A Grip on Sports: Maybe someday kids sitting in school will get to watch the M’s in baseball’s postseason

A GRIP ON SPORTS • You want to know the worst words a 12-year-old child can hear? “It’s nearly time for school to begin.” Not all of them, of course. Many love school. But after a summer of doing whatever, it’s almost time to be doing whatever the school schedule dictates. And that doesn’t include sports in the middle of the day.

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• Maybe it does. The best nuns I remember from my days at St. Rita’s School always allowed us the opportunity to at least listen to World Series games. Of course, they may not have actually known we were listening, thanks to the miracle of transistor radios and a small ear-bud with a cord you could snake down inside your shirt. That way you could listen to Vin Scully tell you how Sandy Koufax was pitching without being really obvious about it.

If you got caught, though, all bets were off. The stories you may have heard about rulers, knuckles and blood are actually true.

Except for that occasional nun who was more of a sports fan than you. We’re talking about you, Sister Patrice. Thanks for the memories. Especially that one time in October of 1968 when the Tigers were in the Series and I just had to listen. For some reason watching or listening in class was banned that year, but there was no way I was going to miss this Fall Classic.

Sneaky, that was me. Except, in the middle of an assignment, as I was more focused on Al Kaline at the plate than my surroundings, Sister Patrice got behind me and caught me. There was going to be hell to pay.

She bent down, laid her ruler softly on my left hand and whispered in the ear without the speaker, “what’s the score?”

After my heart started beating again, I wrote it on the paper. She nodded, smiled and moved on.

Why do I bring this up? Mainly to remind us all of the power of sports among kids. One of the most memorable elementary school days when my boys were young was that one during Apple Cup week when they were charged with wearing either crimson or purple. Or the time one of the teachers brought a Gonzaga basketball player to class. Or the time that one cool dad took his sons out of school on a Friday so they could head to Seattle to watch the Mariners all weekend.

Summer days are filled with the opportunity to go shoot hoops or play street hockey or play wiffle ball. It still happens, even in these days of video games and over-organized sports. But those opportunities in 2021 are growing shorter, like the days. Before they know it, just about everyone under the age of 18 will be back in school, focused on one thing: Next June, when summer starts all over again.

• The Mariners are trying to build some memories themselves this season. The weekend in Houston didn’t help, as they lost two of three games by a combined score of 30-10. (I’m no math wizard but that’s not good.) The last game, though, may have rekindled some hope.

Trailing 2-0 entering the eighth, those plucky M’s scored single runs in the eighth and ninth, then survived until the 11th, when Ty France and Kyle Seager keyed a four-run explosion. The 6-3 win sends Seattle to Oakland three games behind the A’s and Red Sox for the second wild-card spot.

That’s a little discombobulating, as Art Thiel ponders this morning. The losses Friday and Saturday were supposed to serve as the proverbial rug. You know, the one that’s pulled out from under every fan’s hopes of listening to the M’s in the postseason. Happens every year, usually long before school begins. But thanks to their unwavering resilience (and expanded playoffs), the 2021 M’s are still alive.

Just in time for football season to start.

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WSU: There have been many beloved alums of Washington State University over the years. But there aren’t many I can think of currently who engender more smiles and good feelings than Klay Thompson. Klay being Klay is a real thing, one that we were able to watch develop in Pullman over three years. It continues. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college sports, the virtual currency world is injecting cold, hard cash into California’s coffers. … Is Oregon State about ready to name a starting quarterback? … Oregon has a veteran safety who is more than ready to start. … Colorado has a young receiver who is ready to start as well. … Institutional support in athletics at Utah these days means more than just taping ankles and tutoring sessions. … Arizona was supposed to announce the starting quarterback today. But it was pushed back a day. … Finally, NIL is still in the formative stages.

Idaho: A senior transfer will be joining the Vandal basketball team this season. That news nugget leads off our local briefs column.

Preps: We’re passing this story along from Eugene, Ore., mainly because South Eugene is a high school of more than 1,400 students. And because of low numbers, it won’t have a football team this season.  

Indians: We came this close to writing about the Indians this morning because how often do we have a local baseball team put together a nine-game winning streak? And put itself right in the middle of a postseason discussion? That’s happened here and Jason Shoot is all over it. He has this story of the Indians’ doubleheader (and series) sweep over Hillsboro. Spokane is seven games over the .500 mark.

Mariners: As we said, the M’s rallied when it was imperative they do so, winning 6-3. … Mitch Haniger’s season is worth celebrating. … The M’s signed another veteran reliever.

Seahawks: John Ursua announced on Instagram he’s out for the season with an ACL injury. … Bob Condotta examines the Hawks’ options at linebacker as part of this question-and-answer piece. He concludes, due to their special team needs there is little chance they’ll call K.J. Wright. … DeeJay Dallas wears his number well.

Storm: The team will be at the White House today to celebrate their WNBA title. And, thanks to balanced scoring, the Storm will be there coming off a win over Washington.

Golf: There is a LPGA Tour event this week in the Inland Northwest. The inaugural Circling Raven Championship will be held at the course, part of the Symetra Tour, the Triple-A of women’s pro golf. Jim Meehan has a preview of the event.

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• Two things can be true. I can be finely trained in CPR – I have a class to refresh my skills this morning – and you can be assured it would be best if I were the guy who is assigned to call 911. Panic very easily could been an appropriate choice as my confirmation name. Until later …