Chalk up the first big win for the city of Seattle’s professional sports teams in quite some time. I would expand the group to the entire Pacific Northwest, but I think Trail Blazer fans have been feeling pretty good for the past four months or so.

But for fans of those teams in the Emerald City, last Wednesday had to be quite the spiritual lift. A story not without its own level of excitement and anxiety that would rival some of the Oscar-worthy tales from 2009, brought the return of an icon to the Northwest as Ken Griffey Jr. – the Kid, now at 39 years old – signed a one-year deal with the Mariners.

There is no question that among major sports towns, Seattle’s run in 2008 was something Tim Burton’s twisted mind could not even begin to fathom.

Starting less than inconspicuously, Seattle’s downward trend began with the moving of its oldest (and arguably most beloved) franchise. The Seattle Sonics became some disfigured monstrosity called the Oklahoma City Thunder. And owner Clay Bennett became a villain that could rival the evil disposition of Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

The summer brought out Seattle’s own version of “Slumdog Millionaire” to Safeco Field as the overpaid Mariners lost 100 games, becoming the first club with a payroll of $100 million to sink to such depths. Add the infighting and turmoil of firing two coaches, and Mariner fans probably wanted out as much as J.J. Putz.

Perhaps the saddest of all was the “Revolutionary Road”-like rendition by the Seahawks. Falling as flat as the Hollywood remake of Richard Yates’ literary masterpiece, the Seahawks bottomed out with injury and lack of depth, leaving Mike Holmgren’s swan song sounding more like a 6-year old blasting “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on his recorder.

But 2009 has turned over a new leaf. The Mariners will still be awful – probably. Returning are the nuts and bolts of the starting rotation and the offense, but it’s what they failed to add that is the biggest concern.

For the second straight year, the front office swung and missed at bringing in a big-time arm or stalwart power presence in the batter’s box.

But first year general manager Jack Zduriencik did get one thing right.

Hearing the cries from thousands of desperate Mariner fans and deciding it didn’t clash too harshly with the new mantra (whatever that might actually be) of the team, Zduriencik brought home Junior.

Finally.

Hoping a redux in Mariner blue would have a Benjamin Button-esque return to youth for Griffey, Zduriencik certainly took a chance, but it is one M’s fans would certainly forgive him for if things go poorly.

Ten long years after leaving Seattle for Cincinnati, the lure of playing in front of the crowd that just two years ago made it known he was still beloved was too great of a pull.

For that he spurned an offer from Atlanta to put the finishing touches on his hall of fame career. After nearly causing the suicide rate in Seattle to spike when reports came through that he had signed with the Braves, Griffey finally came full circle and later said it was his heart and an opportune phone call from Willie Mays that brought him home.

And for a brief moment – one Mariner fans hope will grow into something bigger – Seattle shirked its drab cloud of despair and finally saw the light of day.