For so many people, the Mariners’ divine first half brought a much-needed feeling of validation. Cheering for this moribund franchise for most of this decade was a confusing exercise. Knowing that the Mariners were weaker than almost all of their opponents, and continuing to watch, never made a whole lot of sense. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel was always far off in the distance. Conversations of better days were often rooted in hypotheticals.
“Wait until these prospects come up”
“A couple trades could put us over the top”
“What if [insert infielder from 2011-2016] actually pans out?