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In comments on another thread, I suggested "Spittin' on Quittin'."
Here's another: "Never Say Never"
Niether is All-Star quality, but at least it gets things going.
Step Right Up Friend, Suggest A Slogan For M's Stretch Run
Suggestions May Be Flushed, But Hey! You Never Know...
Well, well, well, here we ARE, scoreboard watching in mid-August. The sweep of the Tigers and THE WAY THE M's DID IT has made us entertain hopes that this might be a special year, the year that breaks the team's fifteen year playoff drought.
Monday's and Tuesday's comeback wins made me think of how it felt my first August in the Pacific Northwest in 1995. My wife pregnant with our second child, temporatily living with my Mom after moving from California, I listened on the radio in our bedroom to a series of miraculous plays and wins that catapulted the M's from a significant deficit to their first-ever playoff appearance. Guys like Doug Strange, Rich Amaral, Alex Diaz contributed from the bench in big situations. Star players played like stars. Second level players chipped in. Whatever needed to get done got done. The slogan "Refuse To Lose" was born.
This 2016 team is not that team, but their penchant for comeback wins has already been remarkable. We can see the possibilities. If it jells and puts together a run, this team has "it."
What it doesn't have yet is a slogan to capture their ethos for the stretch run.
That's where YOU come in. The suggestion box is open to all comers, serious and "un-," multiple or one, Sure, some might want to flush your suggestion straight down past the wax ring, but some might hail you as a hallowed hero for just the right suggestion.
Have at it, people.
Comments
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At first I sort of smiled about that comparison, but ... blamed if it doesn't hold up better than I thought:
- Sans Junior, they still had Edgar 185 OPS+, Bone 131, Tino 135, like our Big Three
- They had shufflecups at the back of the rotation behind Johnson
- They came up with a miracle closer in July, Norm Charlton
In other words, that team also had an unquestionably dangerous offense, problems all year with pitching, and bullpen problems which they solved rather suddenly. Could also see the Rangers imitating a 1995 Angels implosion.
I doubt that Mike Blowers would resist the comparison. He had 23 homers and 96 RBI that year. :- ) He deserves a trip down memory lane, 20 years on.
I fancy your Spittin' on Quittin' amigo...
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This appears to be the slogan the PR staff, coaches and players has taken a shine to, and after Griffey's HOF weekend speech, who can blame them.
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Given that Griffey started it, and the team seems to have drawn significant inspiration from Griffey's weekend, I'm on board with "Keep Fighting." Agreed that it's a little bland, but if the team has semi-officially adopted it, I'm on board.
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Is this what they mean by "Keep Fighting" --
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http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2016/8/11/12432692/keep-fighting-refuse-to...
They have found their story, and it’s one with a direct link to 1995. In his ceremony at Safeco on Saturday, Ken Griffey Junior turned to the team in the dugout and addressed them directly, saying: “Keep fighting, because we’re all rooting for you.” Including Friday, since that speech we have seen two gutsy Félix performances, a near-complete game by Paxton, a dramatic comeback spearheaded by local kid Shawn O’Malley, seven shutout innings from Kuma, and an improbable fifteen-inning victory where every member of the bullpen with a functional arm took a turn pitching. #KeepFighting became a trending hashtag on Twitter. Scott Servais mentioned the importance of the ceremony in his postgame comments yesterday.
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I like the idea of Griffey starting the rally cry. It's almost too perfect.
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... a little mundane, a little Jimmy V, a little off-key, ... both understated and overstated at once ... :- )
Griffey starting it, though, and the way DiPoto/Servais pushed through several discouragements to gain traction, those two things keep the ball just inside the foul pole for me.
I won't be using it much, nor any slogan, because for me this is NOT the little team that could. But he'p yo'selves.
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Various players are using #keepfighting in their tweets, so regardless of what may turn our crank I think they've adopted it.
Cruz: Retweet for a chance to win a Boomstick hat. You must RT AND post a creative pic with Mariners gear with #keepfighting theme. Winner will be chosen after we land in Oakland. Get creative.
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You say this isn't the little team that could. Do you mean you don't see them as underdogs or you don't think they're going to come back?
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They were the trendy choices to win the AL *last* year. Comes off to me like Apollo Creed's corner telling him to "keep fighting" against Rocky in the 7th. They shouldn't be in this kind of trouble in the first place.
Like we sez, their record is *still* lower than Pythagorean expectation - and their runs for/against are worse than they should be for their bases. They've just been underperforming. The 1995 team had authentic Cinderella aspects to it for me.
Not meaning to sound harsh. If the 25 guys (and Griffey and etc) find motivation in "Keep Fighting," and if fans enjoy it, more power to them. :- ) Knock yerselves out -
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Revolved around our big three--solo shots by Nellie and Robbie...and a classic start from the king.
But look at the contributions from people like Diaz...and Zunino...and Martin--not to mention the revolving door through the bullpen.
So my proposal: "Core and More"
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While I do like 'Spittin' on Quittin' -- I can't help but add a few more...
How 'bout going with our nautical theme:
"Mariners -- the wind is in our favor"
"Prepare to be Boarded!"
or perhaps a nod to realism:
"Felix can't wait much longer"
"39 years? So what?"
or even cynicism:
"You're REALLY not gonna believe this!"
"No longer pushing up daisies"
I know, I know.... back to work.
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Keep Fighting -- Refuse to Lose Redux
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If Griffey declares a slogan, there isn't much else to discuss, except maybe the Spanish version.
¡sieguan peleando!
I was thinking:
"If it bleeds, we can kill it."
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Short, succinct and a history of M's baseball:
OVER THE WAVES
(lots of both denotation and connotations and detenations wouldntyasay?)
Plus, ya got the musical angles.
A classic waltz of vast popularity far back in the day, it still lives in every circus
(like the ytube vid clip of the Rolling Stones doing it from their "R&R Circus" LP)
OVER THE WAVES
With the crowd waving below, the M's high wire act continues without a net)
(Earl Bostic played "Over The Waves Rock" back in the 50's and included sax lines from "Take Me Out To The Ball Game".)
OVER THE WAVES
(ain't no sine wave, ain't no saber wave, I wish I could find Hendrix playing it, but I guess I have to settle for the Beach Boys or Metalmorfosis)
OVER THE WAVES
(the flow of the song is the flow of the game).
Thank you all very much.
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