Seattle Mariners

Apparently, Chone Figgins is sick of playing for the Seattle Mariners. At the risk of stating the obvious, the feeling is definitively mutual. Does Figgins have a suggestion on how to end this relationship?

The Seattle Mariners' recent seven-game winning streak may be over, but it sure was nice to enjoy a week's worth of winning baseball in an otherwise disappointing season.

The biggest question now is whether some of the encouraging signs found within this stretch will have any long-lasting meaning.  Over the course of this week and next, I hope to tackle a few of these questions in search of answers.

For over a decade, Ichiro Suzuki has been the face of the Seattle Mariners' franchise. When he made his debut in a Mariner's uniform over 11 years ago, not only did Seattle fall in love with him, MLB did.

Hisashi Iwakuma turned heads in his last start, striking out 13 batters en route to a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s three straight solid outings for the righty as he has gone 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 19 innings against the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Rays.

Major League Baseball has reached a point where seeing a no-hitter is as special as seeing a team score a run. 

Watching six Seattle Mariners pitchers combine to hold the Los Angeles Dodgers to no hits and three walks on Friday night, I was reminded of the late 1990s, when we would see hitters make the most impossible things look elementary. 

Watching your favorite team get no-hit in person on the road is one of the weirdest feelings in the world.

At some point do you start rooting for a no-hitter? Are you required to remain loyal even in the face of history?

Regardless of what was going through my mind and heart, however, nothing would change what was going on at Safeco Field on Friday night.

The Seattle Mariners made history Friday night as six pitchers combined on a 1-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It was just the 10th combined no-hit game in Major League Baseball history and was the fourth no-hitter already of this still young 2012 season.

One of the more interesting headlines of the Mariners offseason was the switch of Ichiro from the leadoff role to the No. 3 spot in the lineup.  It was a decision that broke 10 years of tradition.

With that move, Chone Figgins became the new leadoff man, and Dustin Ackley remained in the No. 2 spot.

But with all the experimenting going on in the Mariners lineup, would it make sense to try Ackley hitting third and Ichiro second?

As we close in on the July 31st MLB trade deadline, many teams are in the market for a shutdown closer. 

Closers can serve two purposes for these teams.

In the case of the St. Louis Cardinals, Fernando Salas has been more or less serviceable, but without Eduardo Sanchez, they could use another option in the ninth inning.

Other teams hope to make use of a closer acting as a lights-out setup man.

Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki has taken the career path far less traveled, and that has led to uncertainty regarding just how good he really is.

While most prominent stars crack major league lineups in their early 20s after going through the minors, Ichiro cracked the Mariners lineup at age 27 after establishing his game in Japan.