Thunk!! That is the sound made as I smack my palm against my forehead in frustration at the Mariners season thus far.

It’s sad to see a season of great possibilities, seem more and more unlikely as each game passes. Untimely hitting combined with questionable pitching and a roster of players resembling a M.A.S.H.

Triage has led us to this point 25 games out of first place and a sore spot on my forehead.

I have optimism at each start of the baseball season, thinking this is their year. I enjoy picking winners in sports, so if I pick a team to win, you can bet everything in your wallet on the other guys. I chose the Lakers to win the NBA championships. I liked the Patriots in the Super Bowl and thought the Cardinals had a good chance in last year’s World Series. How am I doing so far?

The Mariners are in a rough spot now. Is it time for some trades while so few of our players have any trade value left?

Or do we stand pat and see what next year brings us as far as new blood? I will say this for our current crop of Mariners, they haven’t quit. These players are true professionals, playing their butts off on a ship that’s going down.

It will get tougher for them as the season comes down to its end. It will get harder to not listen to the idiot pundits who want to trade Ichiro to the evil empire New York Yankees for 17 players and a price freeze on gas at $2.50 a gallon.

It will get almost unbearable in September to watch our guys play out this lame geoduck of a season. The only bright spot will be playing spoiler to another team coming to town hoping to filet us like a salmon. Ahh… sweet justice.

My 12-year-old nephew Alex and I were commiserating about the Mariners’ 2008 season the other day.

“They suck!” he said with purpose.

“Just remember kid - the Brooklyn Dodgers had a saying: Wait till next year!”

“The Dodgers played in Brooklyn?”

“Thunk!!!”

Todd Nuttman is a resident of Kent and a columnist for the Kent Reporter. Send your responses for Nuttman to: laura.pierce@reporternewspapers.com.