doing his part

This hasn’t been the season that was predicted for the Seattle Mariners. This was a team expected by many to win the American League West, or at least make the playoffs. Not happening. It’s late September and Seattle, an 87-game winner in 2014, sits in fourth place with a 73-77 record, out of the playoff picture largely because of a terrible first half. General manager Jack Zduriencik already has been fired, and more changes could be coming. But the M’s woes should not reflect badly on the efforts of Seth Smith. The Jackson native and former Ole Miss standout, in his first season with the Mariners, is hitting .247 with 11 home runs, 41 RBIs and 48 runs in 125 games. These numbers are on par with the veteran’s 162-game average (according to baseball-reference.com): .263, 16 homers, 59 RBIs, 67 runs. He has hit .257 with six homers at home in Safeco Field, not a hitter’s park. He has a 2.0 WAR rating, which translates to “solid starter.” Smith, a lefty hitter, doesn’t hit left-handers (.209, one homer in 43 at-bats), but the M’s knew that when they traded with San Diego to get him. This team already had stars (Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz). Smith, a so-called “professional hitter,” was acquired as a complementary piece, and he has held up his end. P.S. Cleveland is another team forecast (by some) as a playoff club that has scuffled. The Indians, who won 85 games in 2014, are 74-74, barely on the fringe of the AL wild card race thanks to a 26-20 surge since Aug. 1. Pitching has kept the Tribe afloat, and some credit there goes to Ole Miss alum Mickey Callaway, in his third year as the pitching coach. Cleveland’s staff ERA of 3.75 is third in the AL, and they lead the loop again in strikeouts. They set an MLB record in 2014 with 1,450 K’s.