The Mariners should dwell on the positive -- like Felix Hernandez' hot start -- because they're about to sail into some seriously choppy waters.
Baseball is going to have a very difficult time re-scheduling the four Mariners/Indians games that fell victim to the big snowstorm in Cleveland. MLB's scheduling czar Katy Feeney is considering a number of solutions, and as she told reporters, "None of them are pretty." The rescheduling task will likely require extensive negotiations with the Players Association, as the rule in baseball's Basic Agreement forbidding teams from being scheduled to play on more than 20 consecutive days will almost certainly need to be waived.
And that doesn't even consider the inevitable travel hassles -- Seattle is not scheduled to visit Cleveland again this season -- or the possibility of additional rainouts. (Today's game in Boston is very much at risk -- Weather.com reports game-time temperatures in the 40s and a 100% chance of rain.)
The Mariners, just by virtue of geography, have a built-in disadvantage every season -- they have to travel more miles than any other team in baseball. Teams in the northeast are a short drive away from a good portion of their road games; Seattle's shortest road trip is the 809-mile jaunt to Oakland. (Yankee Stadium to Fenway Park is about one-quarter that distance.)
A lot of very long flights. No off-days. If Seattle drops out of the pennant race in early August, don't be surprised.
Originally published at About Baseball
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