Firing of coach Jeff Pentland should be the first of many moves for Mariners

The first lamb down is the hitting coach, the man who couldn't reform a gang of reckless free-swingers. Back away from the batting cage, Jeff Pentland. The Mariners had to do something.

So they did the easiest, most obvious thing. Get rid of the guy overseeing a lineup that had produced a .248 batting average and .305 on-base percentage entering Monday's game. Punish him for the Mariners ranking last or second-to-last in the American League in four major offensive categories. Let the public spend a day debating Pentland's shortcomings before moving forward with the outrage.

The Mariners only created a few centimeters of breathing room Monday by firing Pentland. As long as Richie Sexson remains at first base, as long as the mystery mix remains in right field, as long as Jose Vidro remains an ineffective designated hitter, the hitting problems will persist. First base, right field and designated hitter are simply the glaring concerns. The Mariners are burdened by too many offensive issues to count.

They're hitting nearly 40 points below last season's mark because all their problems have caught them at once. Lee Elia, Pentland's replacement, will provide some fire and no-nonsense leadership, but he can't cure a group that doesn't want to be cured.

We continue to sit in the waiting room, anticipating when this franchise will have the courage — or the intelligence — to let go. The Mariners aren't the 2005 Houston Astros; they don't have Roger Clemens tucked away somewhere. This season is over, with 98 games left. This clunky rebuilding plan needs to be over, too.

In the process of repairing the damage, we can only hope that Pentland isn't the only casualty. Everyone should be under consideration for the guillotine: chief executive officer Howard Lincoln, president Chuck Armstrong, manager John McLaren, general manager Bill Bavasi, Sexson, Vidro and every other player performing below expectations.

Not everyone will go. Some level of continuity is important. But the Mariners need to use this disastrous season as an opportunity to scrutinize themselves and rethink their entire approach.

This isn't just some random collapse. The Mariners are working on seven straight seasons without a postseason appearance. It's time to stop plugging holes, time to stop protecting overpriced players, time to stop serving up cosmetic change.

Sometimes, it's wise to know when to quit. During his 30-minute session with reporters last week, Bavasi strongly indicated the Mariners would keep fighting until the last possible minute to save this season.

He had to put it that way. For one, the Mariners would be foolish to scare off fans by telling them that the entire summer will be an evaluation period. There must be some veil of competitiveness. And with a payroll near $120 million, it would be hard to dump or disregard some of the high-salaried players on this roster.

But the reality is, the Mariners are done. They know their problems, and they shouldn't continue to ignore them when there are no stakes left to claim.

Release Sexson. Just eat what's left of his $15 million salary this season. He is the poster child for the Mariners' dysfunction — an underachiever who drains a team with his lack of production, a guy who'd rather complain about being misunderstood than re-create himself.

Decide the futures of McLaren and Bavasi now. Bavasi keeps reiterating that the Mariners' troubles aren't related to the field manager, that they involve players who need to develop winning chemistry and leadership. But that didn't stop the Mariners from firing Pentland.

In recent interviews, Armstrong has remained supportive of Bavasi. But the Erik Bedard trade — the most significant move of Bavasi's Mariners tenure — has made the team worse. Bedard hasn't shown the traits of an ace who can lead a winning team. He can't even pitch six innings on a hot day. He possesses incredible talent, but he lacks toughness, and only two months into his first season in Seattle, there's a growing sense that neither he nor the Mariners are satisfied with the partnership.

If the Bedard trade doesn't start looking better, there's no way Bavasi should be allowed to survive. An organization truly committed to winning can't let such things slide.

Pentland's firing should be only the first step, the warm-up act, to tearing down baseball's worst team. This problem is so much heavier than Pentland. The Mariners must respond more harshly if they are serious about changing.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com. For his Extra Points blog, visit seattletimes.com/sports.