Seattle Mariners - The Bush Years (2000-2009)

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2000

2003

2007

Decade

2001

116

2004

2008

101

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Titles:

Top Mariners Players of the Oughts

2000 - Won ALDS (Chicago), Lost ALCS (Yankees)

2001 - Won ALDS (Cleveland), Lost ALCS (Yankees)

Pitchers:

Jamie Moyer (17.45) - 64

Ballpark:

Felix Hernandez (17.9) - 45

Safeco Field

Freddy Garcia (13.33) - 35

Joel Pineiro (8.98) - 35

Team Name:

Kazuhiro Sasaki (3.68) - 29

Mariners

Gil Meche (5.2) - 27

JJ Putz (8.35) - 25

Owner:

Aaron Sele (4.72) - 22

Nintendo

Jarrod Washburn (8.16) - 22

Miguel Batista (0.77) - 16

General Managers:

Ryan Franklin (7.3) - 16

Pat Gillick (2000 - 2003)

Eddie Guardado (2.33) - 15

Bill Bavasi (2003 - 2008)

David Aardsma (1.69) - 12

Jack Zduriencik (2008 - 2009)

John Halama (0.67) - 11

Shigetoshi Hasegawa (4.89) - 6

Managers:

Arthur Rhodes (6.74) - 5

Lou Piniella (2000 - 2002)

Rafael Soriano (3.42) - 1

Bob Melvin (2003 - 2004)

Julio Mateo (4.03) - 1

Mike Hargrove (2005 - 2007)

James McLaren (2008)

Catchers:

Don Wakamatsu (2009)

Kenji Johjima (5.34) - 24

Dan Wilson (4.09) - 16

Hall of Famers:

Ichiro Suzuki

First Basemen:

Edgar Martinez

John Olerud (17.09) - 31

Alex Rodriguez (Pending)

Richie Sexson (5.53) - 26

MVP

Second Basemen:

Ichiro Suzuki (2001)

Bret Boone (18.33) - 27

Jose Lopez (9.47) - 20

Cy Young:

None

ShortStop:

Mark McLemore (5.74) - 21

Rookie of the Year:

Yuniesky Betancourt (3.43) - 15

Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000)

Alex Rodriguez (10.36) - 15

Ichiro Suzuki (2001)

Carlos Guillen (8.74) - 12

No Hitters:

Third Base:

None

Adrian Beltre (21.23) - 28

Edgar Martinez (16.07) - 24

Notable Events:

David Bell (4.11) - 12

2000 - Pat Gillick, one of most successful GM's in baseball history, is hired

Outfield:

on to replace Woody Woodward. No disrespect to Woody, but Gillick takes the

Ichiro Suzuki (51.06) - 114

position to another level.

Mike Cameron (18.36) - 54

Raul Ibanez (14.73) - 38

2000 - Ken Griffey Jr, who made it clear that he would leave for home

Randy Winn (8.83) - 23

town Cincinnati in free agency, is dealt to the Reds for centerfielder

Franklin Gutierrez (6.58) - 10

Mike Cameron, 27, and three others.

Adam Jones (0.9) - 1

Griffey had 48-134-.285 non-steroid numbers in '99.

Notable Events:

2000 - Thirty two year old closer Kaz Sasaki is signed out of Japan

2001 - The numbers of this team are astounding. 927 runs scored to 627

2000 - Righthander Aaron Sele, 30, is signed as a free agent from Texas.

given up. That's an average margin of victory of two runs per game over the

course of the season. Amazing.

2000 - 1B John Olerud, 31, is signed as a free agent from the Mets

They had six players in double figures in home runs - a circular lineup

- with newly acquired Bret Boone leading the way with 37-141-.331 numbers.

2000 - Coming off of two sub .500 seasons and the loss of Ken Griffey Jr.,

All twenty seven year old rookie, Ichiro, did was hit .350 with 56 stolen bases

you would think that the Mariners had no reason to have high expectations

and 127 runs scored. Boone had scored an additional 118.

coming into the beginning of the decade. However, with a new sherrif in town

On the mound, Sazaki saved 45 games and the starters put up some

(Pat Gillick) and Nintendo willing to spend their Griffey money on free agents

absurd won-loss records: Jamie Moyer, 20-6; Freddie Garcia 18-6;

(Sazaki, Sele and Olerud), Seattle makes a big twelve game jump in the

Paul Abbott, 17-4; Aaron Sele 15 -5. Reliever Aruthur Rhodes was 8-0.

standings to 91 wins. They will be over 90 wins for the next three years, as well.

Keepers, moving forward, on the 2000 roster:

2001 - It's also amazing that as recently as 1998, Seattle had three of the

□ C - Dan Wilson, 31, good defender, good handler of pitchers

greatest players of all time on their roster, in their primes, in Randy Johnson,

□ 1B - John Olerud, 31, great defender, good hitter with a scoche less power

Ken Griffey Jr and A-Rod, lost them all, and still had one of the greatest

than most first basemen.

teams ever assembled in 2001.

□ 2B - Mark McLemore, 35, versatile, played at a high level until he was

Question: How great would Seattle have been in 2001 if they still

thirty eight years old

had those three guys?

□ SS - Alex Rodriguez, 24, outstanding in every facet of the game,

left for Texas as a free agent in 2001

2002 - The Mariners drop twenty three games in the standings,

□ SS - Carlos Guillen, 24, takes over for A-Rod in '01

but still win 93. Despite winning 93 again in 2003 and 88 in 2007, the

□ 3B - David Bell, 27, excellent defender

Mariners do not make the post season again for the rest of the decade.

□ CF - Mike Cameron, 27, Great defender, with excellent speed and power

For one thing, GM Gillick and manager Piniella depart after the 2002 season.

□ OF - Jay Buhner, 35, at the end of the line

A tough act to follow for those who came in after them.

□ DH - Edgar Martinez, 37, will continue as one of the top hitters in the game

Due to their free agent signings, Seattle loses a bunch of first round

until he is forty. Hall of Famer.

draft picks during the early part of the decade.

□ OF - Raul Ibanez, 28, will be a highly productive hitter until he is forty one

This doesn't help. It also doesn't help that they don't do a whole

□ LHP - Jamie Moyer, 37, will pitch effectively until he is forty seven

lot with the ones that they do have.

□ RHP - Freddy Garcia, 23, top of the rotation kind of guy

□ RHP - Aaron Sele, 30, leaves in 2002 for Anaheim as a free agent

2002 - Righty Felix Hernandez, 16, is an IFA. He debuts in 2005

□ RHP - Paul Abbott, 32, has a career year in 2001

□ RHP - Gil Meche, 21, solid middle of the rotation kind of guy

2004 - The Mariners plummet 30 games in the standings.

after his injury in 2001, Prior to the injury, he had electric potential,

The glory days are over.

□ RHP - Joel Piniero, 21, middle of the rotation kind of guy

There is a swing of almost 300 runs from 2003 as the club scores almost

□ Closer - Kazuhiro Sasaki, 32, top closer

one hundred less and gives up almost two hundred more.

On offense, Olerud, Boone and Edgar Martinez all get old at once.

2000 - The Mariners make it all the way to the ALCS where they loose to the

On the mound, the entire starting rotation goes south going

Yankees in a payback for New York's 1995 playoff loss to Seattle.

from an average 15-11 mark to an average 5-11 record.

The same five guys.

2001 - SS Alex Rodriguez, 25, leaves as a free agent for Texas.

Alex's numbers in 2000 were 41-132.316. As would happen three years later

2005 - 3B Adrian Beltre, 26 is signed as a FA from the Dodgers

in Texas, Alex's departure signals a huge improvement in the W-L record

of the team he just left, not so for the team he joins. Odd.

2006 - Catcher Kenji Johjima, 30, is signed from Japan

2001 - OF Ichiro Suzuki, 27, is signed as a free agent from Japan

2008 - In a horrific trade, Seattle deals young stud centerfielder

Adam Jones, 22, to the Orioles for lefthander Erik Bedard, 29.

2001 - 2B Bret Boone, 32, is signed as a free agent from San Diego. Boone had

Even if Bedard didn't immediately hurt his arm, it was still an awful trade.

started out his big league career in his hometown Seattle back in 1992.

Jones was a first round pick (37th overall) in the 2003 draft.

Seattle management mistakenly thought that the club was on to something

2001 - Seattle had a good team in 2000, but they become one of the

with their 88 win season in 2007 and that the addition of Bedard would put

greatest regular season teams of all time, gaining 25 games in the standings

them over the top.

to go a remarkable 116-46.

In reality, they were a below .500 club talent wise having a 794-813 runs

Unfortunately, for the Mariners, they get beaten again by the Yankees in

split in '07. They weren't that good.

the ALCS tarnishing their legacy quite a bit.

The team proceded to lose 27 games in the standings, and, more

Nonetheless they are one of the top four regular season teams in

importantly, Jones.

baseball history (oddly only one was successful in the post season):

Bedard got hurt almost immediately and gave Seattle nothing out of him

□ 1906 Cubs 116-36 - lost to crosstown hitless wonders White Sox

during his tenure as a result. A disaster for the Mariners.

in the World Series

□ 1954 Cleveland Indians 111-43 - got swept by the Giants in the World Series

2009 - The yo-yo-ing continues as Seattle picks up 24 games in the

□ 1998 Yankees 114-48 (125-50 overall) - won the World Series

standings finishing 85-77. This marks the second time in three years that

□ 2001 Seattle Mariners 116-46 - lost to the Yankees in the ALCS

the team drastically over achieves. However, the '09 season was a complete

mirage as the talent level on the club was really for a sub .500 club,

2001 - OF Ichiro Suzuki, 27, a superstar in Japan is signed as a free agent.

not a first division team. Seattle scored 52 runs less than they gave up

Prior to Ichiro, Japanese hitters hadn't been given a whole lot of love in

in '09 which would have projected to a 75-87 mark, ten games less than

major league baseball. Ichiro changed all of that. You can put him in the

what they actually achieved. Usually when a club over achieves over its

argument as greatest player ever. He was that good. Not only could he hit,

run differential, a superior bullpen is a chief reason as the team has been

but he was a great baserunner and great fielder with a rifle arm. He could

winning the close ones. Not the case here as Seattle's bullpen is good,

also hit with power when he wanted to. Ichiro had it all and he put up

but not great. One thing that helped is that it was pretty much of an

Hall of Fame lifetime numbers after reaching the States at the advanced

automatic W in '09 when twenty three year old righty Felix Hernandez

age of 27. He played until he was forty five.

took the mound.