Red Sox Nation has left Seattle, taking with it their brand new hats and cheers of "Manny, I fawkin' love you, now hit a homah' you fawkin' queeah [Throws up on self. Passes out.]." And that was Doris Kearns Goodwin. Hate them or really hate them, they are on top of the sports world and enjoying every minute of it. However, what is it like when Mariner Nation invades some poor sucker's home field? Seattlest......

Lapsing into first person alert! Everyone remarked on how odd it was that the Mariners' trade of Adam Jones, George Sherrill and three prospects to the Orioles for Eric Bedard took so long to get done. Jones leaked details of the trade to a Venezuelan reporter, which annoyed the Orioles. Even though the deal was essentially finished, we had to wait a couple of weeks for it to be "officially" announced. It finally was, today.......

The Mariners announced yesterday that Manager John McLaren and General Manager Bill Bavasi will both be back next year. McLaren took over in mid-season, the team was 40-41 under his guidance. 2008 will be Bavasi's fourth year as Mariners GM. Out in blogland, they've been calling for McLaren's head since the M's went on a 15 of 17 losing jag, one of the biggest collapses by a contending team in baseball history. The main complaint:......

Mariners franchise wins leader Jamie Moyer, who is apparently as discardable as a day-old croissant, beat the Cubs last night and became the oldest Phillie pitcher to win a game (Moyer's 43). It was also Moyer's first win in the National League since 1988, when he pitched the Cubs past the Pirates on the last day of the season. We think Moyer will like returning to the National League. In his final start for the......

USS Mariner updated their "M's Future Forty" list today. It's their exhaustive summary of anyone who could potentially be anyone for the Mariners. And, though the farm system's thinning out as players reach the majors (Adam Jones) or get traded for useful parts (Shin-Soo Choo), the news is good: ...the farm system is doing its job - stocking the major league club with young, effective, cheap talent. A huge portion of the M’s success this......

-The contract the P-I's union has tentatively accepted stipulates higher severance packages if the paper stops publishing. Well played, union. -Ben Gibbard's playing Lance Armstrong by offering these guitar string bracelets for charity. Via Indieblogheaven. -Sound Transit has decided to build light rail alongside I-90. Construction begins 2045. -"Here is a molester!" Tokyo subway groping ain't what it used to be. -The B.C. guys who spent a year and $400,000 digging a drug tunnel......

USS Mariner reports that the M's are going to call up stud CF prospect Adam Jones. "It will probably be announced tomorrow," says Admiral Dave. Players as young as Jones, 20, usually fall flat on their face in the majors (see 1967 Reggie, 1972-73 Schmidt, 1986 Bonds, 1994-95 A-Rod), so we're not expecting much. But he'll be thrilling to watch--those who've seen him say he's a terrific athlete with an incredible arm. He'll probably hit......

Every year, major league baseball teams invite about 20 players to Spring Training who have little to no chance of making the team. They are called non-roster invitees. The group usually consists of three distinct types: Phenoms: Top minor-league prospects considered too young to make the squad. On rare occasions, a phenom will play so well in exhibition games he makes the team, as did a 19-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. in 1989. Career Minor Leaguers:......