Seattle Baseball Pre-Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are the second Major League Baseball team to call Seattle home. The first was the Seattle Pilots, who arrived in the region in the 60's and left after one season to settle in Milwaukee as the Brewers. (interestingly enough, the first and only first round draft pick the Pilots made was on Lou Pinella, who went on to manage the Mariners for over a decade and lead them to their brightest moments)
Mariners Success
The Seattle Mariners spent a long time at the bottom of the league, but has met with some success in the last two decades. It started with the team collecting a trio of some of the best talent the game of baseball has ever seen. In 1989, the Mariners drafted Ken Griffey Jr., one of the best to ever play the game. Years later, they would obtain Alex Rodriguez through the draft and Randy Johnson in a trade. Those three became the basis of their inaugural playoff run in 1995, as well as their other playoff forays in 1997, 2000, and 2001. Unfortunately for the Mariners, the West has historically been a strong division, with division rivals in Anaheim and Oakland often thwarting a dream team of superstars from getting their chance in the big dance.
Mariners Greats
- Ken Griffey Jr (1997 MVP, #10 in all time home runs despite missing years due to injury, helped save baseball in Seattle)
- Edgar Martinez (Mariners leader in most offensive stats, 7 time all star, 5 time silver slugger, best DH to ever play the game)
- Ichiro (Most hits in a single season (262), 9 straight seasons of 200 hits or more, Rookie of the Year/MVP (2001), 9 time all star)
- Randy Johnson (5 time cy young, 24th player to 300 wins, second all time in strikeouts to Nolan Ryan)
- Alvin Davis (1984 Rookie of the Year, 1984 All Star, Considered to be Mr. Mariner)
- Jay Buhner (10th player to hit 40 home runs in three consecutive years, hit for the cycle)
- Felix Hernandez (2010 AL Cy Young Award winner, 5 time All-Star: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, pitched 1st ever Mariners perfect game on August 15, 2012 against the Tampa Bay Rays),1951 strikeouts (2nd behind Randy Johnson in Mariners strikeouts), 125 Wins (3rd in Mariners Wins), Career ERA 3.07
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