Softy & Dick 10-21 Hour 1: Mariners Loss Reaction, Fan Calls, Larry Stone

In the first hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain react to the Mariners’ season ending loss in game seven of the ALCS against Toronto, take calls from fans reacting to it, get a Fact or Fiction pick, and talk about the game and M’s entire season with Larry Stone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And let me just first of all, tell you what
we did today. I didn't even tell you what we're
doing today. So my brother's in town, and this was
a trip that he had planned like months ago, and
he got in late Sunday night, and it just happened
to coincide with what happened last night at Timoma Park
in the Seahawk game and all that. So the plan
was that we were going to take this morning and
take Mom to go see dad's gravesite, which is just

(00:23):
up the hill on Queen Ann Hill. So imagine being
me literally standing there over my father's gravesite hours after
the Marigers lost that game last night to the Blue Jays,
And I'm like, this wasn't planned like this. It just
happened to work out like that, where this was the
day that we're going to take Mom and get her

(00:44):
out of her place and take her up there to
go pay our respects and YadA, YadA, YadA, and it
happened to coincide with what happened last night.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
So I'm just gonna say this, and.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
I don't really have I don't think anything profound to say.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
I'm actually kind of a little bit of a loss
for words.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
But anything that you have to say, Dick or Jackson,
you have to say about the decisions that were made
in the game last night, the pitching decisions that were made.
I know everybody's got a take on that, and I'm
telling you your take now may be your take tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
It may change in a month from now.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Right, all of us, I think, reserve the rights to
be emotional about this and totally change our mind. And
anything you say about bizarre no or leaving Brian in
there or yankin Kirby out all logical, all makes sense.
We could approach this from a thousand different ways. The
overwhelming emotion that I have right now and the number

(01:44):
one topic, if you will, on my mind and in my.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Brain, is just absolute, profound sadness.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
I cannot believe what we saw last night to be
that close to.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
A dream becoming reality.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
We could feel it, we could taste it, we could
smell it. I looked at you, and I think you
may have even told me, I'm not all this is
kind of running together, Dick. Dick and I were Jimmie's
last night watching the game. He made it into the
Seahawk game.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Is that right after the Springer home and I went
to that.

Speaker 4 (02:15):
I was not leaving until vibes changed, and as long
as vibes were good, I was staying in the same
damn seat that I'd sat in for five hours in
a row.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Well, I never made it in last night to Luman.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
I watched the game when I got home, but I
wasn't watching the game, if you know what I'm talking about, right, Like,
I saw this thing with Jasn and the referee on
the bench last time.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
I did that really happen? Or is that Ai.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Right in front of me?

Speaker 4 (02:40):
Really?

Speaker 1 (02:41):
So I thought it was a joke when I first
saw it. Okay, So I was watching the game, but
I wasn't watching it. I just I just wasted. I
wasted a pair of tickets for the Monday game, never
even went in. Just wanted to get the hell home
and get out of there. But I remember looking at
you and I think, I think you may have said
to me, and there's a chance, I imagine this. If
he can get Hemistip Bregmant again, if he can get

(03:01):
Springer right here, we're gonna win this game.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
This is the moment. And that's the moment.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Where I honestly allowed myself for about fifteen seconds to
think about what I was gonna do when this thing ended?
Am I gonna run down Occidental? Am I gonna run
into lumen Field and party with seventy thousand people in there?

Speaker 2 (03:22):
What am I gonna do? And then bang? Everything just
slipped away.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
We could taste it, guys, we could absolutely taste it.
We could feel it, we could touch it, we could
smell it. The closest we've ever been after a fifty
year wait. And look, we're gonna eventually debate and probably
even rank at some point in time where this falls
on the list. Right now, the way I feel this morning,

(03:49):
and it might be raw, and maybe I'm living in
the moment.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
You always accuse me of recency bias. This is number one.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
It's absolutely number one for me because of just the
absolute sadness that I feel right now. I am. I
feel like I'm depressed. After what happened yesterday, the Sonic
thing in ninety four, I was just angry, like I
wanted somebody fired. After what happened in ninety four, the
two thousand and one Alcs. Let's face it, we fall

(04:16):
down two to Oh. Hope is lost pretty quickly in
that series. But You're eight outs away from a dream
being realized, a dream that no matter who you are,
no matter what college team you root for, in this town,
no matter what political party you subscribe to, everybody has
shared a dream together for.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Forty nine years in this town.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
And it slipped through our fingers at the worst possible
time yesterday at about god, what time did this all happen?

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Like seven thirty or so? You thing seven forty five?

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yesterday at seven thirty seven forty five was the biggest
gut punch I've ever taken in my life as a
sportsman ever. And I remember being in the Seahawk locker room.
I think you may have been there to Dick in
Detroit after the game with the Steelers, and I have
these vivid memories of talking to Grant Wistrom twenty years ago,

(05:14):
and he looks at me because he knew what it
was like to lose one, because he lost one with
the Rams, And he looked at me and he said,
the worst thing about this is now we get to
go back to the beginning and start all over again.
And that's the worst thing for me. I remember sitting
there in that locker room. I remember talking to Mike
Gastineau and Pat Haller at Duke's on Queen Anne. It's
now Buckley's. It was Dukes back then after the ninety

(05:36):
five season, was over thinking, We're going to the World
Series next year. We got a Rod, we got Griffy,
we got Buner, we got Randy, we got Lou And
here we are thirty years later, and we're still everig
waiting thirty years later for it to happen. So I
go in between. I go in between the anger, the frustration.
I want to rip somebody, I want to point fingers,

(05:57):
I want to be angry at people, and I just honestly,
I keep coming back to the same emotional spot, which
is just absolute sadness. I was talking to Andrews about
this this morning. Fifty two years old. I'm driving home
bawl my eyes out like I'm ten years old.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
It's unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
Couldn't believe it, could not believe how much I had
a problem with what happened last night.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
And I had to check myself.

Speaker 5 (06:20):
Dude.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
I had to actually tell myself, dude, you're fifty two
years old. Why are you allowing these things to impact
you so much? And I guess that's just kind of
where I'm at right now. Maybe I shouldn't let this
impact me so much. Maybe none of us should really
allow any of this to have this kind of impact
on our lives because there's nothing we can do about it.
We have no effect, no impact, no say, no nothing

(06:45):
over any of this. We live and die by the
actions of others and the accomplishments of others.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
That is the epitome of being a sports fan.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
And if we're going to continue doing this, then we
got to admit that nights like last night are going
to be possible again and again and again and again,
not just what the Mariners Dick, but with any team
that we root for.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
And that we love.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
And I just don't know when last night is gonna
happen again. I don't know when we're gonna be in
that position again. I'm hoping it's very soon. I do
think the Mariners are building something that could sustain itself.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
For a while.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
But you never know.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
We talked about this in the pregame, did we not.
You never know when the American League is going to
be this wide open. You never know when you're gonna
have two guys like Suarez and Naylor at the deadline,
come help out your baseball team. And you never know
when you're gonna have a year like you just got
from cal Rawley. You never know when these things are
gonna happen. So for me, it's the not knowing and

(07:40):
the idea that it was there and now it's gone
and you never know if it's ever coming back.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
That is what is breaking my frickin' heart.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
And I'm sorry for all of us, man, I'm I'm
most sorry for the fans, I really am. I know
a lot of people say the players, Hey, look the players, man,
players are more like gold fish than we are. They'll
get over this, they'll move on, they'll go to spring training,
they'll sign contracts with other teams, right, they'll get traded,
they'll have other things to do. But the only consistent

(08:13):
thing about this sport, and it's not even the team,
because we know teams can move. We saw that with
our beloved Sonics. The only consistent thing, guys is us
is the fans. We're the only ones that stay. We're
the only ones that aren't going anywhere, and so we
are the ones that eventually will have to wear this
for the rest of our lives and this is the

(08:36):
worst scar today. And again, maybe I'll change my mind
Dick tomorrow, but for me, where I'm sitting right now,
the absolute unbelievable sadness that I feel in my heart
after what happened last night is the biggest scar that
I've ever ever ever felt as a sportsman.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
And it effing sucks. It sucks right now.

Speaker 6 (08:58):
Man.

Speaker 4 (08:59):
So sorry, Well, first of all, you don't have to
be sorry, and you don't have to check yourself, because
this is the reason that you're so beloved in this city.
I mean, let's be perfectly honest with you. I mean,
this is why, because there is not a sports fan
out there listening to this radio show that cares more

(09:20):
than you do. And so you're just being honest with everybody.
And that's all you can be is honest with everybody.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
I know that everyone. I'm not alone in that regardless.

Speaker 3 (09:28):
I understand that.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
I know that.

Speaker 4 (09:29):
But I mean to watch you last night and that
kind of let the Jackson. I know you weren't there,
but I mean we had this kind of unspoken thing.
I was sitting, Softie was pacing the whole night like
he was never sitting during the game. He's pacing, and
every once in a while we'd get done with an
inning and we'd just look at each other and we'd
flash twelve. We had twelve outs left, and then we'd
flash nine at each other. We had nine outs left,

(09:51):
and it was just like and that's all the communication
that there was, but just to watch him like the
combination of stress.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
But hope. I mean it was, you know, it was
palpable in that place.

Speaker 4 (10:03):
But for me, my emotions have kind of changed over
the last twenty four hours.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
They went from it.

Speaker 4 (10:10):
I was angry after the game, and I'm now more
of that kind I feel that nineteen ninety four to
Kemby Mutumbo holding the ball thing again where I just
feel sick. I woke up literally feeling sick to my
stomach this month. Yeah, I woke up like, God, did
I eat something?

Speaker 6 (10:28):
I did?

Speaker 4 (10:28):
I have forty seven margaritas that I didn't remember having,
Like what the hell happened to me? But then I
just go back and think at all the missed opportunities
during this playoff stretch. I didn't like how the pitching,
the starting pitching staff rotation was handled in the Detroit series,
but guess what we won the series anyway. In spite
of that, I didn't like how the starting pitching rotation

(10:51):
was handled in the.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
First three or four games of this series.

Speaker 4 (10:54):
But you know what, we got to Game seven, we
were able to overcome. I didn't like the fact that
we didn't show up for three and a half games
in a row, Games three, four, and six in their entirety,
and Game five until the eighth inning we.

Speaker 3 (11:11):
Got completely outplayed.

Speaker 4 (11:12):
I was happy that they showed up last night, but
you can I didn't like Kirby Is getting pulled as
early as he did. I didn't like wu getting pulled
as early as he did. But the but the absolute
damning moment of that game. And I had the weirdest
analogy last night that Steve still keeps coming into my head.

(11:32):
Second and third with George Springer at the plate is
like leaving a baby.

Speaker 3 (11:38):
In a stroller on the freeway.

Speaker 4 (11:41):
And you know that, hey, maybe if you put Springer
on something bad happens, But you gotta take the.

Speaker 3 (11:50):
Baby off the freeway.

Speaker 4 (11:53):
You have to take him off the He may not
do well on the sidewalk, but you gotta take him
off the freeway. And that was just the Bazar analogy
I had going through my head last night.

Speaker 3 (12:02):
They just left the baby on the freeway.

Speaker 1 (12:05):
Well, it's very graphic, it is, and very scary to
hear a baby on the freeway. I will say this
that that baby, if he was left on the freeway,
was surrounded potentially by cement pillars because he was on
one leg last night. And honestly, I am literally forgetting
what I said to you on the year and what
I said to you off.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
The ear yesterday. I understand.

Speaker 1 (12:26):
Do you remember we talked to each other about George
Springer and is he going to have a Kurt Gibson
moment tonight?

Speaker 2 (12:30):
Remember that?

Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yeah, I looked at Dick and again this may have
been off the air, and I said, after what Brian
Woo did to him, hit him in the kneecap, is
he going to come back to screw us?

Speaker 2 (12:41):
Is this going to be a Kurt Gibson? And damn it,
it was.

Speaker 7 (12:43):
You see it coming.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
You could absolutely see the sports gods creating this drama
where George Springer ends up being the hero.

Speaker 2 (12:51):
And look, I get it.

Speaker 1 (12:53):
You know, Munno's is available, Brash is available, Luis Castillo
is available, Bryce Miller is available. I do wonder though,
in an alternate universe if Bizardo gets it done.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
Because it was just a mistake. The pitch was not executed.

Speaker 1 (13:07):
I mean, Adam Jude did a great job breaking it
down in his column today and the Times that the
pitch was you can argue the right one. He just
didn't get it done. If he gets it done and
he does execute that pitch and we're sitting here going
to the World Series, one of the storylines is gonna
be Thank God for Edward Bizardo. Where would these guys

(13:27):
be without him? Where would they be without the mop
turning into the man? So right now, I don't have
a lot of anger towards Dan Wilson for going with
Bizardo there and the seventh inning I did last night,
I did this morning.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Right now I don't and maybe tomorrow I will change. Yeah,
I'm just.

Speaker 1 (13:45):
Overwhelmed and overcome the whole thing. Jackson is just covered
in sadness, and that's where I'm coming from.

Speaker 8 (13:54):
Last night was interesting for me. You guys know, my
wife's a therapist and we spent a lot of time. Yeah,
after the game, we talked about kind of you know
what the next week's gonna be like, you know, I
was kind of talking to her like like, you probably
know what I said. You probably know what I'm about
to go through over the next few days better than
I do.

Speaker 7 (14:10):
So we kind of talked through it.

Speaker 8 (14:11):
And She's like, the whole five stages of grief and
the whole element of you one to the other to
the other, that's that doesn't exactly apply here. You are
going to morph from stage to stage, given the moment,
given the hour, given the conversation. And it kind of
opened my eyes to this element of, hey, we and
you know this could I think goes for each of us.

(14:32):
We shouldn't be having to feel a certain way. We
should be able to just drift from feelings of anger
to feelings to bar I mean the bargaining right now,
we're talking about if we had done this, the anger
at Dan Wilson, if we had done that, you know,
that's the element of bargaining, the denial of of oh
my gosh, are we really gonna have to go back
to the start the depression. That clearly the element of

(14:53):
waking up feelings sick in that sadness. We're morphing from
stage to stage, and I think for all Marin Heer fans.
We don't have to go through a certain cycle to
acceptance feel the way we're going to feel, because it's
going to be an off season of all of these
different emotions, and we'll jump from one to the other.
Right now, I am freaking pissed off at Dan Wilson
in a stage of anger, but I'll probably go backwards

(15:14):
to bargaining and I'll make my way eventually to depression.

Speaker 7 (15:17):
We're all going to morph from state and it's just.

Speaker 8 (15:20):
Gonna be sucky for a long time because there's no
other place to be than suckitude until we get another
shot at this damn thing.

Speaker 1 (15:28):
Well, this is kind of and I'm really curious to
see how we feel in April. Well, we go to
T Mobile Park. Oh boy, and they raised that division banner.
Oh remember that conversation we have. Yeah, and I told
you guys that I would have done it before a
game one of the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (15:44):
Everybody's in a good mood.

Speaker 1 (15:46):
You haven't lost yet, you haven't kicked it yet, nothing's
happened bad. Everyone's happy in this moment. Let's take advantage
of the window and let's throw the division banner up
right now and now we're gonna have to go over
there in April. Not have to, but you know, you
get it and see that thing rise, and I don't

(16:07):
know how.

Speaker 2 (16:07):
I'm going to feel. I don't know how any of
us are going to feel on that day.

Speaker 1 (16:11):
We talked about this yesterday, that one of these teams
is going to have a hero, and the hero for
the Blue Jays was George Springer.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
You know what we get.

Speaker 1 (16:18):
We get to see that home run over and over
and over again. That's what we get to see, just
like you go to an NBC pregame show on Sunday
night and you see Malcolm Butler, you see to Kem
and Mtumbo thirty years later with the ball over his
head laying on the Colosseum floor.

Speaker 3 (16:33):
It's always us, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (16:34):
It's always us. And now we get to see George
Springer with a three run home run to give the
Blue Jays one of their greatest moments in franchise history.
And what you just said right there, Dick, the empty
feeling that we are left with now as Marina fans
is kind of usually what we're always left with as
Marina fans. And somebody asked me last night what are

(16:57):
we supposed to do now, Well, we do what we've
always done.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
We just keep waiting.

Speaker 1 (17:02):
There's nothing else to do, nothing else to do. He
just keep waiting. And you want to jump off the wagon,
go for it. You want to pick a new team
to root for, go for it. You can't stand it anymore.
I get it. I mean, this is a half a
century that we've been waiting for this. Now, this isn't
ten years, this is a half. This is a lifetime
that we've been waiting for this. People asking me why
was this so important to you?

Speaker 2 (17:22):
Are you kidding me?

Speaker 9 (17:23):
Like?

Speaker 1 (17:24):
Really, like you need to know the context. You know
the context. You're a kid. Baseball's every day during the
summer when you're not doing anything, and all you're doing
is watching baseball for three months in June, July and
August every single day. Your first love for a lot
of us was baseball. And then let's go ahead and
combine that with the fact that we've waited fifty years,
and let's go ahead and combine that with the idea

(17:44):
that this franchise has basically made us to believe from
a very young age that the World Series is impossible
for us because of the way that they've behaved on
the field off the field, and their track record of success.
And now we get to go back and see that
run again. And now we get to go back and
look at a list again today that everybody is sending

(18:05):
out that says Seattle Mariners last World Series Never. We
still live in that reality and we were so close
to that reality changing last night, and it makes me sick.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
Sick.

Speaker 1 (18:19):
I'm with you, sick that it didn't happen. We'll get
a break, we get some phone calls. If you want
two age six ninety five, ninety five, you want to
jump on and vent, have at it, text messages, have
at it.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
Larry Stone's going to share his thoughts too. At three on.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
Ninety three to three KJRFM, you're listening to a special
crack in Game Day where you could win a dream
trip to Tokyo by donating blood today.

Speaker 5 (18:44):
For all the details, log on to BLOODWORKSNW dot org
slash win.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
Now back to SAFTI and Dick.

Speaker 7 (18:52):
Brian was throwing the ball so well.

Speaker 9 (18:53):
You know, first of all, Georgie I thought through the
ball excellent, and then Brian picked up right where George
left off. And you know gave us a good spot
to be in and and you know, after the walk,
you know, hoping to get the ground ball, which we did,
but it just found a hole and then you know
knew it was going to bunt there. And and you know,

(19:14):
Bizarto has been the guy that's that's gotten us through
those situations, those tight ones, especially in the pivot role.
And you know that's that's where we were going at
that point.

Speaker 1 (19:22):
A huge bomber, huge, huge bomber last night, uh in Toronto,
no question about it.

Speaker 2 (19:27):
And I'll tell you what it compounds it a little.

Speaker 1 (19:29):
Bit for me, losing to those bastards in Toronto. I
got a good dose of what they are all about.
We all ready kind of knew that we were annoyed
by them with how many fans like to show up
in our ballpark. Ask Andrews about what it was like
for him in center field during that series.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
Did you talk to Andrews about that? By the way,
I haven't. Oh he's got video the whole thing. Get assaulted?
He did?

Speaker 6 (19:52):
He did?

Speaker 3 (19:53):
Oh, yeah, I did hear about that?

Speaker 10 (19:54):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (19:55):
So they summer chat wagon, right, They are a They.

Speaker 1 (19:57):
Are an unruly bunch that I I I actually texted
Blake Snell this morning and I said, do me a favor,
kick their ass. I have no desire to see Toronto
win the World Series. So I don't know how much
I'm even gonna watch the series. But when I watch,
I'm gonna be a big Dodger fan. I don't think
you'll be watching much. I don't knowing you knowing us,
I don't think you'll be watching much. Factor fiction brought

(20:18):
to you by the Lucky Eagle Casino in a hotel.
Dick has the pick in a matter of minutes. Let's
go to the phone lines. Guys, just jump on and
I just go share your thoughts, James and Edmunds.

Speaker 2 (20:27):
James, you're on the air. What's happening?

Speaker 6 (20:29):
Man?

Speaker 10 (20:31):
Hey, guys, just yeah, this is one of those things
her minds.

Speaker 11 (20:35):
You just how.

Speaker 10 (20:38):
Dangerous of a business, you know, being a sports fan
can be.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
You know it?

Speaker 10 (20:43):
Just so I was just, you know, my.

Speaker 11 (20:46):
Eleven year old daughter, she liked basketball and HUNTSU. I'm
more of a football and baseball guy. We never really
watched sports together. And this kind of postseason we started
watching baseball together. And she's been talking about it with
her friends at school and and uh, you know, last
night I was I was working, I worked from.

Speaker 10 (21:06):
Home and kind of had the game on the monitor
as I was working a little bit and started watching
paying more attention to the game, and my daughter joined
me and and they you know, slowly like the Manners
team that he's playing, you know, a big game, and
and it was just so great to see her excitement.
And I was kind of, you know, pointing out real
things about the game to her, and I was like, oh,

(21:26):
this is what this means, and and and then you know,
it's and then it's you know, it's one to one,
and it's two to one, and yeah the Ralley Hole
run three to one. And then she's looking.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
At you know what, James just sound just like Loopanela.

Speaker 1 (21:40):
Well, it was won to one and then we took
the leader and then we gave it back. Yeah, James,
I get James. I'm gonna let you go because we've
gotta grab some more calls here. But I totally get it, man.
I mean, like everybody wants to you know, vent a
little bit here. But the point that that I'm taking
from James's call is that, like I'm I'm never gonna
have this chance of my dad, Your dad's how old now?

Speaker 2 (22:04):
And let's hope that you do. Okay, Yeah, but that
was the shot man.

Speaker 1 (22:07):
Of course, for other people out there, like James, who
never got that shot with what maybe James's dad's still around,
I should not assume that you want to be able
to share these things with people and you never know
when they're coming back, and it scares.

Speaker 2 (22:22):
The hell out.

Speaker 8 (22:22):
So yeah, really quick, James on hold was a lot
more succintive that The thing I wanted to get across
that he said on hold of me was that watching
the game with my daughter, we found a new level
of our relationship by watching baseball and seeing.

Speaker 7 (22:35):
The disappline on her face was unlike anything this time.
That's yeah, this is.

Speaker 4 (22:40):
The first time my daughter has ever watched baseball, yeah,
at all, and she got into these playoffs and she
watched every pitch.

Speaker 1 (22:46):
This is why I kept telling you guys, this is different.
This is different than the NFL because it's every freaking day, like,
aren't you guys exhausted after what we just went through.
Exhausted every single damn night, the up and down, the
roller coaster, the upper cuts, Get on the mat, get
off the mat.

Speaker 2 (23:03):
You're back on the mat, you're back in the ring.

Speaker 1 (23:05):
It's exhausting, and that's why it's so different than any
other sport out there.

Speaker 2 (23:11):
Imagine if the NFC Championship.

Speaker 1 (23:13):
Was played a quarter for four days in a row,
how you'd feel about that, and there was a break
in between, and two of the quarters were in somebody
else's park.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
It's nuts. All right, let's get the Factor fiction right now?
Where's that to go?

Speaker 5 (23:25):
Glad you're with us, it's your shot at our weekly
thousand bucks and the ten thousand dollars grand prize. It's
Fact Door Fiction, probably presented by Lucky Eagle Casino and
hotel where every day feels lucky. Fact Door Fiction is
on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJR.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
Alright, we're gonna grab more calls next segment.

Speaker 1 (23:47):
We're hanging out till three twenty before the Kraken coming
up today at the Capitols pregame three thirty faced off
at four in for Ian Furness. Everybody on hold, stay
with us. We'll have more group of therapy next segment.
But that's Tuesday. It's Dick day. Factor fiction. What do
you got? Very simple? The Chicago Bears are four and two.
I do not believe they are four and two football team.

(24:07):
The Baltimore Ravens are one and five. I do not
believe the Baltimore Ravens are a one and five football team.
They're getting healthier, and they absolutely have to win this
game at home. Give me the Ravens minus six and
a half against the Chicago Ravens minus the points against Chicago.
You like it, fact, you hate it? Fiction to four
nine four five one. Jackson has a very skeptical look.

Speaker 7 (24:28):
Dick, are you aware of Lamar Jackson?

Speaker 2 (24:29):
Is he is?

Speaker 6 (24:30):
He's not?

Speaker 3 (24:31):
We don't know for sure.

Speaker 7 (24:33):
You have watched their backup right.

Speaker 8 (24:35):
I watch these guys worse than Nathan Peter.

Speaker 3 (24:39):
I am betting on the cum.

Speaker 4 (24:40):
I'm betting on the cum that Lamar Jackson's gonna give
it a go because he has to give it a go.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
See, I think this.

Speaker 1 (24:45):
I think Dick is smart here because if we don't
get this pick correct, none of us are gonna care.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
Because we're all just covered in sadness.

Speaker 1 (24:55):
It's just gonna get put underneath the big third pile.

Speaker 4 (24:58):
Hey, we're one in zero on the week already, because
Softy nailed the Seahawks yesterday how about that.

Speaker 2 (25:03):
Well, thanks for the laugh, Jackson. By the way, I
needed that.

Speaker 1 (25:06):
To thirty seven Ravens minus the points Factor Fiction to
four nine four five one brought to you by Lucky
Egle Casino in hotel where every day feels lucky. We're
going twenty four every Friday and Saturday. Twenty four hour
gaming starts November seventh at Luckyeagle dot com.

Speaker 2 (25:21):
We're gonna break phone calls. Everyone's on hold.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
We'll try and kind of condense our thoughts if we
can a little bit on the phone lines. Guys, you
know we're getting after here, and everybody jump on share
your thoughts so we'll get somebody else on. That's the
way this works here with phone calls go. Group therapy
continues and then Larry stone Man, what a day to
have him on. He will join us at three on
ninety three three KJRFM.

Speaker 5 (25:45):
You're listening to a special cracking game day where you
could win a dream trip to Tokyo by donating blood today.
For all the details, log on to Blood works NW
dot org. Slash win Now back to.

Speaker 12 (25:59):
Soft super Proud of these guys. It was a great
team effort. You know, I hate to use the word failure,
But it's a failure.

Speaker 7 (26:09):
I mean, that's what.

Speaker 12 (26:11):
We expected just to get to a World Series, win
World Series, and that's you know what the bar is
and the standard is, and you know that's what we
want to hold ourselves accountable.

Speaker 2 (26:19):
To the voice of cal Raley.

Speaker 5 (26:22):
You know.

Speaker 1 (26:22):
Look, I mean it's possible that you know, as Humanland
likes to say, two truths can exist at one time. Right,
But it was a great season that ended in massive,
massive disappointment. And what will you take away from this year?
Do you take away the run? Do you take away
being close close as you've ever been? Or do you
take away the heartbreak? And right now I take away

(26:42):
the heartbreak. Right now, I take away the sadness of
that game last night.

Speaker 4 (26:46):
Man, No, I agree, And I mean you think back we
lost in all those other years too, and we think
fondly about ninety five, we think fondly about two thousand.
I don't think as fondly about two thousand and one
because we were the favorites to.

Speaker 3 (26:57):
Win the whole damn thing and we didn't even go
to the World Series.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
But I'm gonna I think I'm gonna end up thinking
more fondly about this season than I even did of
two thousand and one.

Speaker 2 (27:04):
Chris is in wes Sattle.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Chris here on the air, grab a seat on the couch, Chris,
talk to us.

Speaker 13 (27:12):
Yeah, I heard you mentioned the NFL, and I've heard
you say you know that a World's thirties title would
be bigger than the Super Bowl.

Speaker 7 (27:19):
I think we can all put that notion in the bed.

Speaker 13 (27:21):
As a Mariner's season take a holder as well as Seahawks.
It was so difficult to see tickets available at states
value or even less for this series as well as
the last. I've never had an issue getting read of
tickets for Seahawks or Husky. It was hard to even
get my tickets away. Also, to be shocked at the
Mariners let us down, that's a bit absurd. All we've

(27:43):
ever done is let us down.

Speaker 6 (27:44):
And it's pretty clear that we didn't.

Speaker 13 (27:46):
Have the roster to compete with the Dodgers.

Speaker 6 (27:48):
But I'll listen off the air.

Speaker 1 (27:50):
Well, I guess I'm just confused as he's saying that
he agrees that the World Series would be bigger or
he doesn't agree. He said we can put that notion
to bed, and then he ripped everybody for Seahawk tickets
being so cheap, So what's the I don't know.

Speaker 8 (28:04):
I kind of get the feeling like in one of
the things I thought I got off the air was
that this is just a disaster and they're only going
to ever continue to let us down because the World
Series it's not forced to go off the one that
we were talking about, right, it's not forced, and we
can put it to bed that it'll ever.

Speaker 6 (28:18):
Be for it.

Speaker 1 (28:18):
Well, but what we did see last night, if I
understood Chris properly, and.

Speaker 2 (28:23):
Hey, look man, whatever, right.

Speaker 1 (28:25):
Well, all of us are emotional, so you could be
talking in Chinese for all I know. I was a
little bit surprised at how little people gave a crap
about that Seahawk game last night, up against Game seven. Now,
to be fair, it's Game seven, biggest Mariner game in history,
So if it took that to get to that point,

(28:46):
then okay, right, but you were there.

Speaker 6 (28:48):
I was there.

Speaker 1 (28:49):
Tickets were fifty bucks to get in the door. It
was preseason pricing.

Speaker 2 (28:53):
So I don't know.

Speaker 1 (28:55):
Maybe Chris is agreeing with me that, hey, maybe we
did see what happens when this baseball team gives us
something like, that's what we're saying.

Speaker 4 (29:02):
Yeah, we we were so hungry to see something that
we saw last night, and we figured out, you know,
I can, I can go to the Seaoffs game whatever
a couple of weeks, you know, but I went to
the I'm a huge Hawks fan, but I still waited
until that.

Speaker 3 (29:13):
Springer home run before I went in.

Speaker 4 (29:14):
And plus I was doing the postgame show for the
Hawks game, so I probably needed to watch some of
the Hawks game in order to do that.

Speaker 7 (29:20):
But you know, you go.

Speaker 3 (29:21):
The vibe was so weird in that building.

Speaker 4 (29:23):
I didn't go in until after the spring home run,
so we probably already knew that we were we were
going to lose, but there was a lot of seats available.
But for the people that were there, I thought they
were pretty loud in that second half. I thought they
did a good job.

Speaker 1 (29:35):
Ashton's in Tacoma. You're on the air, Ashton, go ahead, man, Hey, how's.

Speaker 6 (29:40):
It going with Auti and Dick? I love your guys show.

Speaker 14 (29:42):
First of all, I'm from Hawaii originally, and so I
grew up watching Marina baseball from Hawaii my pop and
we eventually moved out here. But it's it's been a
fantastic series, and it's been so much fun watching it
with my dad, and I just wanted to get that out,
you know, I have available to vent that. My dad
was on ship last night. He's a firefighters, so I

(30:04):
didn't get to watch it with him. But yeah, it's
just been fantastic.

Speaker 6 (30:08):
A lot of fun. Yeah, and I hope for it
in the future.

Speaker 1 (30:11):
I love him and I appreciate the call it, you know.
You know it's funny about that. And I don't know, man,
maybe this is just me. Maybe I'm just a complete
knuckle ahead. I didn't have any fun at all during
this run because I was stressed out beyond belief. Every game,
every pitch, every pitching change, every pinch, hit, everything, everything

(30:34):
stressed me out. I mean, honestly, like you saw me,
I was breaking out like a teenager.

Speaker 2 (30:39):
Unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
So I would not classify this as fun because of
how exhausting and how stressful it was.

Speaker 7 (30:46):
Maybe you guys just maybe answered that for him.

Speaker 8 (30:48):
But as a younger person who experienced this for the
first time in my adult life, did you have fun?

Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yes?

Speaker 8 (30:55):
But the question I have on that regard, Softie, for
both of you guys is being that you experienced, you know,
ninety five through A one. Was this easier having gone
through before? Because I look at my life and I say,
if I have to wait another twenty four years next
time I go through this set seven game series, will it.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
Be any easier?

Speaker 7 (31:15):
Because this wasn't easy.

Speaker 3 (31:16):
I don't think it was easier because it's been so long.

Speaker 4 (31:18):
If you gone, if we had have gone through it
in like twenty fifteen, right then it probably would have
been easier.

Speaker 3 (31:24):
But we haven't been through it in twenty four years.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
Because here's the thing.

Speaker 1 (31:28):
Honestly, guys, this really should not be this big of
a deal. Making the playoffs and going to the ALCS
should not be this big a deal.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
It is a big deal because we never go. So
it's a big deal.

Speaker 1 (31:43):
And that's what made it stressful, that, my god, we
have a chance to do something we've never done and
we efing blew it, efing blew it, gave it away.

Speaker 2 (31:52):
Let it slip through your fingers.

Speaker 1 (31:54):
So yeah, I mean, you know, somebody was tweeting me
last night about the the the grants in Game five
that that's now Jermaine curses catch against the Patriots, that
nobody will remember that that's right and because of the
way the series went well and I heard and that's
still one of our greatest moments. The Sad Sack franchise,

(32:14):
one of their greatest moments is in a game that
didn't even really mean anything.

Speaker 3 (32:19):
And I heard Mark talk about that today.

Speaker 4 (32:21):
He was like, I got to see the greatest moment
in Mariner history, the Gino home run. I don't think
you did, because it didn't even win the series.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
Freaking series.

Speaker 2 (32:32):
I agree. If they won the series, it would have
landed differently. Dick.

Speaker 1 (32:35):
I'm with you, and I said the exact same thing
when it happened. I told my wife, you just saw
the biggest hit in Mariner baseball history.

Speaker 2 (32:41):
Not anymore, not anymore.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
Win the Serigar's number one Drew in Seattle, Drew.

Speaker 2 (32:46):
You are on the air, go ahead.

Speaker 6 (32:48):
I might be the only snow glow positive person in
the city.

Speaker 15 (32:52):
But here's why.

Speaker 6 (32:53):
We got swept by Houston, and.

Speaker 2 (32:55):
Everybody was bummed about that.

Speaker 6 (32:57):
But they had hope for the future. This is the
start something.

Speaker 15 (33:00):
The next year we didn't go to the playoffs, and
then it felt like it was gonna be the status quo.
Last night with a first year manager of the worst
eight or nine hitters in a lineup possible. With our
worst starter out most of the playoffs, we were.

Speaker 6 (33:14):
Eight ounce away.

Speaker 15 (33:16):
No, Dapoto's aware of that and will be making this
call next year saying that we are now.

Speaker 6 (33:21):
In the World Chairs and we'll call you back in
the year from now, Dad close.

Speaker 15 (33:26):
We're gonna get there.

Speaker 6 (33:27):
It just doesn't feel like it is, ay, but we will.
This is different.

Speaker 15 (33:30):
I mean, going to game since nineteen eighty two, this
is different.

Speaker 1 (33:33):
Okay, Well, I'll just say this, and I hope you're right.
I hope to God you're right, uh, Drew. But we
also thought after the ninety five season, you've got Griffy,
Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buner, Randy Johnson at Loupanela,
and we thought they were set up primo. We thought
they were set up for a run for four or
five years to dominate the American League.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
And it never happened like that.

Speaker 4 (33:56):
I was one hundred times more sure that day after
the Malcolm interception that we would go to the Super
Bowl next year than I am that the Mariners are
going to go to the World Series next year.

Speaker 3 (34:05):
And we have never made it back, Let's get a break.

Speaker 1 (34:08):
Larry Stone man, he was on the air with us
a week ago, right at this I think this exact time.
Were we off the air for a hockey game last
week too?

Speaker 2 (34:15):
Maybe we were.

Speaker 1 (34:16):
And we asked him what are we talking about in
seven days? And he said, we're talking about going to
the World Series. And here we are and we're not
going to the World Series. Larry Stone joins next, he.

Speaker 16 (34:27):
Hurts, well, with so much work and effort throughout this
whole year, and like you know it's over.

Speaker 6 (34:32):
It's baseball.

Speaker 2 (34:33):
It's so synonymous with life. We have faith as Mariners
fans and this team should more than they've shown in
our lifetime.

Speaker 12 (34:39):
The hurts and like I said, I'm proud of the
guys in this room.

Speaker 2 (34:42):
I love every single one of them.

Speaker 7 (34:43):
We can't far.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
We did our best.

Speaker 12 (34:45):
We have to feel proud this season.

Speaker 16 (34:47):
I wasn't very special for everybody, and I.

Speaker 15 (34:49):
Gave by with my dad And like Gino's frenn slam
and the Mary says, bring me so much joy.

Speaker 7 (34:54):
In knocking on the door of a World Series. It's
a special team.

Speaker 3 (34:57):
Now being a marriage man, it's you rally.

Speaker 6 (34:59):
You know you're there.

Speaker 3 (35:00):
Used to it is, you know, watching.

Speaker 5 (35:01):
Game six, tasting the sweetness of October baseball. Congratulations to
the Seattle Mariners on their historical.

Speaker 11 (35:08):
Run the whole city of Seattle.

Speaker 2 (35:10):
What a great ruck. Care'd you be romantic about baseball?

Speaker 5 (35:13):
From your die hard sports fans, It's Sports Radio ninety
three point three KJR FM.

Speaker 16 (35:19):
Like, really, thank you for the support for all the
things you had to have done, like all the energy
have brought to the field, and he's going.

Speaker 2 (35:25):
To be in our memory forever.

Speaker 8 (35:28):
Roof now pay later, no payments until twenty twenty seven,
zero down, zero payments and zero interest for up to
twenty four months.

Speaker 7 (35:35):
Hey, it's e and for NASA State Roofing and Exteriors.

Speaker 5 (35:37):
Since it's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports
writer Larry Stone. Brought to you by the Ram Restaurant
and Brewery, Bigger, better and fresher since nineteen seventy one,
with eight Fugit Sound locations from Marysville to Lacey and
everywhere in between. There's a Ram there you now with
Softy and Dick, here's Larry Stone.

Speaker 1 (35:59):
We know we had Larry on the air and we
asked him at the end of the conversation when we're
talking a week from now, what is the conversation going.

Speaker 2 (36:07):
To be all about?

Speaker 1 (36:10):
And Larry, you told us we'd be talking about this
team in the World Series and they were eight outs away. Man,
biggest gut punch is a fan for me, I know,
Dick Vane agrees with that.

Speaker 2 (36:21):
Jackson agrees with that.

Speaker 1 (36:23):
Why don't we just give you the floor and let
you respond to one of the absolute biggest heartbreaks I
think any of us have ever been a part of,
and maybe the biggest ever.

Speaker 2 (36:38):
Your thoughts on what we saw last night?

Speaker 6 (36:40):
Yeah, well I was at the Seahawks when they lost
in the last second. This was comparable to that, I think,
But the difference was they had won the title the
year before. This team was trying to get to the
Championship round for the first time. And what's so maddening
is it was in their grasp. It was there, you know, uh,

(37:01):
going up to to nothing on the road, then then
faltering at home and and but but winning that great
Game five that swore as Grand Slam, and and then
losing two on the road again, and then then blowing
a three to one lead in the in the seventh
inning It's just it's unfathomable. Just you know, the what

(37:21):
comes to my mind is the the ted Lasso line.
It's the hope that will kill you. You know. Fans
were just allowed themselves to finally dream the impossible dream
there and it was snatched away from him. And I
think that just makes it exponentially more more painful, is
if they had started to believe against their better judgment.

Speaker 4 (37:40):
Larry Dan has taken a lot of heat, no question
about it, not just for the seventh inning, but for
for a lot of different decisions. How warranted is that criticism.
Let's just kind of focus on game number seven right now.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (37:53):
Uh. The the decision to bring in Bizarto I just
didn't agree with at the time, and I find it,
you know, the more I the more I reflect on it,
the worst the worse it becomes. It's it's the leverage
situation of all leverage situations. You know that the seasons
on the line, you go to your best guy, and

(38:13):
your best guy is munnos Uh. You know he hadn't
faced uh uh. He hadn't faced Springer yet in the
in the postseason, he had he was fresh, he hadn't
worked for two days but Zardo had worked two innings.
Granted he's only thrown fifteen pitches in those two innings
the day before, incredibly efficient two innings. But uh, I

(38:35):
think in that situation, you just you got to live
and die with your with your best guy, right, and
and it's it's Munno. So uh, I think it just
started to careen out of control when when that decision
was made.

Speaker 1 (38:47):
So talk me through kind of how that would have
played out, because some folks would say, and I saw
Ben Verlander, who covers baseball as Justin's brother, all over
Twitter agreeing with you, right, saying they should have gone
to Munno's the ninth inning at that point in time,
be damned, get this out, get out of there, and
we can worry about the eighth and worry about the

(39:08):
ninth when they come around. Would that have been kind
of your mo that the only thing that matters right
now is getting out of here and we can deal
with the eighth in ten minutes.

Speaker 6 (39:19):
Yeah, exactly. I think in the best case scenario, Muss
gets out of that jam, works the eighth, and then
depending on his pitch count, maybe we even bring him
back to start the ninth. But you also have all
those starters that could finish the game. You know, it
could have been Miller, it could have been Castillo, you

(39:40):
had a rested spire. You know, there were options there
that you could have gone to in the ninth, but
you know, you got to get there. And you know,
it reminded me of the year that I think it
was twenty fourteen when Buck Showalter never brought in his
closer who was that year it had like fifty something
saved Britain because he was saving him for a safe

(40:03):
situation that never came. And I don't know if you remember,
but he was just lamb based it by you know,
all the stat nerds everybody and the same people who
are lamb basing Wilson as a matter of fact.

Speaker 1 (40:15):
Well why, I mean, but let's let's let's try to
approach it from the other side for a second. Why
would he not do that?

Speaker 6 (40:22):
Right? Like?

Speaker 2 (40:22):
What what were they thinking? And you know Dan was.

Speaker 1 (40:26):
Asked about it last night, and I think Adam wrote
about this in the paper that you know, Dan's never
going to give you anything really of detail. He's gonna
speak in tongues, he's gonna use pliches. It's a lot
of coach speak. He's never gonna get to the point.
I mean, Jetfish is the exact opposite with the media,
right that that Wilson's the same guy now Larry with

(40:47):
the media as he was when he's a player. But
if you were in a private moment with Dan and
you asked him, what was your logic in going to
Bizardo and not going to Munyo's, what do you think
he would say?

Speaker 6 (41:00):
Well, I think he would say, one, I wanted to
save Munno's for the final two innings. That's his role,
That's been his role all season. And he would say
I've seen Bizarto get out of jams like this all season,
and he did it in Game five miraculously against Detroit,
and you know, wriggled out of him seemingly impossible situation.

(41:22):
The night before, he'd breathed through two innings on like
I said, fifteen pitches and two innings, fourteen strikes, he
had struck out Springer or I'm not sure if he had,
but he'd gotten Springer out, and so I think that's
what he would go on. We believe in Bizardo. He's
done it all year and that was his spot. But

(41:45):
you know that I think that's fine for every other game,
but in a month, a true must win game, I
think you've got to not just fall back on that's
what we've done all year.

Speaker 4 (42:00):
Ry he'd been able to stretch it out a little
more if he had had his starter, who was absolutely nails,
go another inning. I was stunned when I saw that
George Kirby was taken out of that game.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
Were you surprised?

Speaker 6 (42:13):
No, I wasn't, And I just I disagree with you
on that one. I don't blame I don't blame him
for that one. I mean, the third time through the
order is is a huge consideration. It was nine to
one two, so he would have started around the third
time in that fifth inning. Uh, he's We've seen Kirby
kind of falter in that third time around the order before.

(42:35):
I think you you you got I think they they
had it set up perfectly four for four for Kirby,
three for Wu and then two the final two for
Munnos and it just got away from him when Wu, uh,
you know, they facing the seven and eight hitters, gave
up a walk, which which was you know that really

(42:58):
came back to haunt him, and then a single that
I think it was kind of filefa that easily could
have been a double play if it's a couple of
seats in the other direction, but it wasn't, and what
it got through, and so that that's when he had
to get away from what I think they had drawn up,
which was WU for three innings that just didn't work
out well.

Speaker 1 (43:17):
Larry Stones with us and Larry Look, I mean obviously
for for years, for decades, right, we're going to be
debating this. I mean we still debate, you know, Kasazaki
Arthur Rhodes in New York in two thousand and one,
you know, twenty twenty four to twenty five years later.
So this is the beauty of baseball that these these
things are never ever going away. But you know, I

(43:38):
just wonder how much responsibility as well do we put
on the starting pitching for the rest of this series
and the bottom of the order for the Mariners that
just did not show up at all when, let's face it,
Blue Jays offense did.

Speaker 6 (43:53):
Yeah. No, I think that's that's spot on you. You asked,
when you asked me last week who we'd be talking
about the Mariners in the World Series. I said, yeah,
and I said it's because they have better starting pitching,
a better bullpen, and better offense. And I think I
was wrong on just about every count there. You know,
I think, uh, maybe in the big picture they have

(44:15):
a better bullpen and better starting but it did not
show up in the series. And same with the offense,
because you know they had they had three guys over
one thousand ops in Naylor, Julio, and cal but pretty
much that was it. Canzone oh ninety one, revas O
seventy one, Roblists oh seventy seven, Crawford won forty three.

(44:36):
I mean, they got nothing from the bottom of the order.
And then the starting pitching, which is the strength of
this team, just didn't come through. Castillo had a short
start where he got hit around. Uh, you know, Gilbert
didn't look good at all, and two starts. Kirby had
that one really bad start. Uh. The only guy who

(44:57):
really came through was was Miller, guy who wouldn't have
even been starting if who was healthy. He had He
had the one great starting Game one and then was
solid again in his next start. So that was the
most disappointing thing to me, I think was the starting
pitching was not as dominant as I think we all
thought it would be. I mean, how many years have

(45:18):
we said the Mariners were a team built for the postseason,
just get in and with that starting rotation, they would
they they could go all the way, and they got
in and the starting rotation for whatever reason, I honestly,
you know, I thought this, and I think Schmolt said
the same thing, sort of validing what I had been thinking.
That fifteen inning game kind of threw everything off. You know,

(45:41):
you had to use both Castillo and and Gilbert, and
I think it just it just threw off everything. The
guys pitching on short rest, and I'm not sure that
they ever they ever got back to themselves, and so
you know, I mean that's excuse making and everything, but
I think that may have been a factor.

Speaker 4 (46:02):
Larry, do you think this failure will actually help them
in the future, maybe as soon as next year.

Speaker 6 (46:10):
I I you would, you would hope so in a
couple of ways. Dick motivation obviously for the players, like
you know, not wanting to have that happen again, you know,
re dedicating themselves to ensuring that it's not going to
happen again, that sort of thing, And you'd hope that
for management ownership. It would make them, you know, want

(46:32):
to do everything it takes to build a team and
fill the weaknesses of this team that were evident that
that were evident as the postseason went on. You know,
they were short a bat and they were short a
relief arm. You know, to to to to address those
and and make sure that you know that they're a
team that Excuse me, if they get in that situation again,

(46:56):
can can get over the hump.

Speaker 1 (46:57):
Well, I'm very curious to see how ownership response to this,
you know, I mean, they blew a ten game lead
a year ago, and we saw how they responded over
the offseason, and it was with nothing. They went and
got Polonko for seven point five million is their big ticket.
But I don't think anybody thought Hora Polonko would do
what he was going to do, including Hora Polonko. And

(47:20):
I do also wonder, you know, for Stanton Larson. You know,
the people that control the purse strings over there. Man,
if it's ever a time to do it, it's now.
Because of what you just said. They should be motivated
after this failure, after smelling it and tasting it. They
should want it now as badly as they've ever wanted it,
And let's face it, guys, this coming off season could

(47:41):
be the last offseason that they're ever expected to go
out and spend a buttload of money because there could
be a salary cap in twenty twenty six. Who knows
where this thing's going with the lockout Larry in December. Man,
So are we going to get a real feel for
how motivated these guys these guys are and how pissed

(48:02):
off they are about what happened yesterday by their actions
over this offseason?

Speaker 6 (48:07):
Yeah, I think that's that's a fair statement, and you know,
I'd be surprised theoretically if it didn't light a fire
hunt him to do to you know, the step that
they haven't always done in the past. I think starting
with Naylor, I think you've got to make that priority one.
And I think that's very doable. For everything he said

(48:29):
was how much he loved it here and playing here,
you know, love the ballpark, which a lot of free
agents don't say, uh, and the teammates and you know,
it just seems a perfect fit. That doesn't mean it's
going to happen, because there'll be other suitors, But I
think they can make make that happen. And you know,
I think there's a chance that this will help them

(48:51):
in the regard that Seattle hasn't been a great destination
for top level free agents beyond money, just I think
a lot of free agents want to go to a
chance place where they have a chance to win and
win a championship, and I don't think Seattle was perceived
as that place. But I think potential free agents can't help.
But look at what they have going now and how

(49:12):
close they got this year, and we realize that this
is a team that is poised to win a championship
with a few additions, and there may be some guys
who want to be that guy that puts them over
the top. And I think also the environment. I think
the fans going crazy in Seattle in those games on TV,

(49:34):
I think that played well also as a enticing you know,
place to play if you're a free agent. So we'll
see if you know. Still the money has to still
be right, but I think I think Seattle increased their
reputation as a good destination for free agents.

Speaker 3 (49:52):
How do you think we'll remember this team?

Speaker 4 (49:54):
Will you remember it?

Speaker 3 (49:55):
Fondley?

Speaker 6 (49:58):
Well, I think it's going to be a mixed thing.
I think it'll be remembered fondly as the team that
got him back to the Alcs and got within a
game of the World Series. But I think ultimately it
will be remembered. You know, cal Cal himself said it
a failure. You know, it's a harsh word, and you
could be a you could be a success and a failure.

(50:19):
This is this team was successful in a lot of ways,
but in the end it was a failure because they
didn't when they were so close and had it in
their grasp, they let it slip away. So I think
that that dual reality will be how this team is remembered,
but probably more towards the Springer home run will it'll
be painful. I think more than anything, it'll be a

(50:41):
painful memory of a season that had, up until the
seventh inning, had been you know, joyous and memorable and
all those positive things.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
Well, you said it perfectly at the top when you
said that, we all allowed ourselves to actually start believing
that this was going to happen, and they ripped it away.
And my wife told me last night when I got
home from you know, Jimmy, she said, you know what
I wish we were the Brewers. I wish we'd just
got our ass kicked in four consecutive games because that
would have been way less painful than this.

Speaker 6 (51:11):
You agree with that, Yes, I've thought that in the past.
Sometimes it hurts more to almost get there and have
you know, which technically is a more successful season. But
you know, like you said, when when you get your
butt kicked, or you don't even get that far, like
say they've lost to Detroit or something like that, I

(51:33):
think that would have been less painful than this than
to have to have it just just over the horizon.
But you can't get there.

Speaker 2 (51:41):
No doubt.

Speaker 1 (51:42):
Larry, listen man, love having you on this entire baseball season.
Couldn't have done it without you. And next time we
need a professional therapist to talk us through life's painful moments,
we will definitely be turning to you.

Speaker 2 (51:56):
All right, So stand by.

Speaker 6 (51:58):
Oh go as price for you guys, done usual rate?

Speaker 2 (52:03):
Yeah, Larry, love you. We'll talk somebody, okay, all right,
thanks guys.

Speaker 1 (52:07):
All right, Larry Stone with us on the air, we
got like a minute left.

Speaker 2 (52:13):
Was it a failure? You agree with cal Rawley.

Speaker 3 (52:15):
Oh, I think the series was a failure, no question.
The ending was a failure. I don't think the season
was a failure. Yes, it certainly.

Speaker 4 (52:21):
It certainly end as a big flop and and really
things that could have been prevented.

Speaker 3 (52:25):
That's what makes me saying.

Speaker 8 (52:27):
Right, Yeah, Jackson the successful year for me, and I
think that a lot of that is based on the
everything that came before last night.

Speaker 1 (52:36):
Yeah, I think, as Larry said, both of those truths
can exist. I think it was the greatest season in
Mariner baseball history. It came with an eight out of
the World Series. You got as far as you ever went,
but it also left me with the greatest disappointments I've
ever had in my life as a baseball fan. And
the further you go, the higher you climb, the harder

(52:59):
you fall. And this was the highest climb and it
was the hardest fall I've ever felt as a sports
fan in anything, Super Bowls, Huskies, basketball, baseball, whatever. So
we'll see you know again, Like we said earlier, what
are we supposed to now? We just keep waiting, man,
Just keep waiting and come back again next year because

(53:19):
there's nothing else to do. We'll get out of here.
Cracking Capital's pregame, Mike Benton's Got You Next on ninety
three to three KJRFM.