July 1-3, 2011: Mariners 9, Padres 2 (41-43)

They say that baseball is a game of percentages. That it’s a game of pure talent and productivity, individuals doing as they do night in, night out. They say that heart doesn’t matter, that chemistry doesn’t matter, that willpower doesn’t matter, that grit and hustle and believing big are all totally irrelevant. Watching this weekend’s series, I realized that they’re wrong. There is one thing, one emotion that can make all the difference in the world: hatred. Pure, unadulterated hatred.

The Mariners and the Padres don’t like each other. Never have. There’s always been a sense of mutual loathing, but in recent years it’s spiraled into full-blown vitriol. These days, when these two teams play, it’s not just about winning a baseball game. It’s about humiliating the enemy, destroying their personhood and reminding them that you are the bird, and they are the worm. Baseball? This isn't baseball. It’s war. The normal rules do not apply.

That was on full display Saturday night, when the game was decided by the Padres’ Cameron Maybin’s choice to disregard usual protocol and take matters into his own hands. Maybin declared that he had earned a walk and then took first base, despite having received only three balls. Maybin’s confidence, chutzpah, and sheer force of personality paralyzed the stadium. The umpires said nothing. The Mariners said nothing. The fans said nothing. Not one person contested his executive action. Having demonstrated that he could do whatever he wanted, Maybin then chose to score the winning run from first base. It was an incredible heads-up play, a true brilliancy that will likely never be repeated. For that I say, "Cameron Maybin, you are a real man of genius."

Fortunately for the Mariners, Jason Vargas, Doug Fister, and Blake Beavan all channeled their rage into excellent pitching performances. For a few nights, each was able to transcend their usual selves and become something better. They pitched their asses off and beat the Padres into a fine powder, allowing the Mariners to take the series in spite of Maybin’s heroics. Unfortunately for the Mariners, they don’t get to keep playing the Padres. Next time, Jason Vargas will go back to being Jason Vargas, Doug Fister will go back to being Doug Fister, and Blake Beaven will go back to being whatever the hell he is. The Mariners won the war, but all victories are fleeting. Tomorrow, it’s back to the usual grind. Sic transit gloria mundi.