October watching

The playoffs started Tuesday. The Mariners are on vacation -- but not by choice.

The Mariners' tumultuous season came to a close this past weekend with a sunny, relaxed series against division-rival Oakland. That series shouldn't have been relaxed. It should have been a sprint to the finish line to decide who will keep playing in October.

But the seven games against Oakland in the last week and a half of the season were basically pointless after the Mariners called it quits by losing nine of 16 games against "powerhouses" Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Texas and Anaheim.

The season is over prematurely for Seattle faithful, and now the players, fans and coaches have the off season to think about another underachieving campaign.

But where did it all go wrong? Hell, a better question: what went right? Despite a disappointing finish to the 2003 season, the M's did have bright spots. With the exception of partygoer Freddy Garcia, the pitching staff looked good.

Youngsters Joey Pineiro, Gil Meche and Ryan Franklin all were in double digits in wins, while having respectable ERAs. Then there was Mr. "I'm-Not-too-Old-to-Win-20+" Jamie Moyer, who had Cy Young stuff this year and is a leader on and off the field. It's clear that age isn't a barrier for Moyer.

OK, so the pitching was good. That's the brightest spot. The Mariners didn't throw in the towel last week though -- they had that move down weeks before, with ample help from the front office.

After the July 31 trade deadline, any knowledgeable baseball fan would tell you that the M's blew it. While other American League pennant contenders Minnesota, Oakland, New York and Boston went out and shopped the player market, Seattle GM Pat Gillick decided he liked his aging team the way it was.

Oh, Pat Gillick did make a move. He traded for closer Armando Benitez. But the Mariners already had two closers. Good thinkin' Pat: don't fill your weaknesses at short and third, go get a third closer instead. Hats off.

Mariner fans are getting a little fed up. Since the building of Safeco Field, Seattle faithful have done nothing but show support for their beloved team. The ballpark is consistently sold out, even when the Mariners are officially out of the race. The fans are doing their part, but Seattle's front office isn't stepping up.

What those in charge need to do is to turn the M's into a playoff team. Take all the money you have and go sign a big free agent. Shortstop and third base are weaknesses, but there are guys to fill those holes. Miguel Tejada and Kazuo Matsui, from Japan, are names that come to mind. They won't come cheap, though.

It's about time that the front office spends some dough to improve the team's shot at a ring.

An aging team, an unproductive front office and holes on the left side of the infield -- well, it doesn't matter much right now because the Mariners will be watching baseball in October, rather than playing it.

The off season has just begun and the Mariners should be planning aggressively how to make the playoffs next year. In the meantime, we'll all be watching teams in October whose front offices pulled the trigger on big moves earlier this season.

Two years missing the playoffs is two too many.

Hey, at least the Seahawks are 3-0.