Josef Alton OlsonTHE PROBLEM WITH JUDGING ROBINSON CANÓOn May 1st I started my own construction business and on the 8th James Paxton threw a no-hitter in Toronto, Canada. Things were good. On…May 20, 2018May 20, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonBOTTOM OF THE 5TH: THE WORST INNING OF MY LIFEOkay, so maybe not the worst, but the bottom of the 5th was bad. Felix Hernandez was throwing goose eggs and had already given up four runs…Apr 5, 2018Apr 5, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonTHE BILDUNGSROMAN OF MIKE ZUNINO: A STORY OF FANDOM, METAPHORS, AND QUESTIONING CLICHESJune 19th 2017 was the day I started believing that Mike Zunino’s improvement was irrevocable. Granted, he had been on a streak, but I’d…Mar 26, 2018Mar 26, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonTHE RETURN OF THE TRIDENT: THE TRUE LEGEND OF A MADE-UP CURSEThe Seattle Mariners’ 2017 necromancy of the inverted trident logo has opened a Pandora’s Box of pain and terror.Mar 14, 2018Mar 14, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonSORRY, NO SHORTCUTS: EVALUATING SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL BY EYE AND EAREvery Spring Training I’m reminded that pre-season statistics don’t correlate with regular season performance. Spring Training is a time…Mar 12, 2018Mar 12, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonTHERE’S NO NOSTALGIA LIKE MARINERS NOSTALGIA: WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE ICHIRO SIGNINGAlthough the Mariners brass swears up and down that the procurement of Ichiro Suzuki was solely a pragmatic decision, the move reeks of…Mar 8, 2018Mar 8, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonTENSION WITHIN SPACEAbout twice a season my fiancé, Liz agrees to join me at the ballpark. The agreement doesn’t come easily and without its caveats; usually…Mar 1, 2018Mar 1, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonYOU CAN SMELL PEORIA FROM SEATTLE AND IT SMELLS LIKE HOTDOG WATER AND COWHIDELike gently boiled hotdogs the boys of summer are slowly being brought up to temperature before smothered in a uniform and splattered with…Feb 22, 2018Feb 22, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonMy cat died today, but the Seattle Mariners are alive, for nowI’m a Mariners fan, and you could say that whenever I go to a game — usually with my friend Mark, or dad — I’m reminded of the film Harold…Feb 20, 2018Feb 20, 2018
Josef Alton OlsonTHE ELUSIVE SALMONAcross my little apartment is the city locks. The locks see every boat coming in, or going out to sea. Though there are a lot of boats…Feb 1, 2018Feb 1, 2018