THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: M's have all they need to end that Series jinx

It’s getting closer.

Three weeks and a day.

Mariners open against Cleveland, T-Mobile Park jammed, and the place so loud that you won’t be able to hear the person sitting next to you.

“The ballpark is a huge advantage,” said Greg Amsinger of MLB Network. “It’s like a non-stop party, with everyone going crazy.

“That stadium makes a difference. Even the city makes a difference.”

Greg didn’t add this, but I think the entire Northwest is revved up — as though Boeing has created some kind of wacko energy device.

The era of those sad, sorry Mariners, playing (poorly) in that round warehouse with rodents sharing the place, is most definitely done.

The final milestone for this team and its “let’s-just-go-nuts” fan base is reaching the World Series.

Unless you’ve been wandering in the wilderness, positive you can find Sasquatch or D.B. Cooper, you know that the M’s are the only team that’s never played in the Fall Classic.

“It’s time for that jinx to end,” announced Cal Raleigh, the catcher who someday will become a statue outside the ballpark.

“We need to end it now.”

OK, GOOD.

The Big Dumper has laid out the Mariners’ goal, plain and simple.

There’s no doubt that Cal will be a major contributor to the cause — knocking down fences (and seats) on offense, taking care of that precious pitching staff on defense, and repeating his no-nonsense leadership in the clubhouse.

Raleigh no doubt feels fairly comfortable demanding a World Series appearance, since he’s surrounded by talent on the mound and at (almost) every other position.

Bottom line, there are a few tiny worries, but the Mariners finally are built to win it all.

Sure, the Dodgers are the Dodgers, but the M’s can deal with that freeway traffic jam when they get there.

In the American League, Toronto put the Mariners to sleep just five outs from the Series, and the Jays will be good again.

Better, maybe.

Meanwhile, Texas has constructed an aging (but still gifted) pitching staff; the young and talented A’s will be an annoying surprise; and the Yankees will once again bash two thousand home runs.

None of these AL teams, though, look better than Seattle.

If you want to argue that several of the Mariners’ key hitters must come to life late in games and in other crucial situations, you have a solid point.

Seattle was so far down the list of teams hitting with men on base last year, the numbers were embarrassing.

Some good news on that front: Veterans Josh Naylor and Brendan Donovan are professional hitters who know how to handle high-pressure situations.

Ditto Rob Refsnyder.

Hey, there’s proof on their baseball cards.

YEP, THERE are issues to make you nervous.

That goes with the territory.

Let’s start at the top, where manager Dan Wilson remains a question mark.

You get an eerie sense that the Mariners have pulled Wilson into contention atop the American League, rather than the other way around.

Wilson made a seemingly endless string of odd decisions last season — especially in dealing with the pitching staff.

Mariners boss Jerry Dipoto yanked Scott Servais and dropped Wilson (a longtime club employee) from a TV booth into the dugout during a slump late in the 2024 season.

There was widespread agreement that Dan was a hell of a nice guy who knew the “Mariners culture” backward and forward.

The idea was that with sharp people now in the front office, and a crowd of talented young players at every level, a calm and steady hand would help put it all together.

Wilson’s fans think he was great.

Others disagree, strongly.

The verdict should come this season, when everyone knows what Wilson has at his disposal, and we see how he handles it.

Other questions?

Well, sticking with unproven Cole Young at second base could be a gamble.

The pitching staff could be lights-out, but it’s worth recalling that every one of the starters has been injured at some point in the past season.

Scary.

But.

Every team has the same worry.

And they aren’t as good as the Mariners.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

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