The best way to describe Don Wakamatsu's season and a half as the Seattle Mariners manager is that it was a torrid love affair that ended almost as quickly as it started. Nobody could have predicted the Mariners would be struggling to avoid their second 100-loss season in three years. Nobody could have predicted Don Wak's swift demise either. Considering that absolutely nothing has gone right for the 2010 Mariners, it almost seems like a necessary evil for Wak to have to face the guillotine.
The Mariners now have their fifth field manager since July 2007. That number will surely become six at some point in October or November when interim manager Daren Brown is notified by M's GM Jack Zduriencik that his services will no longer be needed.
Many will opine that Wakamatsu had been managing on borrowed time ever since Ken Griffey Jr. bid adieu on June 2 (Black Wednesday). We'll probably never know the full story about what happened between Wak and Junior during Junior's final few weeks on the team. There obviously was some sort of communication breakdown.
The Griffey situation became more uncomfortable than your parents sexting. And when it finally culminated, it very clearly left the clubhouse alienated from Wakamatsu. Adding fuel to the fire was dugout scuffle between Chone Figgins and Wakamatsu that all but confirmed Wak had lost the team.
Along with determining in-game strategy, Wakamatsu's job as manager was bring out the best in his players on the field. That happened in 2009. But whatever Wak did in 2009, either didn't translate in 2010, or he simply changed as a manager.
Only Ichiro and Felix Hernandez have performed up to expectations. That means that every other player who's donned a Mariners uniform this year has failed. That's some pretty impressive futility.
A little continuity on the Mariners and Jack Z's part would have been nice. After last year's remarkable turnaround, it would have been reasonable to give Wak another shot at trying to repair his strained relationship with his players.
But Jack Z obviously felt otherwise.
Make no mistake, unlike most bumbling Mariners managers, Wakamatsu is incredibly bright and he hopefully will get another chance to manage a big league team. Don Wak deserves as much.
