Good, but not too good

Even though the Mariners are sitting on top of the American League, and are showing signs of brillance now, the season did not start out that way.

It didn't look like they were going to have a very remarkable year-nothing like the record-breaking season of 2001. Ichiro got off to a slow start, Freddy struggled and they lost series' to Oakland and New York.

GETTING BETTER

Other than that little 14 game winning streak in day games they have going on, this year doesn't seem to be about breaking records. It seems to be about consistently getting better. Ichiro was not the only batter to pull himself out of an early slump. Boone, Winn and Olerud did the same thing. Freddy was not the only pitcher to struggle either. Pinero and Franklin just showed us this week what they can do with their best stuff after losing a few outings.

Sometimes it's better not to start out with your best stuff. If you are too good, like the M's were in 2001, it is difficult to maintain that pace throughout the whole season. If you start out with a few flaws and go through some struggles early, it seems to work out better in the end.

Look at the Yankees. They had one of their best starts ever, then lost eight straight games at Yankee Stadium for the first time in 17 years and 12 of 13 at home-a first in their club history. No one is counting them out in the post season, though. It is still early.

Anaheim last year-a case of a team pulling themselves up by the boot straps and going on to win the series.

DEFENSE DOESN"T SLUMP

One thing that hasn't been flawed early is the defense. You know the guys on the field will get the ball more times than not if it stays in the park. The three guys in the outfield are the best trio the Mariners have had in a long while. You've seen some of their heroics lately, making catches it doesn't look like they should and getting the ball back in to stop runs.

If everyone stays healthy, this may be the best insurance for the M's as the hitting and pitching go through peaks and valleys.

NOT DIAMONDS YET

It's fun to see the M's on top, but don't expect them to sparkle all the time. They don't have to be too perfect now. You just hope they're close to it in the fall.

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