Seattle Mariners
| Seattle Mariners | |||
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| Established | 1977 | ||
| Motto: "Believe Big" | |||
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| Major league titles | |||
| World Series titles (0) | |||
| AL Pennants (0) | None | ||
| West Division titles (3) | 2001 • 1997 • 1995 | ||
| Wild card berths (1) | 2000 | ||
| Owner(s): Nintendo of America, represented by Howard Lincoln | |||
| Manager: Daren Brown | |||
| General Manager: Jack Zduriencik | |||
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in 1977, 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 1999. 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, 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 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, in which Edgar Martinez drove home Ken Griffey, Jr. to win the game in the 12th inning, 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, tying the record set by the Chicago Cubs in 1906.
Despite several successful seasons, especially between 1995 and 2001, they have never won an AL Championship, and are one of only three MLB franchises (the others being the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers and the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals) never to have played in a World Series.
Owned by Nintendo of America, the Mariners are one of three Major League Baseball teams under corporate ownership; the other two are the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays.
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History
The Mariners were created as a result of a lawsuit. In 1970, in the aftermath of the Seattle 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 and later U.S. Senator Slade Gorton) sued the American League for breach of contract.[1] 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 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.[2] The first home run in team history was hit on April 10, 1977, by designated hitter Juan Bernhardt.[3] 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.
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,[4] and he would helm the team from 1993 through 2002, winning two American League Manager of the Year Awards along the way.
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 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.
On October 22, 2008 the Mariners announced the hiring of Jack Zduriencik, formerly scouting director of the Milwaukee Brewers, as their general manager.[5] 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.[6]. It also saw the return of Seattle favorite Ken Griffey Jr. The 2009-10 offseason was highlighted by the trade for 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee from the Philadelphia Phillies, the signing of third baseman Chone Figgins and the contract extension of star pitcher "King" Felix Hernandez.
On June 2, 2010 Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement after 22 MLB Seasons [7]
On August 10, 2010 the Mariners fired field manager Don Wakamatsu along with bench coach Ty Van Burkleo, pitching coach Rick Adair and performance coach Steve Hecht. Daren Brown, the manager of the AAA affiliate Tacoma Rainiers, took over as interim field manager. Roger Hansen, the former Minor League catching coordinator, was promoted to bench coach. Carl Willis, the former Minor League pitching coordinator, was promoted to pitching coach. [8]
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 |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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.[9]
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| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ford C. Frick Award recipients
| Seattle Mariners Ford C. Frick Award recipients | |||||||||
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| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | |||||||||
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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:
- Dave Niehaus, Broadcaster (1977–present)
- 21 Alvin Davis, 1B (1984–91)
- 19 Jay Buhner, OF (1988–2001)
- 11 Edgar Martínez, DH (1987–2004)
Retired numbers
 Jackie Robinson Retired by all of MLB Retired 1997 |
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.[10]
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 1999 season until it was re-issued to him when he returned in 2009.
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.[11]
Jackie Robinson's number, 42, was retired throughout Major League Baseball on April 15, 1997.
Culture
Rally Fries
Rally Fries are 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.[12]
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.[13]
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.
#6org Nickname
The Seattle Mariners are sometimes refered to as "#6org" by their fans, particularly when the context is commentary that is critical of organizational decisions, and the term has become a common hashtag for Twitter messages that are about the team. [14]
The nickname originates from an assessment by a popular baseball blog, made prior to the 2010 season, that the Seattle Mariners were the sixth best organization in baseball. [15]
Current roster
| 40-man roster | Spring Training non-roster invitees |
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Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Designated hitters
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Infielders
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60-day disabled list
* Not on active roster |
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Minor league affiliations
| Level | Team | League | Location |
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| AAA | Tacoma Rainiers | Pacific Coast League | Tacoma, WA |
| AA | West Tenn Diamond Jaxx | Southern League | Jackson, TN |
| Advanced A | High Desert Mavericks | California League | Adelanto, CA |
| A | Clinton LumberKings | Midwest League | Clinton, IA |
| Short Season A | Everett AquaSox | Northwest League | Everett, WA |
| Rookie | Pulaski Mariners | Appalachian League | Pulaski, VA |
| AZL Mariners | Arizona League | Peoria, AZ | |
| VSL Mariners | Venezuelan Summer League | Venezuela |
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.[16] 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) (Major League Record)
- 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
- Mariners award winners and league leaders
- Mariners statistical records and milestone achievements
- List of Seattle Mariners broadcasters
- Managers of the Seattle Mariners
References
- ↑ Cour, Jim (1999-06-27). "Good riddance". The Austin American-Statesman.
- ↑ RetroSheet.org box score: Game Played on Wednesday, April 6, 1977 (N) at Kingdome
- ↑ Griffeys made home run history in '90 | Mariners.com: News
- ↑ Raley, Dan (2003-07-12). "Piniella returns to Seattle's warm embrace". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/130629_lou12.html. Retrieved 2007-09-28.
- ↑ Stone, Larry (October 22, 2008). "M's hire Brewers' Jack Zduriencik as GM". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2008297647_webmari23.html.
- ↑ . http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/wires/02/16/2010.ap.bba.mariners.jealousies.0995/.
- ↑ http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100602&content_id=10725878&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
- ↑ http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100809&content_id=13232624&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea
- ↑ National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: Home
- ↑ mariners.mlb.com Mailbag, 03/20/2006
- ↑ http://www.grissomlover.com:80/me/macerana.jpg
- ↑ http://homerderby.com/archives/1130
- ↑ http://www.seattlepi.com/baseball/327493_moore14.html
- ↑ http://twitter.com/#search?q=%236org
- ↑ http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/organizational-rankings-6-seattle/
- ↑ Tom Hutyler at KOMO News
External links
- Seattle Mariners official website
- Seattle Mariners team statistics
- Sports E-Cyclopedia
- History of the Pilots and the lawsuit that resulted in the Mariners
- Video of Safeco Field
- U.S.S. Mariner Blog
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Seattle Mariners 1977 Inaugural Season 
