Talking Points: Insight into Mariners’ losing ways

1.

Bleacherreport.com has done an evaluation and ranking of the top 10 players at each position in Major League Baseball. Only three Mariners are mentioned, which helps explain why Seattle has been a losing franchise for so many years.

Kyle Seager ranks as the No. 7 third baseman and Felix Hernandez is the No. 5 right-handed starting pitcher. While no ranking of DHs was made, four were mentioned as the best, including Kendrys Morales.

And the courting of Morales by the Mariners for a longer-term deal has started, and the DH-1B is not opposed to staying in Seattle.

2.

Wow, talk about expectations.

Sportingnews.com picks the Seahawks to top Denver 31-27 in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Seattle is picked to finish 14-2 and beat the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoff and the Green Bay Packers in the conference championship.

Quarterback Russell Wilson is picked to become league MVP in his second season.

About Wilson, the site says: “Along with his mobility and efficiency is Wilson’s maturity and excitability. He will put the Seahawks in position to win the elusive championship.”

3.

Note to Oregon State University: When you schedule a non-conference patsy to open the season, be sure it’s a real patsy.

The Beavers learned this lesson by losing to Eastern Washington last Saturday. The Eagles won the 2010 FCS national title and were throwing into the end zone with a chance to beat Washington and Washington State on its final drive the next two seasons.

When needing a patsy, Nicholls State is great. OSU topped them 77-3 last season. Oh wait. The Oregon Ducks already had the Colonels coming to Eugene for a 66-3 pasting.