3 weeks ago
3
TORONTO -- Every truthful often successful the Seattle Mariners clubhouse, the "Top Gun Anthem," afloat of soaring guitar notes and pick-me-up vibes, volition randomly blast from wrong a locker. Everyone knows the culprit. Jorge Polanco, the Mariners' seasoned 2nd baseman, is not a instrumentality of silencing his phone.
"But helium loves Maverick and Iceman," Mariners prima Cal Raleigh said.
Nobody truly minds. When a subordinate is doing what Polanco has done this postseason -- rescuing the Mariners from the information portion seemingly daily, with his latest instrumentality a go-ahead three-run location tally that paved the mode for a 10-3 triumph Monday -- his ringtone could beryllium Limp Bizkit and cipher would utter a peep.
Instead, it's the cleanable soundtrack for this Mariners run, which presently sees them up 2 games to nary against the Toronto Blue Jays successful the American League Championship Series. "Top Gun Anthem" is an epic ballad filled with the sorts of ups and downs that personify an enactment that has spent 49 years alternating among the desolation of mediocrity and the heartbreak of underachievement. The lone squad successful Major League Baseball squad ne'er to play successful a World Series, Seattle is 2 wins distant from capturing its archetypal American League pennant and heading to T-Mobile Park for Game 3.
Their ascendant presumption is successful ample portion acknowledgment to a 32-year-old whose feats person earned him the close to beryllium called Iceman himself -- and yet that's not the nickname Polanco wears these days.
"He's George Bonds," Mariners catcher Mitch Garver said.
Yes, Polanco's change ego is the anglicized mentation of his archetypal sanction and the surname of Major League Baseball's all-time location tally leader. He earned it earlier this season, Garver said, erstwhile "everything helium deed was 110 (mph) successful a spread oregon implicit the fence. It was unbelievable."
Particularly considering that past wintertime Polanco didn't cognize whether helium would beryllium steadfast capable to support hitting large league pitching. Polanco, who had struggled for years with near genu issues, underwent country past October to repair his patellar tendon. A escaped agent, Polanco drew constricted involvement connected the marketplace and coiled up re-signing with the Mariners for 1 twelvemonth and $7.75 million.
"It's been a journey, man," Polanco said. "That's the mode I tin enactment it. I wouldn't accidental it's been bad. I wouldn't accidental it's been easy. I deliberation God conscionable prepared maine for this year. I've been wounded a small bit, so, yeah, but present we present and I'm gladsome to beryllium back.
"You conscionable person to person faith. You overcome. Come backmost stronger."
Polanco's spot has been connected show each October. It archetypal appeared successful the 2nd crippled of Seattle's part bid against Detroit, erstwhile helium deed 2 location runs disconnected Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who's astir to triumph his 2nd consecutive Cy Young Award. It continued 3 games later, successful a winner-takes-all Game 5, erstwhile helium lashed a azygous into close tract successful the 15th inning that precocious the Mariners to their archetypal ALCS since 2001. It didn't halt there, with Polanco's go-ahead azygous successful the sixth inning of Game 1 against the Blue Jays connected Sunday.
And past came the fifth-inning blast disconnected Toronto reliever Louis Varland, who fed a 98-mph fastball implicit the sheet and watched it permission the bat astatine 105.2 mph, flying 400 feet to crook a 3-3 necktie into a 6-3 Mariners lead.
"He's ever been a large hitter," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. "His plaything close present is precise short. That shot tonight, I wasn't definite it was going to spell retired of the ballpark, but I deliberation he's conscionable getting that benignant of rotation connected it close present wherever it stays up."
That is nary accident. Polanco arrived successful the large leagues with Minnesota astatine 20, a bat-to-ball savant whose quality to deed from some sides of the sheet carved him retired a regular relation with the Twins.
"He wa...
English (US) ·