We already know that the Mariners are going to have another difficult year--they simply can't fix all of their problems at once, they won't spend the money to pretend to and the young players that are the hope for the future can't be expected to all have breakout years at the same time.

But hope for the future is what this year is all about--a new manager and letting the young guns play themselves into being major league ready.

So, maybe endless tales reminiscing over Dave Niehaus by a rotating cast of old buddies might NOT be the best way to plan for both the radio and television coverage.

Don't get me wrong. I love Dave Niehaus...but the coverage of this team has ALWAYS been trapped in nostalgia for days (and players) that can't come back.

You have three of the four announcers that Mariners fans are familiar with...if you add a new solid play-by-play guy who is happy to be there rather than bitter about the team not being what it was, you're both keeping the fans comfortable and pointing towards a hopeful future.

Instead, when the team can't pitch their way out of the 7th inning in a meaningless game with the season already lost...we'll be drowning in mawkish nostalgia and endless variations of "you had to be there" stories.

...kind of like last year, only the stories were about Junior.