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

Founded: 1977 (American League expansion)
Home ballpark: Safeco Field (1999-present), The Kingdome (1977-1999).
Uniform colors: Navy Blue, Emerald Green, Silver
Logo design: A baseball on an 8-pointed compass.
Mascot: Mariner Moose
Current ownership: Hiroshi Yamauchi, former chairman of Nintendo (majority shareholder)
Wild Card titles won (1): 2000
Division titles won (3): 2001, 1997, 1995
League pennants won (0): none
World Series championships won (0): none

Franchise history

1970s and 1980s

The Mariners were added to the American League in 1977, and were for many years perennial non-achievers. Despite having stars such as Alvin Davis and Gaylord Perry, the team gained a reputation for their poor performance. Highlights of the early years included hosting the 1979 All-Star Game, Gaylord Perry's 300th career win, and promotions, such as "Funny Nose Glasses Night." In 1989, rookie centerfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. joined the team. His defensive ability, hitting power, and baserunning speed would begin to change the Mariners' reputation.

1990s

In 1991, the Mariners had their first winning season, finishing 83-79. Though it was the team's best season, it was only good enough to end in fifth place. Prior to the 1993 season, the Mariners hired manager Lou Pinella, who managed the Cincinnati Reds to a 1990 World Series win.

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 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. 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.

2000s
Ichiro Suzuki joined the Mariners in 2001
Enlarge
Ichiro Suzuki joined the Mariners in 2001

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 basemen Bret Boone helped the Mariners to the most successful regular season on record in the modern era, leading the major leagues in winning percentage from start to finish, easily winning the American League West championship, setting a new Major Leage Baseball record for most wins in a single season with an unprecedented 116, 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.

At the end of the 2002 season, manager Lou Piniella left the Mariners to manage the Tampa Bay Devil Rays over 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.

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 behind 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 events to honor 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.

Players of note

Baseball Hall of Famers

* Gaylord Perry

Current 25-man roster (updated on June 15, 2005)

Pitchers

* 45 20px Ryan Franklin
* 18 20px Eddie Guardado
* 17 20px Shigetoshi Hasegawa
* 40 20px Julio Mateo
* 55 20px Gil Meche
* 50 20px Jamie Moyer
* 43 20px Jeff Nelson
* 38 20px Joel Piñeiro
* 20 20px J.J. Putz
* 30 20px Aaron Sele
* 53 20px Matt Thornton
* 47 20px Ron Villone

Catchers

* 37 20px Pat Borders
* 59 20px René Rivéra

Infielders

* 5 20px Adrián Beltré
* 16 20px Willie Bloomquist
* 29 20px Bret Boone
* 22 20px Greg Dobbs
* 10 20px Dave Hansen
* 12 20px Mike Morse
* 44 20px Richie Sexson

Outfielders

* 28 20px Raúl Ibáñez
* 7 20px Jeremy Reed
* 51 20px Ichiro Suzuki (鈴木一朗)
* 2 20px Randy Winn

Disabled list

* 27 20px Scott Atchison (P, 60-day)
* 48 20px Travis Blackley (P, 60-day)
* 31 20px Wiki González (C, 15-day)
* 33 20px Bucky Jacobsen (IF, 60-day)
* 56 20px Bobby Madritsch (P, 15-day)
* 3 20px Pokey Reese (IF, 60-day)
* 39 20px Rafael Soriano (P, 60-day)
* 23 20px Scott Spiezio (IF, 15-day)
* 6 20px Dan Wilson (C, 60-day)

* Manager
o 21 20px Mike Hargrove

* Coaches
o 9 20px Ron Hassey (bench)
o 25 20px Don Baylor (hitting)
o 34 20px Bryan Price (pitching)
o 41 20px Jim Slaton (bullpen)
o 15 20px Jeff Newman (third base)
o 13 20px Carlos García (first base)