The
Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in
Seattle
, Washington
. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member
of the
Western Division of
Major League Baseball's
American League.
Safeco Field
has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July ; from their 1977
inception until June 1999, the club's home park was the Kingdome
.
Overview
The "Mariners" name originates from the prominence of
marine culture in the city of Seattle. They are
nicknamed "the
M's", a title featured in their primary logo from
1977 to 1992. The current team colors are
navy
blue,
teal, and metallic
silver, after having been
royal blue and
gold
from 1977–1992. Their
mascot is the
Mariner Moose.
The organization did not field a winning team until 1991, and any
real success eluded them until when they won their first division
championship and defeated the
New York
Yankees in the
American League Division
Series. The
game-winning hit in Game 5
clinched a series win for the Mariners, and has since become an
iconic moment in team history. The Mariners share the record for
most wins in a single season with 116, which they achieved in .
Despite their successes since winning their first division title in
1995, they have never won an AL Championship, and remain one of
three franchises (the others being the Washington Senators/
Texas Rangers and the
Montreal Expos/
Washington Nationals) never to have
played in a
World Series.
History
1965–1976: Origins and Formation
Before being awarded a team in Major League Baseball, Seattle had
been a staple of the
Pacific Coast
League dating back to the late 19th century. The first attempt
to land a major league team failed when a bid by William Daley to
move the
Cleveland Indians to
Seattle in fell apart. In late 1967, Daley, by then having sold the
Indians, led a consortium to win a franchise in the expansion. That
team became the
Seattle Pilots.
The
Seattle Pilots, amidst a bevy of financial problems, were sold and
relocated to Milwaukee
for the 1970 season and became the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Mariners were created as a result of a lawsuit.
In 1970, in the
aftermath of the Pilots' purchase and relocation to Milwaukee by
future Commissioner of
Baseball Bud Selig, the City of
Seattle, King
County
, and the state of Washington (represented by
then-State Attorney General
Slade Gorton) sued the American League
for breach of contract.
Confident
that Major League Baseball would return to Seattle within a few
years, King
County
built the multi-purpose Kingdome, which would
become home to the NFL's expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976.
The Pilots lawsuit continued until 1976. At trial, the American
League offered to give Seattle an expansion baseball franchise in
return for dropping the suit, and details were ironed out over the
next year.
To keep the league with an even number of
teams, a formal expansion proceeding was held, with a second team,
the Blue Jays, being awarded to
the city of Toronto
. The
new Seattle team, to begin play in , would be owned by entertainer
Danny Kaye, along with Stanley Golub,
Walter Schoenfeld, Lester Smith, James Stillwell Jr. and James A
Walsh.
1977–1990: Debut and winning struggles
Seattle Mariners Logo (1981-1986)
The Mariners played their first game on
April
6, , to a sold-out crowd of 57,762 at the Kingdome, losing 7-0
to the
California
Angels. The first home run in team history was hit on April 10,
1977, by designated hitter Juan Bernhardt.That year, star pitcher
Diego Segui, in his last major league
season, became the only player to play for both the Pilots and the
Mariners. The Mariners finished with a 64–98 record, echoing the
record the 1969 Pilots once held. In 1979, Seattle hosted the
50th Major
League Baseball All-Star Game. After the 1981 season, the
Mariners were sold to California businessman and future U.S.
Ambassador to Spain
George
Argyros.
Despite
having stars such as Hall of Fame
pitcher Gaylord Perry
(nicknamed the "Ancient Mariner"), American League Rookie of the
Year Alvin Davis, two-time All-Star and three-time
Gold Glove winner Harold Reynolds, three-time American League
strikeout leader Mark Langston, and shortstop and team captain
Spike Owen on their rosters, the Mariners
teams of the late 1970s and the entirety of the 1980s were
characterized by perennial non-achievement, gaining a reputation
for poor performances, low attendance, and losing records.
Moreover, the team's ownership again changed hands after the
season, as Argyros sold the club to a group headed by
communications magnate
Jeff Smulyan.
However, the rookie season of center fielder
Ken Griffey, Jr., acquired with the first
overall pick of the amateur draft, gave fans hope that a change of
fortunes might be on the horizon. The Mariners finished with a
losing record in 1990 to start off the decade.
1991–1992: A glimmer of hope
After yet another dismal performance in , the Mariners managed
their first winning season in , finishing 83–79 under manager
Jim Lefebvre. Though it was the team's
best season up to that point, it was only good enough for a
fifth-place finish in the seven-team
American League West in which no team
finished under .500, and Lefebvre was fired after 1991. The team
hired
Bill Plummer as Lefebvre's
replacement for the season, but he too was let go after a 98-loss
campaign in 1992.
After several years of relocation threats by owner
Jeff Smulyan, in the middle of the 1992 season
the Mariners were purchased by a group of Seattle-area businessmen,
led by
Nintendo chairman
Hiroshi Yamauchi. The purchase was
initially opposed by baseball officials, who objected to a team
being owned by a non-North American entity. Eventually, they
allowed the sale, provided that the team's presidency and
chairmanship remained in the hands of American partners.
1993–2002
1993: The New and Improved Mariners
In 1993, the Mariners donned their current uniforms. During the
1992-93 offseason, the Mariners hired manager
Lou Piniella, who had led the
Cincinnati Reds to victory in the
1990 World Series. Mariner fans embraced
Piniella, and he would helm the team from through , winning two
American League
Manager of the
Year Awards along the way.
1994 season: The Labor Strike-Shortened Season
The Mariners' fortunes began to improve in . Beginning in the late
1980s, the team had added a core of strong players built around
center fielder
Ken Griffey, Jr.,
pitcher
Randy Johnson, third
baseman
Edgar Martínez, and
right fielder
Jay Buhner. On
July 19, , four 15-pound ceiling tiles fell from the
Kingdome roof onto the field and into the stadium's seating bowl.
The incident led to uncertainty over whether the Kingdome was fit
for use as a major league stadium, and may well have ultimately
been a factor leading to the construction of Safeco Field.
Unable to
play at the venue while repairs were being executed, the Major League Baseball
Players' Association rejected the idea of playing games at
Cheney
Stadium
in Tacoma
or BC
Place
in Vancouver, feeling that games
should not be played in non-MLB venues. This forced the
Mariners to play their next 20 games on the road over the span of
21 days. The long trip began miserably as the Mariners started off
2–8, but rebounded to win nine of their next ten games, leaving
them just 2 games behind the division-leading
Texas Rangers when a
players' strike was called
on
August 12 that resulted in the
cancellation of the rest of the season. Many players felt the time
together on the road and the overcoming of the adversity faced that
season fed directly into the success the team would achieve in the
1995 season. The extended roadtrip resulted in a peculiarity, in
which the first game in a series with the
Boston Red Sox - which was supposed to be in
Seattle - was rained out; if one still counts this as a home game,
it would mark the first - and so far only - home rainout in
Mariners history.
1995 season: “Refuse to Lose”
Although pitchers
Randy Johnson,
Bill Risley, and
Bobby Ayala combined for an opening-day
three-hit
shutout, the Mariners' season
started off on a bad note overall, as Griffey sustained a major
early-season injury. Despite this loss, the Mariners continued to
play fairly well, guided by Piniella. In mid-August, however, the
Mariners appeared to be out of contention, 13 games behind the
first-place
California
Angels.
The tide turned with a September winning streak marked by
late-inning comeback wins, which led to their most-known slogan
"Refuse to Lose." Combined with an absolute collapse by the Angels,
this opened the way for the Mariners to end up tied with the Angels
for first place at the end of the regular season, forcing a
one-game
playoff. The playoff pitted Johnson against Angels ace
Mark Langston, whom, incidentally, the
Mariners had traded for Johnson in . Langston ended up on the seat
of his pants at homeplate failing to tag out
Luis Sojo who came all the way around after
clearing the bases with a ball that got by the Angels first
baseman,
J. T.
Snow, rattled around underneath
California's bullpen bench, and resulted in a hurried and errant
cut-off throw from Langston. The Mariners won the tiebreaker game
9-1 and clinched their first-ever trip to the playoffs. The
Mariners had won 25 of their last 36 games.
The Mariners lost the first two games of the 1995 American League
Division Series against the New York Yankees, but managed to win
the next two at home and force a decisive Game 5. Down 5-4 in the
bottom of the 11th inning,
the most memorable moment in
Mariners history took place. Edgar Martínez hit a game-winning
double off Yankee ace
Jack McDowell,
scoring
Joey Cora and Griffey to win the
game 6-5 and advance to the
American League
Championship Series. "The Double", as Martínez's clutch hit has
since been called by Mariners fans, is credited as being "the
moment that saved baseball in Seattle" by generating newly
refreshed interest in the team and making a new, baseball-only
stadium possible.
Mariner commentator
Dave Niehaus' call
on the play is still remembered by many Mariner fans: Although the
Mariners' championship run was halted in the ALCS by another
up-and-coming club,
Mike Hargrove's
Cleveland Indians, who won the series 4 games to 2, 1995 is
remembered as "The Magical Season" and "The Miracle Mariners of
1995" with "The Double" still considered by many the greatest
moment in Mariners history.
1996–1999: Lack of Pitching Depth
In , the Mariners, led by Griffey, rookie shortstop
Alex Rodriguez, and sluggers
Jay Buhner and Edgar Martínez, won a then-team
record 85 games, but missed the playoffs. The offense set the
all-time record for most home runs by a team in a season, but
ultimately the Mariners' inconsistent pitching, exacerbated by a
midseason injury to Randy Johnson, doomed the team.The Mariners won
a division title again in 1997, but were defeated in the 1997
American League Division Series 3 games to 1 by the
Baltimore Orioles. They were again hurt by
a lack of pitching depth to complement the strong offense, which
was led by Griffey, who won the
MVP award, a first for both
him and the Mariners.
In and 1999, the Mariners had losing records due primarily to their
lack of pitching depth. Randy Johnson was traded at the 1998 July
non-waiver trading deadline to the
Houston Astros after GM Woody Woodard
publicly stated he did not intend on offering Johnson (who was a
free agent following the 1998 season) a long-term contract. Johnson
subsequently requested to be traded. He had been inconsistent
during the first half of the season; some fans and press thought he
had been trying to force a trade through malaise. Strong pitching
from aces
Jeff Fassero and
Jamie Moyer was not enough to fully offset the
loss, and the bullpen's struggles continued.
Midway through the
1999 season, the Mariners moved to Safeco Field
. After the 1999 season,
Ken Griffey, Jr. requested and attained a
trade to the
Cincinnati Reds,
leaving
Alex Rodriguez as the face of
the franchise at the beginning of the high-expectation Safeco Field
era, which was during the years 2000-03.
2000: The First Wild Card Berth
was a return to respectability for the Mariners. They finished half a game behind Oakland Athletics in the AL West, as they played only 161 games. The tiebreaking rules had already awarded the division crown to Oakland, so the rained out 162nd game was not made up, and the Mariners were declared wild card winners. While Ken Griffey, Jr. was no longer patrolling center or anchoring the middle of the batting order, his replacement, Mike Cameron, was noted for his solid hitting and exceptional glovework (he would go on to win two Gold Gloves with the team). Alex Rodriguez replaced Junior as the face of the franchise in 2000. Edgar Martínez continued his steady hitting in the cleanup spot, putting up a career high in homers. Both finished in the top six in MVP voting. A key addition to the team occurred when the Mariners signed the one-time AL Batting Champion John Olerud, a Washington State University
graduate, to play first base. Olerud would enjoy some of his best seasons in Seattle, and played a huge part in the team's success the following year. Jamie Moyer, Freddy Garcia, and Aaron Sele anchored what was easily the most successful rotation in Seattle since the departure of Randy Johnson. Closer Kazuhiro Sasaki, previously a star for the Japanese Yokohama BayStars, won the AL Rookie of the Year award. Stolen base king and former MVP Rickey Henderson was acquired midseason and filled longtime needs in left field and in the leadoff slot. The Mariners swept the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS, but lost to the New York Yankees in six games in the ALCS.
The following offseason was one of the most significant in Mariners
history, as Rodríguez was up for
free
agency. Ultimately, Rodríguez was lost to the
Texas Rangers for what was then the
richest contract ever in professional sports. However, the Mariners
were able to weather the loss by adding Japanese superstar
Ichiro Suzuki and slick fielding, power
hitting second base veteran
Bret
Boone.
2001: AL record with 116 wins
In , the addition of Ichiro and a career season by Boone helped the
Mariners to tie the record for most wins in the modern era. This
was despite the loss of A-Rod, who would be greeted on his return
to Safeco with
Monopoly money
dropped by unusually irate Seattle fans, and on subsequent returns
by incessant booing. The 2001 Mariners led the major leagues in
winning percentage all season long, easily winning the American
League West division championship, breaking the
1998 Yankees American League
single-season record of 114 wins, and matching the Major League
Baseball record for single-season wins of 116 set by the
Chicago Cubs in . At the end of the season,
Ichiro won the AL
MVP, AL
Rookie of the Year, and one of
three outfield
Gold Glove Awards,
becoming the first player since the
Boston Red Sox's
Fred
Lynn to win all three in the same season. He has been the
subject of several books (including one released in the summer of
2001 that consists solely of his zen-like quotations).
The Mariners pulled off a come-from-behind 3-2 series win over the
Cleveland Indians in the
Division Series to
advance to the
American League
Championship Series to have a rematch with the New York
Yankees, but succumbed to the Yankees for the second year in a row
in the ALCS, 4 games to 1. The Mariners also hosted the
All-Star Game that year,
and had a league-leading and team record eight All-Stars: RF Ichiro
Suzuki, DH Edgar Martínez, CF Mike Cameron, 2B Bret Boone, 1B
John Olerud, and pitchers Freddy Garcia,
Kazuhiro Sasaki, and
Jeff
Nelson.
2002: Last Year of Lou
The Mariners started the season hot (they were on pace to win 100+
games again well into the summer), but they missed out on the
playoffs. This was widely attributed to their failure to find a
substantial contributor at the trade deadline and hot streaks by
the
Anaheim Angels and
Oakland Athletics in the later
months of the season. Ultimately, the Angels won the World Series
as the Mariners won 93 games, which was still the second best total
in their history. At the end of the season, manager
Lou Piniella left the Mariners to manage his
hometown
Tampa Bay Devil Rays,
reportedly due to his anger with management; Piniella believed that
management was more concerned with the bottom line than acquiring
quality players.
2003–present
2003: New Manager Melvin Continues the Momentum
The Mariners signed
Bob Melvin to be
their new manager. The local press speculated that a first year
manager (especially someone more even-tempered than the fiery
Piniella) would be easier for the front office and ownership to
control.
The Mariners again got off to an excellent start in the season.
They contended all season long and reached the same record as in
2002, but were again beaten to the playoffs by their division rival
Oakland Athletics, highlighted by
a six-game losing streak in late August that saw their lead
evaporate, which they would never recover. Their failure to make
the playoffs was again blamed on management's inability to bring in
a bat at the trading deadline and the aging roster's decline.
Notably, the debate was started by pitcher
Jeff Nelson, who was himself
traded after criticizing the front office's deadline inactivity.
General manager
Pat Gillick became a
consultant midway through the offseason to make room for new GM
Bill Bavasi.
2004–2006: Rebuilding
With the exception of the 1998 and 1999 seasons, the Mariners had
been annual challengers for the AL West title from 1995 through
2003. The season, however, saw the fall of the Mariners from
contention. With an aging roster, the Mariners went into the
All-Star Break with a 9-game losing streak, and a 32-54 season
record (.372) 17 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers. After
the All-Star break, unable to ignore the dreadful state of their
team, the Mariners gave the team a complete overhaul, trading
Freddy García to the
Chicago White Sox for
Miguel Olivo,
Jeremy
Reed, and
Mike Morse and moving aging
and struggling players away from center stage (most notably,
releasing Gold Glover and fan favorite John Olerud) and inserting
over a dozen
minor league
call-ups into the 25-man roster. The season's end was enlivened by
Ichiro breaking
George Sisler's single
season record of 257 hits (finishing with 262) and by events
honoring the retirement of Mariner icon
Edgar Martínez. Just days after the end
of the season, the Mariners fired manager Bob Melvin. On October
20, , the Mariners announced the signing of
Mike Hargrove, who had led the Cleveland
Indians past the Mariners in the
1995 ALCS, as their
new manager. In the offseason, the Mariners and Bavasi surprised
fans and the local press by signing two premier free agents, third
baseman
Adrián Beltré and
first baseman
Richie Sexson, ending
some accusations from fans that the organization was only willing
to make piecemeal signings and trades.
On November 26, 2004, the owner of the Mariners changed: Hiroshi
Yamauchi sold his 54 % stake to
Nintendo of America.
Despite several personnel changes and free-agent signings after the
2004 season, the team stayed at the bottom of the divisional
standings throughout the 2005 season and finished in last place,
though they improved their record by six games compared to the
previous year.
The brightest spot of the season was the
emergence of 19-year-old Venezuelan
pitching prospect Félix Hernández, who became the
youngest major leaguer to debut since Jose
Rijo entered the league with the New York Yankees in .
Sexson also played very well, hitting 39 home runs and 121 RBI.
Stars Ichiro and Beltre, however, did not reach their high levels
of offensive production from 2004, and 2B Bret Boone was released
before the All-Star break.
Along with Hernandez, two rookie middle
infielders became part of the Mariners' long term plans: Cuban
defector and
shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt
and Venezuelan second baseman and former top prospect José López became the next
season's starters. However, the Mariners' rotation beyond
Hernandez and the aging Jamie Moyer was poor, and the Mariners
suffered the embarrassment of having the most suspendees under
MLB's new
drug testing policy, notably
pitcher
Ryan Franklin and IF/OF Mike
Morse. During the 2005–2006 off-season, Ichiro spoke out and
criticized the team's attitude, pointing out its lack of leadership
and manager Hargrove's failure to harness players.
The Mariners began the 2005–2006 off-season by signing star
Japanese catcher
Kenji Johjima to a
3-year deal and left-handed starter
Jarrod Washburn (formerly of division rival
Los Angeles) to a
4-year deal. Designated hitter
Carl
Everett and outfielder
Matt Lawton
also joined the team, although both would finish the season out of
baseball. The Mariners entered the All-Star Break 2.5 games out of
first place in the AL West with a 43-46 record. Despite remaining
in contention within the AL West through July, a disastrous 0-11
road trip in mid-August signaled the end of the Mariners' playoff
hopes, leaving them in last place, where they would finish the
season. Pitcher Jamie Moyer was traded to the
Philadelphia Phillies for a pair of
minor league prospects, and weeks later bench coach
Ron Hassey and administrative coach
Dan Rohn—whom many viewed as a prime candidate to
replace Hargrove as manager—were removed from their positions with
the team. At season's end, the Mariners had only narrowly avoided
losing 90 games for the third consecutive year. While the team
entered the 2006–2007 off-season with some young talent in key
positions, many questions remained as to the consistency of their
offense and, more importantly, the strength of their starting
pitching staff.
2007: Another glimmer of hope
The 2007 season began with a sense of muted optimism. While the
team had a busy off-season in terms of changes to the roster, fans
questioned player transactions that moved young, potential-filled
players (
Rafael Soriano,
Chris Snelling) in favor of veterans who have
suffered injuries in recent seasons (
José Guillén,
José Vidro,
Horacio Ramírez) or who have achieved
mediocre success in the past with other clubs (
Miguel Batista,
Jeff
Weaver). These transactions followed CEO Howard Lincoln's
remarks at the completion of the 2006 campaign that GM Bill Bavasi
and manager Mike Hargrove were on his "hot seat" and needed to
produce more wins in 2007. Further magnifying the need to win was
outfielder Ichiro Suzuki's suggestion at the beginning of spring
training that he may have an interest in testing free-agency waters
when his contract is completed at the end of the season if the
Mariners continue to struggle on the field.
After two and a half seasons with the Mariners and while guiding
the team to a 44–33 record in the 2007 season,
Mike Hargrove unexpectedly announced before
the July 1, 2007 game against the
Toronto Blue Jays that the game would be
his last as the Mariners' manager. Hargrove said that he could no
longer provide the commitment from himself that he was expecting of
his players and coaches. Bench coach
John McLaren was announced as
Hargrove's replacement. On
July 13, Ichiro
Suzuki signed a 5-year, 90-million-dollar contract with the
Mariners that will extend to 2012. With minor league prospect
Adam Jones playing well and a
fairly consistent offense and pitching staff, the 2007 Mariners
were back in contention in the AL West and AL Wild Card races.
However, a 3–15 stretch late in the season effectively ended the
Mariners' 2007 playoff hopes. The Mariners were mathematically
eliminated from contention on September 24. One highlight during
this stretch, however, was the home run that gave Ichiro Suzuki 200
hits for his seventh consecutive 200-hit season; Ichiro is only the
third player in MLB history with seven consecutive 200-hit seasons,
and the first to do it in his first seven seasons.
2008: 61-101
Heading into the 2008 season, the Mariners hoped to capitalize on
their 2007 success by bolstering their roster to position
themselves to once again challenge the Angels for the AL West
championship. They dramatically transformed their pitching staff,
adding free agent
Carlos Silva and
trading a package of players led by
George Sherrill and
Adam Jones to the
Baltimore Orioles on February 8 for
Erik Bedard. Other additions included
outfielder
Brad Wilkerson and
infielder
Miguel Cairo, as well as a
new coaching staff under McLaren featuring former MLB managers
Jim Riggleman,
Sam Perlozzo,
Lee Elia,
and pitching coach
Mel Stottlemyre.
Also added to the major league coaching staff was bullpen coach
Norm Charlton, a member of the 1995,
1997, and 2001 AL West title teams, as well as
Eddie Rodriguez, previously manager of the
Mariners'
Class AA minor league affiliate. Hitting coach
Jeff Pentland remained as the only
coach hired under Hargrove.
Despite their offseason additions, the 2008 Mariners featured one
of the league's worst offenses. In April, the club attempted to
solve some of its offensive woes by designating Wilkerson and pinch
hitter
Greg Norton for
assignment. The offensive struggles, in concert with defensive
lapses and inconsistent pitching from both the bullpen and the
starting rotation, led the team to last place by the end of April
despite an Opening Day payroll of nearly $117 million. On June 8,
the Mariners held the worst record in baseball with a .349 winning
percentage, and were on pace for 105 losses and the worst record in
team history. Hitting coach Pentland was fired on June 9 and was
replaced by Lee Elia, who was previously the Mariners' hitting
instructor from 1993-1997. Following a 1–5 homestand, general
manager Bill Bavasi was dismissed on June 16 and replaced by
Lee Pelekoudas on an interim basis.
Pelekoudas had held various front office positions with the
Mariners since 1980, most recently as vice president/assistant
general manager. The purge continued on June 19, when John McLaren
was dismissed from his position and replaced by bench coach Jim
Riggleman. Personnel moves of that sort were not limited to coaches
and front office personnel in 2008, as
Richie Sexson and
Jose
Vidro were released in July and August, respectively. On
September 1, the Mariners were the first team in baseball
mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. They finished the
season with 101 losses, only one fewer than the MLB-worst
Washington Nationals. The 2008 Mariners
became the first team in major league history to have a payroll of
$100 or more while accumulating 100 or more losses.
2008 did have a handful of noteworthy achievements, however: On
June 23, pitcher Félix Hernández hit a
grand slam off of the
New York Mets'
Johan
Santana, becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to hit
a home run, as well as the first AL pitcher to hit a grand slam
since 1971 (and the first ever in modern
Interleague play). On September 1,
third baseman Adrián Beltré became the fourth
Mariner to
hit for the cycle.
Beltré's cycle came hours after
Stephen
Drew of the
Arizona
Diamondbacks hit for the cycle, marking the second time in MLB
history – and the first since 1920 – that two players accomplished
the feat on the same day. On September 17, Ichiro tied
Willie Keeler's record of 8 consecutive
200-hit seasons, matching a mark that has stood since 1901.
2009–present: Back to Wild Card Race
On October 22, 2008 the Mariners announced the hiring of
Jack Zduriencik, formerly
scouting director of the
Milwaukee Brewers, as their general
manager. Weeks later, on November 18, the team named
Oakland Athletics bench coach
Don Wakamatsu as its new field manager.
Wakamatsu and Zduriencik hired an entirely new coaching staff for
2009, which included former World Series MVP
John Wetteland as bullpen coach. The
off-season also saw a litany of roster moves, headlined by a
12-player, 3-team trade that included sending All-Star closer
J.J. Putz to the
New York Mets and brought 5
players—including prospect
Mike Carp and
outfielder
Endy Chavez from New York and
outfielder
Franklin Gutierrez
from the
Cleveland Indians—to
Seattle. Many of the moves, like the free agent signing of
Mike Sweeney, were made in part with the hope
of squelching the clubhouse infighting that plagued the Mariners in
2008.
On February 18, the Mariners signed
Ken
Griffey, Jr. to a one-year contract, returning him to the city
where he played from 1989–1999 and was named a member of the
All-Century Team. Griffey was
re-issued his old uniform number, 24, which had not been issued to
any on-field personnel since his February 2000 trade to Cincinnati.
On April 15, Griffey hit his 400th home run in a Mariners uniform,
becoming the only player to hit 400 home runs with one club
(Seattle) and 200 with another (Cincinnati).
On March 31, Ichiro was placed on the 15-day
disabled list for the first time in his Major
League career, after being diagnosed with a
bleeding ulcer; on April 15, he hit a grand
slam in the first game upon his return from the DL.
On April 16, Ichiro
recorded his 3,086th hit in a
combined career between Nippon Professional Baseball
and Major League Baseball,
breaking the record among Japanese
-born professional players previously held by
Isao Harimoto, who attended the game
in Seattle.
On, September 16, Ichiro hit his 200th hit for the ninth
consecutive season, eclipsing the record held by "Wee"
Willie Keeler. On October 4, the final game of
the year, Felix Hernandez continued his Cy Young candidacy, and won
his 19th game, the 85th for the Mariners. Mariners legend
Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a single in the 8th
inning and was lifted for pinch-runner Michael Saunders, to a long
standing ovation, in what was then thought to be the final at-bat
of his Hall of Fame career. The Mariners became the 13th team in
MLB history to have a winning season after losing 100+ games the
previous season. After the final out, fans saluted the
much-improved Mariners, having won 24 more games than the year
before. The team took a victory lap around the park in return,
which ended with the team carrying Griffey (and eventually Ichiro)
on their shoulders, before leaving the field.
Among their 85 victories, a MLB season-sigh 35 of which were 1-run
triumphs, as well as 13 walk-off wins.
Spring training
The team
mainly plays spring training games in the Peoria
Sports Complex
in Peoria, Arizona
. They share the complex and stadium with the
San Diego Padres.
Season records
This is a partial list listing the past ten completed regular
seasons. For the full season records, see here.
Year |
Record |
Win % |
Place |
Playoffs |
Notes |
1998 |
76–85 |
.472 |
3rd in AL West |
|
|
1999 |
79–83 |
.488 |
3rd in AL West |
|
|
2000 |
91–71 |
.562 |
2nd in AL West |
Won ALDS vs
Chicago White Sox, 3–0
Lost ALCS
vs New York Yankees, 4–2. |
|
2001 |
116–46 |
.716 |
1st in AL West |
Won ALDS vs
Cleveland Indians, 3–2
Lost ALCS
vs New York Yankees, 4–1. |
Tied the regular-season record with 116 wins, but went 4-6 in
the playoffs. |
2002 |
93–69 |
.574 |
3rd in AL West |
|
|
2003 |
93–69 |
.574 |
2nd in AL West |
|
|
2004 |
63–99 |
.389 |
4th in AL West |
|
Ichiro breaks 84-year-old hits record, with 262 hits |
2005 |
69–93 |
.426 |
4th in AL West |
|
|
2006 |
78–84 |
.481 |
4th in AL West |
|
|
2007 |
88–74 |
.543 |
2nd in AL West |
|
|
2008 |
61-101 |
.377 |
4th in AL West |
|
Worst record in AL heading into All-Star Break, first team of
2008 to record a 100 loss season.First team of 2008 to officially
be eliminated from the 2008 playoffs. Worst record since 1983,
which was the last time they had lost over 100 games in a
season.
First team in MLB history to lose 100 games with a $100 million
payroll. |
2009 |
85-77 |
.520 |
3rd in AL West |
|
Ichiro breaks the record for most consecutive 200-hit seasons
at 9. |
|
Totals |
2261–2418 |
.482 |
|
|
|
Baseball Hall of Famers
The
following inducted members of the Baseball
Hall of Fame
spent part of their careers with the
Mariners. None is depicted on his plaque wearing a Mariners
cap insignia.
Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame
Seattle Mariners former chairman and CEO
John
Ellis announced on June 14, 1997 the creation of a Mariners
Hall of Fame. It is operated by the Seattle Mariners organization.
It honors the players, staff and other individuals that greatly
contributed to the history and success of the Mariners franchise.
It is
located at the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest in Safeco Field
.
The current members of the Mariners Hall of Fame are:
Retired numbers
The Seattle Mariners have not retired any uniform numbers. Official
team policy states that number retirement is reserved for players
in the National Baseball Hall of Fame who played for at least five
years with the Mariners, or career Mariners players whose name
appears at least once on the Hall of Fame ballot.
Despite not officially retiring any numbers, the team has not
reissued the numbers 11 (Edgar Martínez), 14 (
Lou Piniella), or 19 (
Jay
Buhner) to any uniformed staff since the last player to have
worn the number left the team. Number 51, worn by
Randy Johnson, was withheld from
players from 1998 until 2001, when it was awarded to
Ichiro Suzuki upon his request after wearing
it for his entire career in Japan. 24 was not issued from the time
Ken Griffey, Jr. left the team
after the season until it was re-issued to him when he returned in
.
Uniform
number 00 is presumed off-limits, as it has been worn by the
Mariner Moose since 1997 (outfielder
Jeffrey Leonard was the last player to don
00 for the M's, in 1990). From 1990–1996, the Moose wore the last 2
digits of the year of the current season.
Jackie Robinson's number, 42, was
retired throughout Major League Baseball on April 15, 1997.
Culture
Rally Fries
Rally Fries, like the
Rally Monkey, is
a baseball
tradition started by Mariners
broadcaster
Mike Blowers in
2007. During a game against the
Cincinnati Reds, a fan tried to catch a foul
ball along the right-field line but in turn spilled his tray of
fries along the track. While chatting on the air and seeing the
mishap, Blowers' partner,
Dave Sims,
suggested that he should send a new tray of fries to the fan.
Blowers agreed, and sent his intern to deliver a plate of fries to
the man.
However, on the next game, fans made signs and boards, asking
Blowers for free fries as well. Coincidently, every time the fries
were delivered, the Mariners seem to score or
rally from a deficit, and thus the "Rally Fries" were
created. This became so popular with the fans that signs were even
seen when the Mariners were on the road, though on August 1, 2009
Blowers mentioned he doesn't award winners on the road.
Generally, Blowers will select a person or a group of people that
appeals to him, whether it is through fans wearing elaborate
costumes or waving funny signs and boards.
The fries are usually
delivered from Ivar's, a common sight in
Safeco
Field
. Ivar's is a
Seattle-based seafood restaurant. Only one plate of fries are
awarded per person in the group. The winners are generally selected
around the 5th or 6th inning, although potential candidates are
shown in almost every inning beforehand.
Current roster
Minor league affiliations
Radio and television
The
Mariners' flagship radio station is KIRO-AM 710
(ESPN Radio), which previously broadcast Mariners
contests from 1985-2002. Former flagship stations include KOMO
1000 AM (2003-2008), and KVI 570 AM (1977-1984). Television rights
are held by
FSN Northwest.
In years
past, Mariners games have also appeared in Seattle on over-the-air
stations KING-TV
, KIRO-TV
, KTZZ-TV
, and KSTW-TV
. Select Mariners games are also available on
Canadian
television, due to an agreement between FSN
Northwest and Rogers
Sportsnet.
The Mariners broadcast team currently features
Dave Niehaus and
Rick
Rizzs- back for their 32nd and 23rd seasons with the club,
respectively- as well as veteran broadcaster
Dave Sims and former infielder
Mike Blowers. For the first three innings of
each game, Niehaus works the television broadcast with Blowers, and
Rizzs and Sims handle radio duties; after the third inning, Niehaus
and Sims trade places. Seattle radio personality
Matt Pitman hosts the post-game show on the
Mariners' radio network, along with clubhouse reporter
Shannon Drayer. Spanish-language radio
broadcast duties are handled by Alex Rivera on play-by-play and
former second baseman
Julio
Cruz providing color commentary.
Tom Hutyler has been the Mariners'
public address announcer since 1987, first at the Kingdome, and
presently at Safeco Field. During the period that KOMO 1000 AM was
the Mariners' flagship radio station, Hutyler occasionally hosted
the postgame radio show.
Franchise records
Season records
- Highest Batting Average: .372, Ichiro
Suzuki (2004)
- Most Runs: 141, Alex Rodriguez
(1996)
- Most Hits: 262, Ichiro Suzuki
(2004)
- Highest Slugging %: .674, Ken
Griffey Jr. (1994)
- Most Doubles: 54, Alex Rodriguez
(1996)
- Most Triples: 12, Ichiro Suzuki
(2005)
- Most Home Runs: 56, Ken Griffey
Jr. (1997,98)
- Most Grand Slams: 4, Edgar
Martínez (2000)
- Most RBIs: 147, Ken Griffey Jr.
(1997,98)
- Most Stolen Bases: 60, Harold
Reynolds (1987)
- Most Wins: 21, Jamie Moyer
(2003)
- Lowest ERA: 2.28, Randy Johnson
(1997)
- Strikeouts: 308, Randy Johnson
(1993)
- Complete Games: 14, Mike Moore (1985)
and Mark Langston (1987)
- Saves: 45, Kazuhiro Sasaki
(2001)
See also
References
External links