The 2022 Seattle Mariners historic playoff run has had a pronounced effect on the Garfield community; for many Bulldogs, it is their first-time experiencing post-season baseball in Seattle. The Mariner’s improbable run has created a sense of unity within Garfield, but has also led to frustration that games are being played during the school day.

After being ten games below .500 in June, the Mariners reeled off 14 straight wins heading into the all-star break, and parlayed this momentum into one of the top second half records in baseball and a playoff berth. The Mariners knocked off the Toronto Blue Jays in a road wild-card series, but then lost to the Houston Astros in the divisional round. While this year’s exit was disappointing, the Mariners have a young core, headlined by Julio Rodriguez, that is sure to keep us in the playoff hunt for a long time. 

Benjamin Bennett, senior baseball captain at Garfield, was happy with his community’s response to the Mariners’ success. “The last time the Mariners made the playoffs I wasn’t born yet, so it means a lot to me”, said Bennett. The outpouring of support for the Mariners from faculty members at Garfield has created a welcoming atmosphere as a fan, “a lot of teachers realize how much [Mariners games] mean to us and played the games during their class,” he added. There are many Mariners fans at Garfield today that wouldn’t have considered themselves to be supporters a year ago. Benjamin said he doesn’t blame them., “We sucked for a long time,” Bennett said. “ [But now] we’re accepting of every fan. It’s really exciting to see how fast the baseball community is growing at Garfield.”

 The Mariners have clearly brought joy to many students, but there have been complaints with the playoffs games being scheduled during the school day at 12:40 PDT. “I wish the games were scheduled at a more reasonable hour,” Benjamin said, “but my teachers have been accepting and supporting.” It turns out Garfield classrooms are not only good places to learn, but also good places to cheer on the M’s. 

With the Mariners having brought so much excitement to Garfield, it’s only natural to wonder what a Garfield baseball playoff run would be like. Garfield Baseball was eliminated early in last year’s playoffs, but Bennett is confident about the upcoming Spring season., “We have a good team this year. We’ve made the playoffs more than once in the last 21 years and I think you can expect a deep run from us this year.”