Junior is a Mariner

I don't think I've ever been so excited about a Mariner season as I am about this one. It's not that I expect the M's to be great--they're not going to win the American League West, let alone the World Series. But there is something magical about Ken Griffey, Jr., or just Junior for those of us who love him.

Junior's best days are gone, the legacy of his injury riddled nine years in Cincinnati-likely more the legacy of playing on the Kingdome's unforgiving artificial surface. Yet, he brings something special back to this city-a sunny optimism that win or lose, baseball is good, playing hard is important, and the harder one plays the better the team will perform.

I am not a believer the Ken Griffey Jr. or any other single player will make the Mariners a pennant winner. My hope is that he can do the following things:

• 400 at bats
• 20-25 home runs
• 70-80 rbi's
• .270 batting average (.340 obp)

I also hope he can bring a sense of unity to the Mariners, perhaps divert some of the attention from Ichiro Suzuki, whom I also admire greatly, and make this year a fun year. Last year was horrible, not only because of all the losing, but because they just looked terrible, like they didn't care and didn't belong in the majors. I believe they are better than that.

I know that the M's won't be the Mariners of 2001, or 1995, but I believe they'll be better than they were in 2008. I also believe that Junior is our Last Lion, and that he's come home to make us better.

Harrower

We finished deadline on Wednesday, and we were dead. I am incredibly proud of our Editorial board. They work so hard and without and drama. They take their work extremely seriously and they really produce. The third issue of JagWire is out and it's very well done. The focus topic is serious, most of the articles are good.

A couple of weeks ago I found out that Tim Harrower was offering a workshop on newspaper design. The cost was almost nothing, $15.00 that included lunch at Pierce College in Steilacoom. Harrower is the premier voice on newspaper design. I confess that I know next to nothing about designing. I am pretty ignorant of how to use Photoshop and Indesign. It leaves me feeling less than adequate. But I am committed to figuring it out before school gets out so I can help my kids and feel more confident especially for next year's staff.

The Harrower workshop was fun-he is really amusing, not pretentious at all. My kids, though they were exhausted, were wonderful. I learned a lot and I'd really like to try to put the Maestro design method Harrower suggested to work, if for no other reason than to try and motivate staff.