Seattle Mariners

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2008 Seattle Mariners season
Seattle Mariners
Established 1977

Team Logo
Cap Insignia
Major league affiliations
Current uniform
Retired Numbers 42
Name
  • Seattle Mariners (1977–present)
Other nicknames
  • The M's
    Los Marineros
Ballpark
Major league titles
World Series titles (0) None
AL Pennants (0) None
West Division titles (3) [1] 2001 • 1997 • 1995
Wild card berths (1) 2000

Best Finish:

  • Beat New York Yankees in Division Series in 1995 Season.
  • Beat Chicago White Sox in Division Series in 2000 season.
  • Beat Cleveland Indians in Division Series in 2001 season

[1] - In 1994, a players' strike wiped out the last eight weeks of the season and all post-season. Seattle was two games out of first place in the West Division (despite being 14 games under .500), behind Oakland and Texas when play was stopped. No official titles were awarded in 1994.
Owner(s): Nintendo of America, represented by Howard Lincoln
Manager: John McLaren
General Manager: Bill Bavasi

The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since July 1999, their home stadium has been Safeco Field; from their 1977 inception until June 1999, the club's home park was the Kingdome.

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 1987 to 1992. The current team colors are navy blue, "northwest green" (teal), and metallic silver, after having been royal blue and gold from 1977-1992. Their mascot is the Mariner Moose.

An expansion franchise, the Seattle Mariners made their debut in 1977. The organization did not field a winning team until 1991, however, and any real success eluded them until 1995 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 2001. Despite their successes since winning their first division title, they have never won a league championship and remain one of four teams never to have played in a World Series.

Contents

[edit] Franchise history

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 1965 fell apart.[1] In late 1967, Daley, by then having sold the Indians, led a consortium to win a franchise in the 1969 expansion. That team became the Seattle Pilots.[1] The 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 direct 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 (led by attorney general and future U.S. Senator Slade Gorton) sued the American League for breach of contract.[2] 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,[2] 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 1977, would be owned by entertainer Danny Kaye, along with Stanley Golub, Walter Schoenfeld, Lester Smith, James Stillwell Jr. and James A Walsh.

[edit] 1977–1989: Debut and perennial struggles

The Mariners played their first game on April 6, 1977 to a sold-out crowd of 57,762 at the Kingdome, losing 7-0 to the California Angels.[3] That year, 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 of the 1969 Pilots. In 1979, Seattle hosted the 50th Major League Baseball All-Star Game; Mariner Bruce Bochte had the game-winning hit for the American League in front of a sold-out Kingdome crowd. 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"), 1984 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 1970s and 1980s were characterized by perennial non-achievement, gaining a reputation for poor performances and losing records, and the team's ownership again changed hands after the 1988 season. However, the 1989 rookie season of center fielder Ken Griffey, Jr., acquired with the first pick in the first round of the 1987 amateur draft, gave fans hope that a change of fortunes might be on the horizon.[4]

[edit] 1990–1994: A glimmer of hope

After yet another dismal performance in 1990, the Mariners managed their first winning season in 1991, 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. The team hired Bill Plummer as Lefebvre's replacement for the 1992 season, but he too was let go after a 98-loss campaign.

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.

During the following offseason, the Mariners hired manager Lou Piniella, who had led the Cincinnati Reds to victory in the 1990 World Series. Mariner fans embraced Piniella,[5] and he would helm the team from 1993 through 2002, winning two American League Manager of the Year Awards along the way.

The Mariners' fortunes began to improve in 1994. 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, 1994, 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 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.[6]

[edit] 1995 season: "Refuse to lose"

Although pitchers Randy Johnson, Bill Risley, and Bobby Ayala combined for an opening-day three-hit shutout, the Mariners' 1995 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 the 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 1989. 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.

Sojo's playoff hit
“ Here's the pitch. Swing, and it's a ground ball, and it gets on by Snow. Down the right field line into the bullpen. Here comes Blowers. Here comes Tino. Here comes Joey. The throw to the plate is cut off. The relay by Langston gets by Allanson. Cora scores! Here comes Sojo...he scores! Everybody scores! Sojo comes in! - Rick Rizzs ”
The Seattle Mariners celebrate their very first trip to the American League Championship Series in 1995.
The Seattle Mariners celebrate their very first trip to the American League Championship Series in 1995.

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 Martinez's clutch hit has since been called by Mariners fans, is credited as being the moment that "saved baseball in Seattle" by generating 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:[7]

“ Right now, the Mariners looking for the tie. They would take a fly ball, they would love a base hit into the gap, and they could win it with Junior's speed. The stretch, and the 0-1 pitch on the way to Edgar Martínez, swung on and lined down the left field line for a base hit! Here comes Joey. Here is Junior to third base, they're going to wave him in, the throw to the plate will be late, the Mariners are going to play for the American League championship! I don't believe it! It just continues! My oh my! ”

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" with "The Double" still considered by many the greatest moment in Mariners history.[8]

[edit] 1996–1999: The changing of the guard

In 1996, 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.[9]

The Kingdome (1976-July 1999)
The Kingdome (1976-July 1999)

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,[10] which was led by Griffey, who won the MVP award, a first for both him and the Mariners.

In 1998 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.[citation needed] 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.[11] 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.

[edit] 2000: Winning the wild card

Safeco Field
Safeco Field

2000 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. 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.[12] 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.

[edit] 2001: The 116-win season

Ichiro Suzuki joined the Mariners in 2001
Ichiro Suzuki joined the Mariners in 2001

In 2001, despite the loss of Rodríguez, 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,[13] the addition of Ichiro and a career season by Boone helped the Mariners to the most successful regular season on record in the modern era. The 2001 Mariners led the major leagues in winning percentage all season long, easily winning the American League West division championship and matching the previous Major League Baseball record for single season wins of 116 set by the Chicago Cubs in 1906. 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 1975 Boston Red Sox's Fred Lynn to win all three in the same season. He also became the charismatic, if enigmatic, face of the team. He has been the subject of several books (including one released in the summer of 2001 that consists solely of his zen-like quotations) and caused a stir by wearing his first name on the back of his jersey, an almost unheard of practice in American sport. Due to the contributions of Ichiro and the rest of the team, 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 against the New York Yankees, but succumbed to the Yankees for the second year in a row in the ALCS, 4 games to 1, in a series which had been postponed due to the terrorist attacks on September 11. 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.

[edit] 2002–2003: Continuing the momentum

The Mariners started the 2002 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[14] 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.[15] 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.[16]

The Mariners again got off to an excellent start in the 2003 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. 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.[17] General manager Pat Gillick became a consultant midway through the offseason to make room for new GM Bill Bavasi.

[edit] 2004–2006: Suddenly rebuilding

Jose Lopez throwing to Richie Sexson
Jose Lopez throwing to Richie Sexson

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 2004 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 Garcia 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, 2004, 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 Adrian Beltre and first baseman Richie Sexson, ending some accusations from fans that the organization was only willing to make piecemeal signings and trades.[18]

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 1984. 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,[19] 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.[20]

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[21]—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.

[edit] 2007–Present: The Hot Seat

The Mariner Moose, team mascot since 1990.
The Mariner Moose, team mascot since 1990.

The 2007 season began with a sense of muted optimism.[22][23] 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).[24] 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.[23] 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.[25]

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.[26] On July 13, Ichiro Suzuki signed a 5-year, 90-million-dollar contract with the Mariners that will extend to 2012.[27] 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.[28] 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.[29]

Heading into the 2008 season the Mariners 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.

Despite their offseason additions, the 2008 Mariners have 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.[30] 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.[31] 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 Jeff Pentland was fired on June 9 and was replaced by Elia, who was previously the Mariners' hitting instructor from 1993-1997.[32]

[edit] Spring training

The team mainly plays spring training games in the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. They share the stadium with the San Diego Padres.

[edit] 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.
2002 93-69 .574 3rd in AL West
2003 93-69 .574 2nd in AL West
2004 63-99 .389 4th in AL West
2005 69-93 .426 4th in AL West
2006 78-84 .481 4th in AL West
2007 88-74 .543 2nd in AL West
Totals 2222-2483 .472

[edit] Baseball Hall of Famers

Gaylord Perry (P, 1982-83) and Rich Gossage (P, 1994) are the only current Hall of Famers to have played for the Mariners, and Dick Williams (1986-88) ended his managing career with the team.

In 2008, broadcaster Dave Niehaus will be recognized in the Hall of Fame's "Scribes & Mikemen" exhibit[33] after winning the Ford C. Frick Award.

[edit] Mariners Hall of Fame

The team has a Mariners Hall of Fame, with the following members:

[edit] Retired numbers

The Seattle Mariners have not retired any uniform numbers. It is stated Mariners policy that only players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame who played for at least five years with the Mariners, or career Mariners players who narrowly miss election, will have their numbers officially retired.[34]

Despite not officially retiring any numbers, the team has not reissued the numbers 11 (Edgar Martínez), 14 (Lou Piniella), 19 (Jay Buhner), or 24 (Ken Griffey, Jr.) 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.

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.[35]

Jackie Robinson's number, 42, was retired throughout Major League Baseball on April 15, 1997.

[edit] Current roster

Seattle Mariners roster
view • talk • edit
Active (25-man) roster Inactive (40-man) roster Coaches/Other
Starting rotation

Bullpen

 Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Designated hitters

 Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

 Manager

Coaches


† 15-day disabled list
* Suspended list
# Bereavement list
Roster updated 2008-06-09
Transactions • Depth Chart


[edit] Minor league affiliations

[edit] Radio and television

See also: List of Mariners Radio Network stations

Since 2003, the Mariners' flagship radio station has been KOMO 1000 AM. Flagship stations were previously KIRO 710 AM (1985-2002) 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 networks KING-TV, KIRO-TV, and KSTW-TV.

Some Mariners games are also available on Canadian television, due to an agreement between FSN Northwest and Rogers Sportsnet. Selected games on FSN Northwest are simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific, which is the Rogers Sportsnet feed available to viewers in the network's Pacific region (i.e., British Columbia and the Yukon). Digital cable and Satellite TV subscribers receive all four Rogers Sportsnet regional feeds, meaning that they are also able to view the games, regardless of their region of residence.

The Mariners broadcast team in 2008 will continue to feature 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. Former catcher Dave Valle continues to co-host the post-game show on the Mariners' radio network.

Spanish-language radio broadcast duties are handled by Alex Rivera on play-by-play and former second baseman Julio Cruz.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Schaefer, Kurt (Summer 2000). "Play Ball!". Columbia: The Magazine of Northwest History 14 (2). 
  2. ^ a b Cour, Jim. "Good riddance", The Austin American-Statesman, 1999-06-27. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. 
  3. ^ RetroSheet.org box score: Game Played on Wednesday, April 6, 1977 (N) at Kingdome
  4. ^ Chass, Murray. "'New' Ken Griffey Is on Rise", The New York Times, 1989-03-13. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. 
  5. ^ Raley, Dan. "Piniella returns to Seattle's warm embrace", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2003-07-12. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. 
  6. ^ Condotta, Bob. "Ten years after the Kingdome tiles fell", The Seattle Times, 2004-07-19. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  7. ^ Reay, Brendan (2003-10-27). Baseball Announcers and Homer's 'Iliad' (audio). NPR. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
  8. ^ Kelley, Steve. "Edgar was Mariners fans' best friend", The Seattle Times, 2004-08-10. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. 
  9. ^ Thiel, Art. "For graying M's rotation, future is now", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1996-11-01. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. 
  10. ^ LaRue, Larry. "Pitching is a cause for concern", The Sporting News, 1999-03-29. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. 
  11. ^ Monceaux, D. Ryan. "The big unit: 'Stros savior or short term scam?", The Daily Cougar, University of Houston, 1998-08-03. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  12. ^ Baseball-reference.com: Awards Voting for 2000
  13. ^ ESPN.com: "A-Rod responds by saying it's a fun part of baseball"
  14. ^ Zumsteg, Derek. "Profit vs. Playoffs", Seattle Weekly, 2002-10-02. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  15. ^ Goldstein, Steve. "Piniella accepts the challenge", Sports Central, 2002-11-01. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  16. ^ Thiel, Art. "The Mariners went for an 'impact manager'", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 2005. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  17. ^ Andriesen, Dave. "Nelson rips M's, upset by front office's failure to deal", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2003-08-01. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  18. ^ Levesque, John. "Mariners' credibility gets power boost", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2004-12-17. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  19. ^ Baseball Almanac: Baseball Steroid Suspensions
  20. ^ Morosi, Jon Paul. "Ichiro unhappy with M's", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2005-11-16. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  21. ^ Sherwin, Bob. "Mariners dismiss two coaches", MLB.com, 2006-9-13. Retrieved on 2006-11-13. 
  22. ^ Larue, Larry. "Are M's close to contention?", The News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), 2006-10-03. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 
  23. ^ a b "Mariners CEO: Hargrove, GM Bavasi on 'hot seat' in '07", ESPN.com, 2006-10-02. Retrieved on 2007-10-03. 
  24. ^ Baker, Geoff. "Bavasi busy in offseason but are the M's better?", The Seattle Times, 2007-02-11. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 
  25. ^ Stone, Larry. "Ichiro creates a stir? Agent denies report that outfielder ready to walk", The Seattle Times, 2007-01-13. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 
  26. ^ "Hargrove resigns as Mariners manager", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2007-07-01. Retrieved on 2007-07-01. 
  27. ^ MLB.com (2007-07-13). "Ichiro Suzuki signs five-year contract extension". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  28. ^ Shalin, Mike. "Yankees blow big lead, fail to clinch playoff spot", The Guardian, 2007-09-25. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 
  29. ^ Hickey, John. "Mariners Notebook: Ichiro tops 200 hits", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2007-09-03. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 
  30. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3375618
  31. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/salaries?team=sea
  32. ^ http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hRq5w8y3umhKx7G6U--ibphSlGxgD916R7200
  33. ^ National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: Ford C. Frick Award
  34. ^ mariners.mlb.com Mailbag, 03/20/2006
  35. ^ http://www.grissomlover.com:80/me/macerana.jpg

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