Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are a Major League Baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. They are in the Western Division of the American League.

Franchise history

1970s and 1980s

The Mariners were added to the American League in 1977 as an expansion team, bringing Major League Baseball back to Seattle for the first time since the departure (after their one and only season of existence) of the Seattle Pilots to Milwaukee in 1970.

Related Topics:
American League - Expansion team - Seattle - Seattle Pilots - Milwaukee - 1970

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Mariners played their first game on April 6, 1977 to a sold-out crowd of 58,000 at the Kingdome (they lost 7-0 to the California Angels). The early history of the team during the 1970s and 80s is characterized by perennial non-achievement. The Mariners finished last or next-to-last in their division in 10 of their first 13 seasons, and did not record a winning season until 1991.

Related Topics:
April 6, 1977 - Kingdome - California Angels - 1970s - 80s - Division - 1991

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite having stars such as Gaylord Perry (the famed spitballer, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, spent the final two years of his 20+ season career with Seattle and was given the nickname "The Ancient Mariner"), Alvin Davis (American League Rookie of the Year (1984)), Harold Reynolds (two-time All-Star (1987-88) and three-time Gold-Glover (1988-90)), and Mark Langston (league-leader in strikeouts pitched (1984, 1986-87)), the team gained a reputation for poor performances and losing records. Highlights of the early years included hosting the 1979 All-Star Game, Gaylord Perry's 300th career win in 1982, cannon-blasts from the "USS Mariner" behind the centerfield wall following home runs by the home team, appearances by Morganna the kissing-bandit, and promotions such as "Funny Nose Glasses Night." One notable lowlight was Roger Clemens record-setting performance April 29, 1986 in defeating the Mariners and becoming the first pitcher ever to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game.

Related Topics:
Gaylord Perry - Spitballer - Baseball Hall of Fame - 1991 - Alvin Davis - American League Rookie of the Year - 1984 - Harold Reynolds - All-Star - 1987-88 - Gold-Glover - 1988-90 - Mark Langston - Strikeouts - 1986 - 87 - 1979 - All-Star Game - 1982 - Home runs - Morganna - Roger Clemens - Strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The rookie season (1989) of centerfielder Ken Griffey, Jr., acquired with the 1st pick in the 1st round of the 1987 amateur draft, gave fans hope that a change of fortunes may not be long in coming. Acclaimed as one of the most talented young athletes in all of baseball, Griffey's combination of stellar defensive ability, hitting power, and baserunning speed made him one of baseball's preeminent superstars of the 1990s, and helped to steer the Mariners to much greater success during his 11 seasons in Seattle.

Related Topics:
1989 - Ken Griffey, Jr. - 1987 - 1990s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1990s

In 1991, the Mariners had their first winning season, finishing 83-79 under manager Jim Lefebvre. Though it was the team's best season, it was only good enough to end in fifth place in their seven-team division. Lefebvre was let go, and Bill Plummer served as interim coach in 1992. Prior to the 1993 season, the Mariners hired manager Lou Piniella, who managed the Cincinnati Reds to a 1990 World Series win.

Related Topics:
1991 - Jim Lefebvre - 1992 - 1993 - Lou Piniella - Cincinnati Reds - 1990 - World Series

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By 1995, the Mariners had added a core of strong players built around center fielder Ken Griffey, Jr., pitcher Randy Johnson and designated hitter Edgar Martinez. An

Related Topics:
1995 - Ken Griffey, Jr. - Randy Johnson - Edgar Martinez

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

early-season injury to Griffey seemed to doom the 1995 season. In mid-August, the Mariners were 13 games behind the first-place California Angels. A September winning streak marked by late-inning comeback wins, combined with a losing streak by the Angels, opened the way for the Mariners to tie the Angels for first place on the last day of the season. The Mariners won the tiebreaker game 9-1 and clinched their first-ever trip to the playoffs. Down 2-0 in the ALDS, in one of the game's most dramatic moments, the Mariners won three games at home to beat the New York Yankees and advance to the ALCS. One of the most memorable moments of Mariners history happened in Game 5 with a double by Martinez in the 11th inning that scored Joey Cora and Griffey to win the game 6-5. Their championship run was halted by the Cleveland Indians. The Mariners won the division title again in 1997, but were defeated in the ALDS 3-1 by the Baltimore Orioles.

Related Topics:
California Angels - ALDS - New York Yankees - ALCS - Joey Cora - Cleveland Indians - Baltimore Orioles

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2000s

In 2001, despite the loss of superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez (He would be greeted at his return to Safeco with Monopoly money by fans, no doubt to protest his selling out of the Seattle fans), the addition of Japanese sensation Ichiro Suzuki and a career season by second baseman Bret 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 from start to finish: easily winning the American League West championship, setting a new Major League Baseball record for most wins in a single season with an unprecedented 116, and matching the previous record for single season wins set by the Chicago Cubs in 1906. They pulled off a come-from-behind 3-2 series win over the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS 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 hard-fought series: a sad end to such a historic year.

Related Topics:
Alex Rodriguez - Ichiro Suzuki - Bret Boone - Chicago Cubs - 1906 - Cleveland Indians - ALDS - New York Yankees

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the end of the 2002 season, manager Lou Piniella left the Mariners to manage the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, reportedly due to his anger with the management policy of non-aggressive hiring. The Mariners signed Bob Melvin to be their new manager. Despite an excellent start to the 2003 season, the Mariners failed to make the playoffs.

Related Topics:
Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Bob Melvin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Mariners stayed competitive in 7 of the 9 seasons from 1995 to 2003. The 2004 season, however, saw the demise of the Mariners' dominance of their division. Although many of their players were aging, the Mariners continued an apparent practice of "content to contend," starting the 2004 season having not made a major deal in three years. The team lost their first five games and went into the All-Star Break with a 9-game losing streak, a 32-54 season record (.372), and a 17-game deficit compared to 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, moving aging and unproven players away from center stage and inserting over a dozen 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 stalwart Edgar Martinez. Just days after the end of the season, the Mariners fired Bob Melvin. On October 20, 2004, the Mariners announced the signing of their new manager, Mike Hargrove. Hargrove was the manager who led the Cleveland Indians past the Mariners in the 1995 ALCS.

Related Topics:
George Sisler - Edgar Martinez - Mike Hargrove

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite many changes and large player signings touted by the Mariners ownership after the 2004 season, the team stayed at the bottom of the divisional standings throughout the 2005 season.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~