Because a Picture...

...says 1000 words.















(Thanks, Yahoo)

Mariners fans can be joyful for the future. And that future started, really, yesterday.

Wow. Just. Wow.

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In spite of the lack of need to spell out 1000 words with the aforementioned picture above, here are some quotes on yesterday's performance that merit mentioning:

Can you imagine what it must be like to be Felix Hernandez's mom? Just think about the conversations she must have with other mothers.

"Your son got an A- on his geometry test? That's pretty great. Mine shut out the Minnesota Twins."
--Jeff Sullivan, Lookout Landing

Poise? I don’t think we’re talking about poise here... I think we’re talking about a 97 mph fastball with a curveball from hell.
--Twins Manager, Ron Gardenhire, courtesy of The News Tribune

What’s that, the game—oh the _Game_! : 69 strikes, 25 balls, 8 innings, 5 H, 5 K, 0 W, 0 R, one 1-0 W for a 1-1 record: that’s how ‘Hernandez’ is spelt in these parts, sez I.
--Bela Txadux, USSM Commentor

Having seen thousands upon thousands of pitchers in person over the years, it's great to see one who throws a pitch that makes you say 'What the heck was that?!'
--Jonah Keri, Baseball Prospectus

By the way, still didn't make the front page of ESPN.com. Also unbelievable. News flash, idiots. The Yankees and Red Sox don't need to be on the front page every *&$#-ing day.
--Colin Hesse, Crushed Optimists

Will he win 300 games in his career? Who knows? Will he throw out his arm in two years and win 15 games in his career? Who knows? But excitement about a rookie pitcher doesn't come along this often on a big league scale. Sure, when Francisco Liriano finally moves up and makes his big league debut, there will be incredible excitement, but primarily in Minnesota. Hernandez's call up is the talk of the entire league and the subject of many articles and much debate.
--SethSpeaks, Minnesota Twins blogger
(except, as Colin points out above, on ESPN.com)

Hernandez signed on the Fourth of July, 2002, not even three months past his 16th birthday. At the end of a spirited bidding war, the Mariners gave him an extraordinary signing bonus of $710,000 -- and Hernandez said Seattle was not even the highest bidder.
--David Andriesen, Seattle PI, July 29, 2004