THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Mariners: 'Wait 'til ... ' the second half?

There’s no need to panic, Mariner fans.

Although …

No slap on the wrist if you’re beginning to feel pretty damn queasy.

That would be about right.

I mean, we all thought this was going to be THE year, right?

All those 21 seasons without playoff baseball would be forgotten, as this young and exciting club makes a serious run in the postseason.

Well, uh …

The phrase, “Wait ‘til next year!” has been unofficially credited to fans of the old Brooklyn Dodgers.

Unfortunately, I’m getting the creepy sensation that we may have to update it for these Mariners — although Brooklyn’s pain was truly something else.

Those Dodgers won National League pennants in 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953, but fell to the New York Yankees in the World Series all five times.

Blessedly, before people began leaping from tall buildings most every October, the team lovingly known as “Dem Bums” finally broke through with a Series victory in 1955.

Of course, normal service was resumed in 1956, when the Yanks not only won again, but the late Hayden Lake resident Don Larsen added to the Dodgers’ indignity by pitching a perfect game.

YEAH, I know what you’re thinking.

Maybe Brooklyn suffered a few World Series setbacks, but at least there were National League championships to celebrate.

Seattle, on the other hand, has NEVER been to the Series, and, sigh, it’s been since 2001 that the Mariners enjoyed a playoff appearance.

And that brings us to the present …

With MLB adding one extra wild-card team to the postseason in each league and the M’s assembling a nice combination of potential young stars to go along with some proven vets, this was time to break the streak.

Things have not gotten off to a flying start, however.

The Mariners are 14-18 (after opening the season 11-6) and heading off on a 10-game road trip that includes games with the red-hot Mets, heavy-hitting Toronto and then the Red Sox.

Even worse news, what was expected to be a winnable AL West for Seattle looks, ah, different.

The relentlessly underachieving Angels finally may be living up to their hype with a 21-11 start, and of course Houston (which perhaps will never go away) is sitting right there with the Halos.

There are teams with good records all over the league, so a wild-card spot will require at least 90-95 wins.

If you want some good news, time is on the Mariners’ side, since there are 130 games left to play.

THERE’S bad news to go along with that, though.

Too much of it, honestly.

Despite a few happy surprises — outstanding efforts from starter Logan Gilbert, a brilliant debut from right-hander George Kirby, Julio Rodriguez’ transition from joyful rookie to budding star, surprise success from Eric Swanson, Andres Munoz and the aptly named Penn Murphy in relief — the Mariners overall have been both poor and unlucky.

Injuries have hit just about everywhere, and some have been crippling.

You hear fans grousing that VP Jerry Dipoto needed to get one more big bat for the middle of the lineup.

How about a guy who hits 39 homers and drives in 100 runs?

OK, that would be Mitch Haniger, who played just nine games (and hit three home runs) before suffering a high ankle sprain that will keep him out until around the All-Star break.

Catcher Tom Murphy was off to a great start until injuring his shoulder, and the bullpen has lost Casey Sadler for the season, Ken Giles (ticketed to be the closer) for at least a few more weeks with a finger sprain, while Drew Steckenrider has not matched last year’s form and sumo wrestler Diego Castillo (9.28 ERA) may have eaten his way out of the big leagues.

MEANTIME, Jarred Kelenic is tying himself in knots at the plate, and can’t get comfortable despite tremendous talent, career .300 hitter Jesse Winker is sitting at .204, and there are hideous other batting averages all over the place.

Thank goodness that Ty France and J.P. Crawford are two of the best bats in baseball, or things could be worse.

Look, I’m not suggesting we should give up on these Mariners.

There are enough guys with solid track records to believe we’ll see improvement.

Still, this team desperately needs Haniger and Murphy (who is on this road trip and might be back soon).

Hey, I’m not going to cry, “Wait ‘til next year” — at least not yet.

But, yep.

Brooklyn’s on my mind.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published monthly during the offseason, and weekly beginning in October.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”