A Reminder of Why You Should Watch the Mariners (at Least Every Fifth Game)
There are a number of reasons to watch every Mariners' game—Franklin Gutierrez's defense, Adrian Beltre's defense, Russel Branyan's offense, Ichiro's everything, and boredom. But last night we got a reminder of why one out of every five games really is must-see TV. Felix Hernandez threw a two-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres—granted, they're awful—and has given up only three earned runs while handing out 34 strikeouts in his last 37 2/3 innings. 
As USS Mariner's Dave Cameron pointed out last year, only six other pitchers in history—Bob Feller, Dwight Gooden, Frank Tanana, Bert Blyleven, Dennis Eckersley, and CC Sabathia—have pitched so many innings at such a young age and struck out batters at such a high rate. And while the last five games is a small sample size and Felix can frustrate, it seems like he's well on his way to a stellar career.
Much has been made of Mariner nostalgia of late, what with Randy Johnson getting his standing 'O' and Ken Griffey Jr. a regular lineup spot, despite being a sliver of a shadow of his former self. We M's fans would do ourselves a favor by paying attention to the potential Hall of Fame career that's on the upward part of its trajectory.
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