Graphic Horror

This has been a difficult season for Mariners fans. We approach the pathetic when hoping that something, anything, will pull the M's out of the bottom-of-the-league funk in something less than five years.

Yet we stick with it.

I have just found a recent addition to the internet, called Fangraphs.com, that might prove to whet our hot stove appetites, and that will give us (a) more ways to gauge the performance of potential free agent additions to the '06 squad, and (2) more ways to understand graphically just how bad this team is.

We'll shy away from the latter option, at least for now; after all, today is worthy of minor celebration just because the horrible two-year run that we have just endured ends today, no matter what. (That's not to say that we can't extend it to a three-year run, but here's hoping that Spring brings more than just idle hope to us when pitchers and catchers report in four and a half months.)

Instead, I suggest that you bask in the accomplishments of the King. Compare him to any other pitcher you like, and see if that doesn't make you smile.

Or, if you're gnashing your teeth because we can't lose any MORE games after today, then go ahead and look at the graphs for players like Bret Boone, and then compare him to fan favorite Willie Bloomquist. (Yet another confirmation that WFB is already worse than Boonie ever became. I wonder, in honor of the ridiculous upcoming release of a movie based on DOOM, if we shouldn't explore possible loopholes in the rules that might allow Willie to change weapons at the plate, since his wooden club appears to be cursed.)