The Mariners Lost $4.5 Million in 2008

As Eamonn was so kind to point out to all of us on Monday, baseball teams throughout Major League Baseball are somewhat worried about attendance this season. With the economy currently in full blown suck mode, a lot of people aren't going to be able to spend money on frivolous expenses such as baseball tickets, and will instead just stay home and watch on television.

One team that has to be very worried about this is the Seattle Mariners. They had a huge drop in attendance last season that was a result of the team being in suck mode, not the economy. With those two forces combining in 2009, it may end up making the $4.5 million the team lost last year look like chump change.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, citing documents the team filed Monday with the Public Facilities District, reports it's the first such loss for the team since moving into Safeco Field in 1999.

The Mariners lost 101 games and drew 2.3 million fans last year, the worst home attendance since the team moved to Safeco. The last time Seattle drew 3 million fans was in 2003.

Now, I don't want to be too judgmental, but this is what happens when you give Carlos Silva $48 million. You just don't get away with stuff like that. They'd have been better off throwing $48 million into a garbage can and lighting that thing on fire.