this point in time. So I am going over the pitching I have inherited, and I am going into the season without making moves or anything. Starting Pitching 1. Felix Hernandez - It is a nice thing to get a 22 year old King Felix as your ace. He should be at his peak at 22 too, so feel good about him. 2. Erik Bedard - He is 29 years old but did peak as an Oriole. Memory serves correct, Seattle paid a lot and got little from this Canadian. 3. Brandon Morrow - at 26, he was just becoming a starting pitcher, would have his better years in Toronto. My knowledge of his career will probably alter his trajectory. 4. Jason Vargas - Only 26 and this guy really lasted for his career, remember him at the end with the Mets. Junk ball pitcher, he will do as a #4. 5. Jarrod Washburn - at 34 he is at the end, in real life this was his last year. Really was dynamic in 2002 for the World Champion Angels. Not sure if he is going to last the season. The Minors has these 2 guys Garrett Olson (25) - was with Baltimore in 2008 he really was never good, so he could be trade bait to anyone that thinks he has potential Carlos Silva (29) - He was effective for the Twins but really was never good when he got to Seattle. Maybe he has something left not sure. Bullpen David Aardsma (27) - he is the closer - He bounced around a lot before finding gold as the Mariners closer in 2009. He should do well this season. Ryan Rowland-Smith (26) - This aussie was never good for his career but was effective in 2009, maybe we can have impact on him Doug Fister (25) - This will be a guy to watch as Seattle had him and he was very successful afterwards as a starter for Detroit and Washington. Tall guy who did not throw hard. Mark Lowe (25) - Work horse type of guy with unspectacular career, he could eat some innings. Shawn Kelley (24) - On the young side here but would go on to be a solid pitcher in his career so also know to hold on to him perhaps. Sean White (27) - was good in 2009 but he had no career, so this is a guy to trade at deadline if we are out of it. Minor league guys Roy Corcoran (28) - Was good in 2008 and stunk in 2009, not sure what happened but he was not a difference maker. Chris Jakubauskas (30) - actually was a spot starter in 2009 but he was horrible. Randy Messenger (27) - 2009 was his last year so this guy won't do much Miguel Batista (38) - You never knew what you would get with this guy as he was a rookie in 1992, but he played 3 more years. He is somehow in the farms, but I have a feeling we will see more of him. (Editors Note - going to play all the way through to 2023 with real players and then fictional with 20 famous fictional entering every year, The league will expand to 48 games in that season)