Seattle Mariners:

Getting out of the rain

Since exploding into Major League Baseball in 1977 the Seattle Mariners have been a force to be reckoned with. The team has showcased future Hall of Famers like Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. The team has yet to capture a World Series crown or a National League pennant for that matter. They have won three AL West championships and have made it into the postseason on four different occasions. In 2001the Mariners matched the 95 year old record held by the Chicago Cubs of winning 116 games in the regular season. Only wins speaking, the 2001 Mariners are the best team to play baseball in almost a century. The last time the Mariners made the playoff was in that magical 2001 season. In the ALDS they matched up with the Cleveland Indians and won the series in five games. After that series the Mariners found the New York Yankees waiting for them. The Yanks didn’t waste anytime taking control of the series taking the first two games in Seattle. The Mariners won game 3 in New York but that was the only victory they would taste in the series as the fell 4-1 to a Yankee team that fell in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series. In 2003, the team finished with a 93-69 record and finished second in the AL West but missed making the playoffs by two games.

The Mariners desperately needed a bat in the 2003 season and weren’t able to trade for one during the season, so it was the number one priority in the off-season. The team got some help when they signed free agents Raul Ibanez, Rich Aurilia and Scott Spiezio. The team then traded short stop Carlos Guillen to the Detroit Tigers for infielders Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez. They also brought in closer “Everyday” Eddie Guardado to sure up the bullpen.

The Mariners are lead by three bats in their line-up. All-Stars Bret Boone, Edgar Martinez and Ichiro Suzuki are very good at the plate. Suzuki is a former AL MVP winner and has won the Gold Glove and been an All-Star since he broke into MLB in 2001. Boone has also won multiple Gold Gloves and has been named to every All-Star team since 2001.

The Mariners starting pitching is one of the more seasoned staffs in the majors. They have an average age of 30 and their ace is none other than 41 year old Jamie Moyer. Moyer is a pitcher that doesn’t have over powering stuff but he just seems to out wit batters to 15-20 wins and a sub 4.00 ERA year in and year out. In the bullpen the Mariners will turn to Eddie Guardado to close out the late innings.

The Mariners play their home games at Safeco Field. The 47,772 seat ballpark features a one of a kind retractable roof that only covers the field and preserves the open air environment. The stadium was opened for the 1999 season.

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