Mariners History

The Mariners introduced a fresh roster in the 2000 season. Even though the team featured Alex Rodriguez the team needed fresh talent to return to the top of the division. Led by Aaron Sele and Kazuhiro Sasaki, outfielder Mike Cameron and first baseman John Olerud the Mariners returned to the playoffs, captured a wild card berth and in the division series bested the Chicago White Sox. Kazuhiro Sasaki was named the AL rookie of the year for registering 37 saves. In the ALCS the Mariners fell to the Yankees. Before the 2001 season Rodriguez joined the Texas Rangers under a $252-million contract. Prior to 2001 season, Brett Boone was signed as a free agent to replace Alex Rodriguez. The Mariners also signed Japanese star, outfielder Ichiro Suzuki in 2001and opened the season as underdogs to the defending division champions Oakland Athletics. Ichiro was an instant hit and won both the Rookie of the Year and MVP. The Mariners won their third AL West title the best-of-five Division Series against the Cleveland Indians but fell to New York Yankees in the ALCS.

In 2002, Mike Cameron and Bret Boone became the first duo to hit back-to-back home runs twice in one inning. Though the team was productive, however, in the 2nd half of the season the Mariners played mediocre baseball. In 2003, the Mariners went into a slump; Meche won the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award to win at least 15 games after not winning any games the previous two seasons. In 2004, Mariners looked adamant but nobody managed to win more then 8 games. The season also marked the end of the Mariners' dominance in their division. The only highlight of the season for the Mariners was Ichiro’s single-season record for hits earning him the American League batting title with a .372 average. Seattle’s original franchise, the Pilot’s became the Northwest’s first major league team and played in the Kingdome, the American League's first domed stadium. But only after one season shifted to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and became the Brewers. Major league baseball returned to Seattle in 1977, when the city threatened to file litigation against the American League. The Mariners first draft pick was Ruppert Jones and played their first game under manager Darrell Johnson.

The team’s pitching staff was anchored by Mike Parrott and Enrique Romo. The team also featured outfielders Leon Roberts, and Lee Stanton and infielders Bruce Bochte and Dan Meyer. In 1978, since the team had unproven players the Mariners slumped and fell to last place with a 58-104 record in their second season. In 1979, the Mariners hosted its first MLB All-Star game and cheered for their first baseman Bruce Bochte. In 1980, Manager Maury Wills replaced Darrell Johnson. The Mariners' plummet began in January 1981, when George Argyros, a California business entrepreneur bought the team and impulsively hired and fired managers and general managers. He focused on paying less at the cost of talented players, which led to several terrible transactions. By the end of the 1980s, the Mariners failed to have a single winning season finishing no better than fourth place in the West Division. The highlights of the decade of 80s were Gaylord Perry’s 300th career victory in 1982 at age 43, Tom Paciorek solid performance in four seasons from 1978 to 1981, and the acquisition of rookie centerfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. in 1989, whose defensive ability, hitting power, and baserunning speed was destined to change the Mariners' reputation of not being the serious contenders. He became one of baseball's best players; as he made the All-Star team for the 1st time in his career in 1990 and went on to hit .300 for the season. In 1990 Ken Griffey, Jr., and Ken Griffey, Sr., became the first father-and-son couple to appear in the same lineup.

In 1991, the Mariners broke the .500 win-loss mark for the first time and finished the season with a 83-79 record. In the 1993 season, the Mariners hired manager Lou Pinella. In 1993, the Mariners once again finished above .500. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, Griffey led the AL with 40 home runs and Johnson led the major leagues with 204 strikeouts. By 1995, the Mariners added several strong players in their line-up and won their first division title. Pitcher Randy Johnson won the AL Cy Young Award for posting an 18-2 win-loss record. The Mariners cleared the first round of playoffs but lost to the Cleveland Indians in the AL Championship Series. The Mariners missed the playoffs in 1996 and eventually became a mediocre team in 1998. In the mid of the season, they traded Johnson to the Houston Astros. After playing in the Kingdome, a domed stadium, since the team’s inception, the Mariners became the tenants of the outdoor park Safeco Field in 1999. The team’s nickname is an embodiment of the local maritime history of the Pacific Northwest. The logo of the team, a "Nautical Compass Rose" represents the city’s sea, technology, and the great outdoors. Currently the team is owned by Hiroshi Yamauchi, and is managed by managed by former Nintendo of America chairman, Howard Lincoln