Seattle Mariners - The Clinton Years (1990-1999)

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1990

1993

1997

Decade

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Titles:

Top Mariners Players of the Nineties

1995 Division Champs (Lost to Cleveland in ALCS)

1997 Division Champs (Lost to Baltimore in Division Series)

Pitchers:

Randy Johnson (38.8) - 89

Ballpark:

Jamie Moyer (16.85) - 29

Kingdome (1990-1999)

Erik Hansen (13.15) - 26

Safeco Field (1999)

Dave Fleming (4.9) - 23

Bobby Ayala (0.35) - 19

Team Name:

Jeff Fassero (7.16) - 17

Mariners

Chris Bosio (5.85) - 14

Brian Holman (5.26) - 13

Owner:

Mike Schooler (1.68) - 12

Consortium led by Jeff Smulyan (1990-1992)

Bill Swift (5.77) - 11

Consortium led by Minoru Arakawa (1993-1999)

Norm Charlton (1.62) - 11

Freddy Garcia (5.38) - 10

General Managers:

Sterling Hitchcock (0.21) - 8

Woody Woodward (1990-1999)

John Halama (4.78) - 6

Jeff Nelson (5.6) - 4

Managers:

Derek Lowe (0.75) - 0

Jim Lefebvre (1990-1991)

Bill Plummer (1992)

Catchers:

Lou Piniella (1993-1999)

Dan Wilson (9.41) - 44

Dave Valle (5.65) - 20

Hall of Famers:

Randy Johnson

First Basemen:

Ken Griffey Jr

Tino Martinez (7.73) - 28

Edgar Martinez

David Segui (3.79) - 15

Alex Rodriguez (Pending)

Paul Sorrento (3.46) - 13

Pete O'Brien (0.65) - 9

Rookie of the Year:

None

Second Basemen:

Harold Reynolds (8.35) - 15

MVP

Luis Sojo (1.48) - 9

Ken Griffey Jr (1997)

Joey Cora (6.37) - 6

Cy Young:

ShortStop:

Randy Johnson (1995)

Alex Rodriguez (27.7) - 51

Omar Vizquel (9.66) - 19

No Hitters:

Randy Johnson (1990)

Third Base:

Chris Bosio (1993)

Edgar Martinez (51.67) - 70

Mike Blowers (5.94) - 19

Notable Events:

Russell Davis (0.08) - 13

1990 - The turnaround begins in Seattle. The new owners group, led by Jeff Smulyan,

Outfield:

is competent and is willing to spend to make the club competitive.

Ken Griffey Jr (67.46) - 121

Ownership has hired a highly qualified General Manager in Woody Woodward.

Jay Buhner (16.76) - 46

With all of the losing done in the previous decade, the Mariners have

Rich Amaral (4.58) - 15

begun to amass some quality talent with all of the high draft picks that they had.

Henry Cotto (0.97) - 13

A list of the keepers on the 1990 roster moving forward:

□ SS - Omar Vizquel, 23, IFA 1984, erroneously dealt to Cleveland

Notable Events:

in '93 for Reggie Jefferson and Felix Fermin

□ 1B - Tino Martinez, 22, 14th overall pick in '88 draft, future star

1994 - A-Rod comes up as a nineteen year old rookie

□ 3B - Edgar Martinez, 27, IFA 1982, Hall of Famer

. One of the greatest players of all time.

□ CF - Ken Griffey Jr., 20, Overall 1st pick in '87 draft, Hall of Famer

□ OF - Jay Buhner, 25, stolen from Yankees in trade for Ken Phelps in '88

1995 - The Mariners win the Division and then come from near elimination

□ LHP - Randy Johnson, 25, obtained from Montreal for Mark Langston in '89

to beat the Yankees in the Division series. They lose to the Indians in the

Hall of Famer

ALCS, but it was a great ride. Despite the success, the Mariners were

□ RHP - Erik Hanson, 25, 2nd round pick in '86 draft

not a great team as they only went 79-66, .545, to win the division

. They've got a team that bludgeons other clubs offensively led by Griffey,

1991 - LHP Dave Fleming, 21, comes up as a rookie.

Buhner, the Martinezes, plus the nineteen year old A-Rod who

He was a 3rd round draft pick in '91. He was a big time talent who had

made his debut. Unfortunately, Randy Johnson is the only high quality

a couple of nice years in '92 and '93 before blowing out his arm

starter on the squad. A bullpen led by Norm Charlton, Bobby Ayala,

Bill Risley and Jeff Nelson keeps the staff barely above water.

1991 - The first winning season in Seattle history at 83-79. Despite the record, the

team hadn't quite jelled yet and falls back fourteen games in the standings in '92.

1997 - The Mariners win the Division again behind an attack that once

again overwhelmed the opposition. Its all not enough as Seattle

1993 - Lou Piniella signs on as manager.

falls to the Orioles in the Division Series. As opposed to '95 when the

Lou is one of those managers that actually makes a difference

bullpen was the strong part of the pitching staff, in '97 it's the starters

as Jeff Fassero and Jamie Moyer go 33-14 behind Johnson's 20-4.

1993 - A consortium of Japanese businessmen, led by Minoru Arakawa, buys

The problem is that the bullpen that was strong two years earlier, collapses.

the club. They have money and are interested in making the team a winner.

In a smart move, they retain Woody Woodward as GM

1998 - Randy Johnson is dealt to the Astros before he becomes a free

agent. The Mariners get a windfall in Freddie Garcia, John Halama and

1993 - The Mariners have their fourth overall number one pick of the draft in their

Carlos Guillen from Houston in the deal. The Japanese ownership may or

short history. They go with seventeen year old SS Alex Rodriguez.

may not have been into handing out huge contracts to superstars.

Six years earlier they had selected Ken Griffey Jr with the first overall pick

They let Johnson, Griffey and A-Rod go but there were extenuating

- two of the greatest hitters in baseball history. Sometimes it pays to lose.

circumstances for all three. Johnson did not help his case of getting

extended by Seattle as he was only 9-10 with a 4.31 ERA at the time

1994 - Four twenty six pound tiles fall down from the Kingdome ceiling precipitating

of the deal. His poor performance surely had something to do with his

a process that would lead to new ownership getting Safeco Field built in 1999

up in the air contract status with the Mariners.

After the trade, Randy was 10-1 1.28 ERA with Houston, thus dispelling

1994 - The fallen tiles cause the Mariners to go on an extended road trip in August.

any notions of his demise. Unclear what was going on with Johnson's

The team bonds, as the road trip is successful, and the Mariners get to within

performance with Seattle in his contract year, but it certainly sabotaged

two games of first place. Unfortunately, the player strike derails the whole process.

any chance of his re-signing with the Mariners. It's also not totally

However, the Mariners are now a different team moving forward.

clear that ownership wouldn't have tried to re-sign Griffey, but Junior was

adament that he wanted to go back and play in his hometown Cincinnati

1994 - Seattle picks up catcher Dan Wilson, 25, and reliever Bobby Ayala, 24, from

after his contract expired - so we'll never know if the owners would have

the Reds in exchange for second baseman Bret Boone and pitcher Erik Hansen.

ponied up the bucks to re-sign him, either. As far as A-Rod was concerned,

This is a quality for quality deal and fills two big holes on the Seattle roster,

he played out his contract and Texas, bidding against themselves, gave

catcher and reliever.

A-Rod a ridiculously high contract for the time. Can't fault Seattle

management for letting that one go, either.