Seattle Mariners

. See also Category:Minnesota Twins players. 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. Although Minneapolis appears at first glance to be a "small market" city (3 million residents of the associated metropolitan area), the team routinely draws fans from as far away as Montana and Wyoming. 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. The impact of the Twins on the Upper Midwest should not be underestimated. During Mariners broadcasts, the TV and radio announcers switch with each other during the middle of the 5th inning. In fact, in addition to the Twins, the Vikings and Gophers both have new stadium proposals in various stages of development.

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 Dome is thought to be an increasingly poor fit for all three of its major tenants (the Twins, the Vikings and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team). Just days after the end of the season, the Mariners fired Bob Melvin. However, attempts to spur interest and push legislative efforts towards a new stadium have repeatedly failed. 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. In particular, the Twins receive no revenue from luxury suite leasing (as those are owned by co-tenant Minnesota Vikings) and only a small percentage of concessions sales; also, the percentage of season-ticket-quality seats in the Metrodome is said to be very low compared to other stadiums. 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 Twins wish to replace the Metrodome with a new ballpark within the next half decade, claiming that the Metrodome generates too little revenue for the Twins to be competitive.

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. Their streak of three straight division titles, along with some bitterly fought games, have helped to create an intense rivalry with the Chicago White Sox during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. 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. Threatened with closure by league contraction in 2002, the team battled back to reach the American League Championship Series before being eliminated 4-1 by that year's eventual World Series Champion Anaheim Angels. The 2004 season, however, saw the demise of the Mariners' dominance of their division. From <! daterange+ ->2002 to 2004<!- daterange- ->, the Twins compiled their longest streak of consecutive league/division championships ever (previous were the 1924 World Champion-1925 AL Champion Senators and the 1969–70 Twins). The Mariners stayed competitive in 7 of the 9 seasons from 1995 to 2003. Things turned around, and in <! daterange+ ->2001 to 2004<!- daterange- ->, the Twins compiled the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons since moving to Minnesota, going 85-77 in 2001, 94-67 in 2002, 90-72 in 2003 and 92-70 in 2004.

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. After 1992, the Twins again fell into an extended slump, posting a losing record each year through 2000. 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. 1991 was also the first time any team finishing last in its division the previous year advanced to the World Series, with both the Twins and Braves accomplishing this unprecedented feat. 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. Paul native) Jack Morris. 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. All three Series were decided in seven games, with the latter series ending in a dramatic 10-inning, 1-0 shutout by Series MVP (and St.

The Mariners won the division title again in 1997, but were defeated in the ALDS 3-1 by the Baltimore Orioles. In both of these World Series, the home team won each game, which had never occurred prior to 1987. Their championship run was halted by the Cleveland Indians. Louis Cardinals to win the 1987 World Series, then later defeated the Atlanta Braves to win the 1991 World Series. 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. The Twins defeated the St. The Mariners won the tiebreaker game 9-1 and clinched their first ever trip to the playoffs. After several losing seasons in the Dome, the arrival of 1980s superstars Kent Hrbek and Kirby Puckett electrified the team and sent them to two World Series in five years.

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 1982 season brought the team indoors, into the Metrodome, which is in downtown Minneapolis near the Mississippi River. In mid-August, the Mariners were 13 games behind the first-place California Angels. The Mall of America now occupies the spot where the "Old Met" stood. An early-season injury to Griffey seemed to doom the 1995 season. Through 1981, the team played its games at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, a suburb south of the Twin Cities. 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 continued to post winning records through 1971, but then entered a decade-long slump.

Prior to the 1993 season, the Mariners hired manager Lou Pinella, who managed the Cincinnati Reds to a 1990 World Series win. They were defeated in the World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the championship drive cemented the team's relationship with the people of Minnesota. Though it was the team's best season, it was only good enough to end in fifth place. The Twins were eagerly greeted in Minnesota when they arrived in 1961, and they advanced to the World Series in 1965, driven by the exciting play of superstar first baseman Harmon Killebrew. In 1991, the Mariners had their first winning season, finishing 83-79. This fact is reinforced by the stylized TC logo worn on road caps, and by their mascot, TC Bear. His defensive ability, hitting power, and baserunning speed would begin to change the Mariners' reputation. Paul (and, presumably, the entire state).

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 "Minnesota" designation, instead of "Minneapolis", comes from the fact that the team is intended to represent the "Twin" Cities of Minneapolis-St. Despite having stars such as Alvin Davis and Gaylord Perry, the team gained a reputation for their poor performance. Team nickname: Nats, short for Nationals. Also sometimes called Griffs by inventive headline writers, in reference to the club owner. The Mariners were added to the American League in 1977, and were for many years perennial non-achievers. One of the songs from the musical, You Gotta Have Heart, is frequently played at baseball games. They are in the Western Division of the American League. The plot features a middle-aged man named Joe Hardy who sells his soul to the Devil so the Washington Senators can win the pennant.

The Seattle Mariners are a Major League Baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. The longtime competitive struggles of the team were fictionalized in the book The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, which became the Broadway musical and movie Damn Yankees. Peoria Mariners. The team played its games at Griffith Stadium, sharing it with the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues (who played some of their games there). Inland Empire 66ers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Everett AquaSox. [1] (http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/castro.asp). San Antonio Missions. It is falsely claimed that prior to the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro tried out for the Senators as a pitcher during the early 1950s.

Tacoma Rainiers. During one portion of its history, the team was so notoriously inept that it inspired San Francisco Chronicle columnist Charley Dryden to joke: "Washington: First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League." This was a play on Light Horse Harry Lee's remembrance of George Washington: "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." The team's difficulties on the field also inspired the book The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant (see below). American League
. That, along with its poor early years, resulted in the team being remembered mostly for its failures rather than its successes. Pitching Strikeouts: 308 (1993) Randy Johnson. After that, the team fell into mediocrity quickly. Pitching Wins: 21 (2003) Jamie Moyer. During the period <! daterange+ ->1907 to 1927<!- daterange- ->, the team's line up boasted the presence of Walter "The Big Train" Johnson and they won the 1924 World Series. They also appeared in the 1925 and 1933 Series and came very close in 1945.

Strikeouts: 176 (2002) Mike Cameron. They and their expansion-replacement in 1961 would remain officially the "Senators" for good, although space-saving headline writers continued to refer to them as "Nats" frequently. Hitting Streak: 31 games (2001) Ichiro Suzuki. In 1959 the word "Senators" finally appeared on their shirts. Stolen Bases: 60 (1987) Harold Reynolds. By the 1950s, "Nationals" was pretty much passe. Triples: 10 (1987) Phil Bradley. Baseball guides even said "Nationals or Senators" when listing the nickname.

Doubles: 54 (1996) Alex Rodriguez. Newspaper articles for decades used the names "Senators" and "Nationals" (or "Nats") interchangeably, often within the same article. Runs: 141 (1996) Alex Rodriguez. Otherwise, the jerseys either read "Washington" or carried a plain block "W". Hits: 262 (2004) Ichiro Suzuki (Major League Record). During <! daterange+ ->1905 to 1906<!- daterange- -> the team actually wore "Nationals" on their jerseys. Batting Average: .372 (2004) Ichiro Suzuki. The Washington ballclub was known by two nicknames, the Nationals and the Senators, for most of its history prior to moving to Minnesota.

Runs Batted In: 147 (1997) Ken Griffey Jr. The Blues were champions of the Western League in 1898, taking the league by a game-and-a-half from the Indianapolis Hoosiers. Home Runs: 56 (1997 & 1998) Ken Griffey Jr. Byron "Ban" Johnson, president of the Western League, changed the name to the American League in 1900 and major league status was awarded a year later. Dave Valle. The Kansas City Blues were a charter member of a the Western League, a minor league at the time. Dave Henderson. in 1901 when the American League was formed, and played there through the 1960 season.

Rick Rizzs. The franchise originated in Kansas City, Missouri in 1894, moved to Washington, D.C. Ron Fairly. Bear is the Twins' mascot, introduced in 2001. Dave Niehaus (1977-present). T.C. Mike Hargrove (2005-). The club has several well-known, harmless hazing rituals, such as requiring the most junior relief pitcher on the team to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a bright pink Barbie backpack and many of its players, both past and present, are notorious pranksters.

Bob Melvin (2003-2004, 156-168). The party atmosphere of the Twins clubhouse after a win is well-known, the team's players unwinding with loud rock music (usually the choice of the winning pitcher) and video games. Lou Piniella (1993-2002, 840-711). Former manager Tom Kelly and current manager Ron Gardenhire run and encourage a hard-nosed, fundamentals-first attitude toward playing and winning baseball games. Bill Plummer (1992, 64-98). The Twins are affectionately known among their fans as the "Twinkies." Despite the cream-puff sound of that nickname, the Twins have a reputation as a hard-working, hard-playing club. Jim Lefebvre (1989-1991, 233-253). The team and its famous (or infamous) domed ballpark, the Metrodome, were featured in the 1994 motion picture Little Big League.

Jim Snyder (1988, 45-60). The team is owned by Minneapolis businessman Carl Pohlad, the third owner of the club (following Clark Griffith and his son Calvin). Dick Williams (1986-1988, 159-192). They are in the Central Division of the American League. Marty Martinez (1986, 0-1 - Interim manager). The Minnesota Twins is a Major League Baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chuck Cottier (1984-1986, 98-119). Elizabethton Twins
Gulf Coast League Twins.

Del Crandell (1983-1984 93-131). Fort Myers Miracle
Beloit Snappers. Rene Lachemann (1981-1983, 140-180). New Britain Rock Cats. Maury Wills (1980-1981, 26-56). Rochester Red Wings. Darrell Johnson (1977-1980, 229-362). American League
.

42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball). Pitching saves: Eddie Guardado, 45 (2002). Omar Vizquel. Pitching ERA: Walter Johnson, 1.14 (1.14). Dave Valle. Pitching strikeouts: Walter Johnson, 313 (1910). Kazuhiro Sasaki. Pitching wins: Walter Johnson, 36 (1913).

Alex Rodríguez. Strikeouts: Bobby Darwin, 145 (1972). Harold Reynolds. Walks: Eddie Yost, 151 (1956). Ken Phelps. Hitting streak: Ken Landreaux, 31 games (1980). John Olerud. Stolen bases: Chuck Knoblauch, 62 (1997).

Jeff Nelson. Extra-Base hits: Tony Oliva, 84 (1964). Mario Mendoza. Triples: Goose Goslin and Christian Guzman, 20 (1925 and 2000). Tino Martinez. Doubles: Mickey Vernon, 51 (1966). Edgar Martinez. Singles: Sam Rice, 182 (1925).

Mark Langston. Hits: Rod Carew, 239 (1977). Ruppert Jones. Runs: Chuck Knoblauch, 140 (1996). Randy Johnson. Runs batted in: Harmon Killebrew, 140 (1969). Rickey Henderson. Home runs: Harmon Killebrew, 49 (1964 and 1969).

Dave Henderson. Batting average: Rod Carew, .388 (1977). Carlos Guillén. 44 Bob Casey. Ken Griffey, Sr. 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball). Ken Griffey, Jr. 34 Kirby Puckett.

Rich Gossage. 29 Rod Carew. Freddy Garcia. 14 Kent Hrbek. Alvin Davis.   6 Tony Oliva. Julio Cruz.   3 Harmon Killebrew.

Mike Cameron. Bob Casey, the public address announcer for the first 44 years of Twins baseball (<! daterange+ ->1961 to 2004<!- daterange- ->). Jay Buhner. Frank Viola. Chris Bosio. Zoilo Versalles. 13 Carlos García (first base). César Tovar.

15 Jeff Newman (third base). Kevin Tapani. 41 Jim Slaton (bullpen). Rich Rollins. 34 Bryan Price (pitching). Jeff Reardon. 25 Don Baylor (hitting). Pierzynski.

  9 Ron Hassey (bench). A.J. Coaches