Jon Wells wants the Seattle Mariners to win the World Series as much, if not more, than anyone.

The West Seattle resident who publishes and edits The Grand Salami magazine about the Mariners wants to write the book when they do.
But for now, he settled for writing "SHIPWRECKED: A People's History of the Seattle Mariners" about their past and current woes, as well as highlights.

"I'd like to write a book on them winning the World Series, but I wanted to write a non-fiction book," he quipped at a book signing at the Federal Way Costco on Thursday before going on to another at the Tukwila Costco. "They're on their way. They're improving. But they'll need to surround the young players with experienced players. You can't win with a team of all young players."

Fans were scooping up books and having them signed, along with a number of frustrated former fans who exchanged their feelings about the team.

"It's great to talk to fans," Wells said. "You can see where not winning has upset the fans. The Mariners have really tested the patience of the fans the last decade. Like here we had a guy who used to be one of their biggest fans (former season ticket holder Jim Reed) and now he's only gone once in seven years."

Fellow reporters are saying they had forgotten many of the Mariners' "blunders and transgressions" until reading advanced copies of Shipwrecked, according to a press release on the book.

Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times called the book -- which follows in the wake of the book and movie "Moneyball" about the Oakland A's similar problems -- "A sobering, brutally honest glance at the moves and and misfires of one of baseball's last two teams to never make a World Series."

Art Thiel, who wrote "Out of Left Field" about the Mariners' 1995 success, also gave his opinion of the Shipwrecked book that was just officially released April 1 by Epicenter Press.

"Deconstructing trades, drafts and free agent signings in one well-researched swoop, Shipwrecked is a despairing portrayal of how a franchise disappointed its once-ardent fan base," he said.

"Seattle fans will enjoy this fun, often critical and always thorough history of the franchise's ups and all too many downs. Chuck Armstrong and Howard Lincoln, however, probably will not," said Jim Caple of ESPN.com.

Wells does place blame on the ownership group and upper management.

"Despite the heroic efforts of many great players, the Seattle Mariners haven't been to the World Series because their owners' relentless passion for the bottom line has repeatedly undercut chances for success on the field," Wells wrote in the press release.

Wells puts himself squarely in the fan column, however.

"I feel the same way as a fan," he said. "I have to go to every game because it's my job, unless I want another job. I'm a fan. I go to all of the home games and on the road to 20-30 games a year."

Wells, a former entertainment lawyer who moved to the area in 1994 and rooted for the Mariners in 1995 when they made their first postseason appearance, launched The Grand Salami in 1996 and now has that as his job.

"The Mariners' program (Mariners Magazine) only came out three times per year, and I felt that was not enough for the fans," said Wells of why he started his own publication. "Also, the Mariners did not put opposing teams in the program, so we have a lot about them. I also felt we needed an independent voice, so we started it up the next year. That's why we've managed to stick it out for 17 years."

Wells puts out the monthly Grand Salami six times during the season -- and will publish a seventh in October if they make the playoffs. All but two of the issues sold out last year.

"Obviously we'd do better with the Grand Salami with more people coming to the games," he said. "They (the Mariners) used to sell out for most of the games, but now they have 20,000 per game instead of 47,000."

This year Wells and some of the fans waiting for his autograph have a new peeve in the Mariners' flexible individual ticket costs. More money is charged for big opponents such as the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers as well as for weekend games in the summer and special promotions. Less is charged for games during the week or at different times of year.

"They've added this new dynamic ticket pricing and want us to believe it's good for the fans," Wells said. "They say it's supply and demand and it's better for the fans. They're not lowering the price enough when they never go below what the season ticket holders pay (per game).

Since the M's record-setting season (116 wins in 2001) at the turn of the century, optimistic fans have continued to buy tickets and pricey souvenirs. but the team's owners have repeatedly chosen to pocket the money instead of investing more on players."

Wells also publishes a program about the Seattle Sounders soccer team.

"The Sounders care about their fans," he said. "When they were shut out 4-0, the next day they offered a refund. It cost them $1 million. I can't imagine when the Mariners would have given money back."

Wells was set to have a Shipwrecked book launch party at F.X. McCrory's near Safeco Field in Seattle at 5 p.m. Friday, April 6 and for a signing at the Seattle Costco from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 7. More visits to Cosctos are planned, with another at the Barnes and Noble in Westwood Village and one he is hoping for at the Shipwreck Tavern. The book is priced at $15.95 but is available for $9.99 at the Costco signings.

Wells can be reached at grandsalami@comcast.net.

"I love meeting Mariner fans, and they're wherever I go," Wells said.