Not only did Cano, an All-Star second baseman, likely torpedo his Hall of Fame chances with an 80-game suspension for violating MLB’s drug policy, he hung a dark cloud of gloom — and a gaping hole in the lineup — on the Mariners, a team that needed exactly the opposite.
The Mariners’ season was starting to develop a feel-good vibe. The team was winning with an appealing blend of personalities. Even a hand injury to Robinson Cano on Sunday didn’t completely change the sense that they might have something special going on.
And then, in one shocking turn of events Tuesday, it all blew up.