Detroit Pistons

Basketball Hall of Fame Members:.
. Reserves. Television KING TV 5 (NBC) 1977 - 81, KSTW TV 11; 1981 - 86, 89 - 92, 98 - Present, KIRO TV 7 (CBS); 1986 - 89, 95 - 99, and Fox Sports Northwest 1993 - Present. Starters. KVI 570 was the original home of the Mariners from 1977 - 85, then to KIRO 710; 1985 - 02, and currently on KOMO News 1000; 2003 - present. Eastern on ABC. During Mariners broadcasts, the TV and radio announcers switch with each other during the middle of the 5th inning.

Game 5 is scheduled for Sunday, June 19th at The Palace of Auburn Hills at 9 P.M. 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. The Spurs have won the first two games, and Detroit the second to, all by margins of 15 to 31 points. Just days after the end of the season, the Mariners fired Bob Melvin. Games 3 and 4 and 5 will be played at The Palace of Auburn Hills, and games 6 and (if necessary) 7 will be in San Antonio. 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. The Pistons are currently facing the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, the first two games of which were played at the SBC Center in San Antonio. 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.

Lakers did so at the Sacramento Kings in 2002. 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. In the process, the Pistons became the first team to win a game 7 on the road since the L.A. 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. In the conference finals, the Pistons again fell behind, three games to two, but then won the final two games to defeat the Miami Heat and become Eastern Conference Champions. The 2004 season, however, saw the demise of the Mariners' dominance of their division. Seeded second in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs, they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4-1 and then rallied from a 2-1 deficit to finish off the Indiana Pacers 4-2. The Mariners stayed competitive in 7 of the 9 seasons from 1995 to 2003.

Presently, the Pistons are considered a strong contender to win a second consecutive title in 2005. 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. See also: The Malice at The Palace. 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. A month later, five Pacers and seven fans were charged after being involved in the "basketbrawl.". 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. Other Pacers such as Jermaine O'Neal fought with fans who had walked onto the court. 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.

This caused Artest to rush into the stands and attack some fans. The Mariners won the division title again in 1997, but were defeated in the ALDS 3-1 by the Baltimore Orioles. On November 19, 2004, the Detroit Pistons were involved in a massive brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills during a losing home game against the Indiana Pacers. After fouling Pistons' Ben Wallace, Pacer Ron Artest was hit by a cup while lying down on the scorer's table. Their championship run was halted by the Cleveland Indians. Coached by Hall of Fame inductee Larry Brown, the Pistons returned to prominence, winning the 2004 NBA championship. Down 2-0 in the ALDS,in one of the games most dramatic moments, the Mariners won three games at home to beat the New York Yankees and advance to the ALCS. Under Dumars's leadership, the Pistons have since surrounded Wallace with rising stars Chauncey Billups, Richard "Rip" Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. The Mariners won the tiebreaker game 9-1 and clinched their first ever trip to the playoffs.

One of them, Ben Wallace, would prove to be a cornerstone for the franchise's revamped roster. 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. In the summer of 2000, Hill indicated his intentions to leave to Orlando, and Dumars – appointed the franchise's president of basketball operations that year – dealt Hill to the Magic in return for a pair of largely unheralded players. In mid-August, the Mariners were 13 games behind the first-place California Angels. Though Grant Hill emerged as a gifted player, the team was unable to win a playoff series, losing to the Orlando Magic in 1996, the Atlanta Hawks in 1997 and 1999, and the Miami Heat in 2000. An early-season injury to Griffey seemed to doom the 1995 season. The franchise went through a lengthy transitional period as its key players either retired or left. 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.

The team moved into the lavish Palace of Auburn Hills in 1988 and remains there today. Prior to the 1993 season, the Mariners hired manager Lou Pinella, who managed the Cincinnati Reds to a 1990 World Series win. With their physical style of play, and intensity with opponents, the Pistons gained the nickname "Bad Boys." Coach Chuck Daly took the team to the NBA Finals three consecutive years (1988-90) and won NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. Though it was the team's best season, it was only good enough to end in fifth place. The three, along with later aquisitions Joe Dumars, Rick Mahorn, and Dennis Rodman, formed the core of a team that would rise to the top of the league. In 1991, the Mariners had their first winning season, finishing 83-79. In early 1982, it acquired center Bill Laimbeer and guard Vinnie Johnson. His defensive ability, hitting power, and baserunning speed would begin to change the Mariners' reputation.

The franchise's fortunes finally began to turn in 1981, when it drafted point guard Isiah Thomas out of Indiana University. 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. (The Silverdome was the home of the NFL's Detroit Lions at the time.). Despite having stars such as Alvin Davis and Gaylord Perry, the team gained a reputation for their poor performance. Displeased with the team's location in downtown Detroit, Davidson moved it to the suburb of Pontiac in 1978, where it played in the mammoth Silverdome, a structure built for professional football. The Mariners were added to the American League in 1977, and were for many years perennial non-achievers. In 1974, Zollner sold the team to Bill Davidson, who remains the team's owner. They are in the Western Division of the American League.

The franchise was a consistent disappointment, struggling on both the court and the box office. The Seattle Mariners are a Major League Baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. The new Detroit Pistons played in Olympia Stadium for their first four seasons, then moved to Cobo Arena. Peoria Mariners. In 1957, Zollner moved the team to Detroit, a much larger city that did not have an NBA franchise; the Detroit Gems had folded after one season of existence. Inland Empire 66ers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Everett AquaSox. Led by star forward George Yardley, the Fort Wayne Pistons were a popular franchise and appeared in the NBA Finals in 1954 and 1955, losing both times. San Antonio Missions.

It is the oldest existing franchise in the NBA. Tacoma Rainiers. The franchise was founded in 1941 in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Fred Zollner, owner of a General Motors subsidiary that manufactored pistons. American League
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. Pitching Strikeouts: 308 (1993) Randy Johnson. The Detroit Pistons are a National Basketball Association team based in the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area. Pitching Wins: 21 (2003) Jamie Moyer.

Gregory Johnson. Strikeouts: 176 (2002) Mike Cameron. Earl Lloyd (inducted as a contributor, not as a player or coach). Hitting Streak: 31 games (2001) Ichiro Suzuki. Chuck Daly. Stolen Bases: 60 (1987) Harold Reynolds. Larry Brown. Triples: 10 (1987) Phil Bradley.

40 Bill Laimbeer. Doubles: 54 (1996) Alex Rodriguez. 21 Dave Bing. Runs: 141 (1996) Alex Rodriguez. 16 Bob Lanier. Hits: 262 (2004) Ichiro Suzuki (Major League Record). 15 Vinnie Johnson. Batting Average: .372 (2004) Ichiro Suzuki.

11 Isiah Thomas. Runs Batted In: 147 (1997) Ken Griffey Jr. 4 Joe Dumars. Home Runs: 56 (1997 & 1998) Ken Griffey Jr. 2 Chuck Daly (never played in the NBA; represents the two NBA championship teams he coached). Dave Valle. Jerry Stackhouse. Dave Henderson.

John Salley. Rick Rizzs. Dennis Rodman. Ron Fairly. Rick Mahorn. Dave Niehaus (1977-present). Grant Hill. Mike Hargrove (2005-).

Adrian Dantley. Bob Melvin (2003-2004, 156-168). Chuck Daly (Inducted as Coach). Lou Piniella (1993-2002, 840-711). Isiah Thomas. Bill Plummer (1992, 64-98). Earl Lloyd (inducted as a contributor, not as a player or coach). Jim Lefebvre (1989-1991, 233-253).

Bob Lanier. Jim Snyder (1988, 45-60). Dave Bing. Dick Williams (1986-1988, 159-192). C - #31 Darko Miličić (Serbia). Marty Martinez (1986, 0-1 - Interim manager). F-C - #24 Antonio McDyess (Alabama). Chuck Cottier (1984-1986, 98-119).

G - #5 Horace Jenkins (William Paterson) - restricted free agent. Del Crandell (1983-1984 93-131). G - #10 Lindsey Hunter (Jackson State). Rene Lachemann (1981-1983, 140-180). F - #8 Darvin Ham (Texas Tech) - free agent. Maury Wills (1980-1981, 26-56). F - #12 Ronald Dupree (LSU). Darrell Johnson (1977-1980, 229-362).

G-F - #20 Carlos Delfino (Argentina). 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball). C - #41 Elden Campbell (Clemson) - free agent. Omar Vizquel. G - #30 Carlos Arroyo (Florida Int'l). Dave Valle. PG - #1 Chauncey Billups (Colorado). Kazuhiro Sasaki.

SG - #32 Richard "Rip" Hamilton (UConn). Alex Rodríguez. C - #3 Ben Wallace (Virginia Union). Harold Reynolds. PF - #36 Rasheed Wallace (North Carolina). Ken Phelps. SF - #22 Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky). John Olerud.

Jeff Nelson. Mario Mendoza. Tino Martinez. Edgar Martinez.

Mark Langston. Ruppert Jones. Randy Johnson. Rickey Henderson.

Dave Henderson. Carlos Guillén. Ken Griffey, Sr. Ken Griffey, Jr.

Rich Gossage. Freddy Garcia. Alvin Davis. Julio Cruz.

Mike Cameron. Jay Buhner. Chris Bosio. 13 Carlos García (first base).

15 Jeff Newman (third base). 41 Jim Slaton (bullpen). 34 Bryan Price (pitching). 25 Don Baylor (hitting).

  9 Ron Hassey (bench). Coaches