The Seattle Mariners, happy to say, are not Happy Days after Ron Howard left. They lost Randy Johnson and didn't become Joanie Loves Chachi. They lost Ken Griffey Jr. and didn't get canceled, making the playoffs as a wild- card team last season. Now they've waved goodbye to Alex Rodriguez and their ratings are higher than ever.
Baseball relies on defense and chemistry more than on individuals making incredible plays.
Superstars can help the cause, as Pedro Martinez does in Boston, but they are not the cause of winning. Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln told The Seattle Times during spring training. One has to wonder if the Cincinnati Reds feel the same way. Like A-Rod in Texas, Ken Griffey Jr. likely never dreamed that his team would be playing better baseball with him on the bench than with him playing center field. But something happens when the player who is supposed to carry the team ends up needing a piggyback ride himself, or leaves for greener pastures.