~ Prologue ~

Pennants aren't won in the first month of the season.  The true champions are found in the stretch drive.  In the postseason, everything suddenly becomes bigger.  The little plays that go unnoticed in the middle of May take on new significance and meaning.  October is the month when heroes are made - or lost.

In baseball, it's often the little plays that win the game.  The plays that don't make the highlight reels on Sports Center, the plays that are taken for granted, until they don't happen.  The backbone of any good team are the players who do their job quietly, sacrificing personal glory for the sake of the team.

Some players are better at this role than others.  Some prefer the spotlight.  Some have the talent to make the highlight reels, but prefer to fade into the background. 

The Seattle Mariners had their superstars, both on and off the field.  The household names, the all-stars, the people in the spotlight who loved every minute of it.  The Mariners also had their un-recognized players, those who the fans and media didn't dwell on as much, but who still went and did their job every day, making it look easy. 

This is the story of one season in Seattle's sometimes spotty baseball history.  When the team came into spring training, they had one game plan - the same as every other team in the major leagues.  Go to the World Series.  However, as the season played out, things took on a rather different focus.

Little did any of them know how this one season was going to change their lives.