One third of the major league baseball season has been completed. Fifty-four of 162 games have been played. In an earlier column this spring, I lamented that my team, the Seattle Mariners, were doomed and destined to finish dead last again in the American League West Division. They were four and 11, couldn't hit, field or pitch and the gloom in the clubhouse was overpowering as they girded themselves for another disappointing campaign.
Where do they rank today? They're 28 and 26, a half game out of first place and have won 12 of their last 15 games. This probably means nothing to non-baseball fans, but to me, it's downright amazing. Last year, they lost 101 games, finished last in their division and all the experts wrote them off for the 2011 season. Now, they're vying for the pennant with a new manager, new rookies melded with old veterans and the best starting pitching staff in the major leagues. These five hurlers give them a fighting chance every game. Combine this with slick fielding and timely hitting and, all of a sudden, this is a good ball club. But the biggest change I can see in this heretofore motley crew of mediocrity with no one having a standout individual season is that they are having fun! They root for each other, stay loose and don't take themselves seriously. Their attitude has changed.
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Perhaps there's a lesson here for all of us—our lives are meant to be enjoyed no matter what the circumstances are. It seems that despite all the many challenges and obstacles every day, good feelings will abound if one just has a healthy attitude. With a positive outlook each day, personal ills seem to diminish. Hope takes the place of despair. As we enter the month of June and wait for the sun to shine again, it might be a good time to be thankful for what we have. It's all about the 'tude. Have fun and enjoy the summer.
Nice talking to you.
