The post-season in any sport is when the most eyes turn to the product and when the best of the best in that sport crank their games up to 11 and showcase to the world just how good they are at their craft. The post-season provides both casual and hardcore fans with incredible memories, remarkable plays, and new expectations of who the true top players of that sport are.
In baseball, even in more recent years, fans have had the chance see guys like Bumgarner, Bautista, Ortiz, Freese, Perez, Murphy, and others step up to the plate, perform to incredible levels, and give even the casual fans a reason to remember their name. The post-season, even without a World Series win for that player, is a chance to cement a legacy in the history of the sport with a great performance.
That’s why it is so discouraging when we as fans see great players miss out on the playoffs year after year. We yearn to see what they can do when the spotlight turns to them in October and yet, due to no fault of their own, when October comes around, they are hitting the links. As a New York Mets fan, for years I had to wonder what would happen if David Wright ever made it to the World Series. Well in 2015, I, and many others, got our answer. It was a fantastic moment for not only Mets fans, but for fans of baseball who had been dying for that moment as well.
However, now that Wright has made it to the World Series, the hope for another baseball superstar to do the same has taken center stage.
Felix Hernandez, the ace of the Seattle Mariners. His name alone supports why this guy deserves to have a chance to shine in the post season, but lets break it down even further. Wouldn’t it be nice if Hernandez, who is a true definition of the word ace, got his chance to hurl in a month where great pitching usually dominates?
Let’s remember that Hernandez, who is only 30 years old, is already among the Mariners all-time great pitchers. When you are in the same discussions as Randy Johnson, it is safe to say you've had a good career. Now, Hernandez needs the ring to solidify his status. However, it is not an easy ride
Week in and week out, the King goes to work on the mound and puts on a showcase in pitching. Presumably a little over half way through his career, Hernandez has already established a strong argument that he is the best pitcher ever to have put on a Mariners’ jersey. And yet, despite such a great career so far, no post-season appearance. No chance to truly showcase to the entire baseball world, and not just the more devoted fans, why his nickname as the King is truly deserved.
Hernandez isn’t getting any younger, and I fear that if the Mariners miss the playoffs this season, further closing their window of opportunity, that October may not get a chance to see Hernandez in his prime. Arguably, there may only be 2-3 more seasons left where we could say he is still in his prime.
That would be a crime. This is my call to you Seattle Mariners. Please make the post-season in 2016 so that baseball fans, and especially Seattle fans who have been without playoff baseball since 2001, have the chance to see one of the best pitchers on the planet perform in the grandest stage of them all. I, and the rest of the baseball world, would sincerely thank you.
