7/29/2013 -- Mariners Fulfill Duties

Sunday afternoon, the entire on-field staff of the Seattle Mariners organization was called in to work a full shift. This marked the 17th consecutive Sunday that the Mariners had been forced to work. Adding insult to injury, every single one of those previous Sundays had also been preceded by Friday and Saturday shifts, making this the 17th consecutive weekend in which the Mariners’ bosses had called them in on what were supposed to be their federally-mandated days of rest.

The Mariners didn’t mind, though. It seemed like every other weekend that their bosses were demanding they fly to offsite meetings in some godforsaken hellhole or other. Baltimore, Detroit, St. Petersburg – the Mariners had visited all these and more in the past few months. This weekend, at least, the Mariners got to wake up in their own beds before violating the Sabbath for the enrichment of their corporate overlords.

Over 35,000 people showed up to watch the Mariners work on Sunday, each and every one of them paying for the privilege to do so. Like rats in a cage, the Mariners went about their business, trying their hardest to tune out the catcalls and jeers of the observing strangers. Fortunately, the Mariners were able to avoid the humiliation of public failure, cruising to a 6-4 victory. It was a win that meant a lot to the Mariners – specifically, it meant that no one would throw garbage at them today.

Sadly, the reprieve will be short-lived. Shortly after the game, the Mariners boarded a plane to Boston, and they’ll be right back at it Tuesday night. For the Seattle Mariners, the work never stops. Such are the wages of sports.