I never thought it would be otherwise, but coming to the end of the 2019 season and knowing it's over for the M's, that other teams will play on into October, arrives with a sense of sadness and loss. 94 losses to be exact. If we watch, and we will because baseball is in our blood, we'll have to see our rivals, the A's and 'stro's play on. Indeed, I expect to see Houston go all the way. Their fans went through three seasons of what we just experienced not long ago. They know the humiliation of 100 gamed lost. Three of them! Less than ten years ago. Believe me, they earned their current success.
So after this afternoon the competitive side of Seattle's operations shuts down for a few months. I can feel the chill of winter setting in already. I'm sure of GM Jerry Dipoto will be active in the off-season, there are still plenty of holes to fill, especially in the starting rotation. I fully expect to see some of the more veteran players I've followed this year fed into the system of trades and waivers. Best bets to go, sadly, Dee Gordon, Austin Nola, Santana, Leblanc, Tom Murphy, maybe even Vogie.
Sometime in February thoughts, hopes, for the 2020 season will replace the frustrations of this one that ends today. The game, like life, follows an inevitable cycle, paralleling the seasons, from spring-like renewal through to the slowing days of autumn. And then, like today, the end.
One more game for us, then farewell to the various memories of 2019 and the breathless prospects of 2020. I like even-numbered years... or the ones that end in 5.
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