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Baseball franchise in Washington From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team in 1977 playing their home games in the Kingdome. Since July 1999, the Mariners' home ballpark has been T-Mobile Park, located in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle.
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| World Series titles (0) | None | ||||
| AL Pennants (0) | None | ||||
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| Principal owner(s) | John Stanton | ||||
| President of baseball operations | Jerry Dipoto | ||||
| General manager | Justin Hollander[4] | ||||
| Manager | Dan Wilson | ||||
| Website | mlb.com/mariners | ||||
The "Mariners" name originates from the prominence of marine culture in the city of Seattle. They are nicknamed the M's, a title featured in their primary logo from 1987 to 1992. They adopted their current team colors – navy blue, northwest green (teal), and silver – prior to the 1993 season, after having been royal blue and gold since the team's inception; the original colors continue to be used in alternate uniforms.[3] Their mascot is the Mariner Moose.[5]
The franchise did not field a winning team until 1991 and further success eluded them until the late-90s, which saw the most successful period in franchise history. Led by Hall of Fame players Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson, the Mariners clinched their first playoff berth in 1995 when they won their first division championship and defeated the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Martinez's walk-off double in Game 5 drove Griffey in from first base to win the game in the 11th inning, clinched a series win for the Mariners, served as a powerful impetus to preserve baseball in Seattle, and has since become an iconic moment in team history. They would later win their second division title in 1997.
After Griffey, Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez all left the team, the Mariners, bolstered by the signing of Ichiro Suzuki, won 116 games in 2001, which set the American League record for most wins in a single season and tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the Major League record for most wins in a single season. The team would not make the postseason again until 2022, which was the longest active drought in the four major North American sports.[6][7]
As of 2024, the franchise has finished with a losing record in 30 of 48 seasons. The Mariners are the only active MLB franchise never to have appeared in the World Series, and currently hold the longest active World Series appearance drought in MLB.
As of 2024[update], the Mariners' all-time win–loss record is 3,599–3,950–2 (.477).[8]
The Mariners were created as a result of a lawsuit. In 1970, in the aftermath of the Seattle Pilots' purchase and relocation to Milwaukee as the Milwaukee Brewers by Bud Selig, the city of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington (represented by then-state Attorney General and future U.S. Senator Slade Gorton) sued the American League for breach of contract.[9] Confident that Major League Baseball would return to Seattle within a few years, King County built the multi-purpose Kingdome, which would become home to the National Football League's expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976. The name "Mariners" was chosen by club officials in August 1976 from over 600 names submitted by 15,000 entrants in a name-the-team contest.[10] The name was submitted by Roger Szmodis of Bellevue, Washington. However, when the Mariners attempted to reach Szmodis about the prize he had won as a result of his entry being chosen, they were unable to make contact with him, with all efforts to track the man down for years being unsuccessful.[11]
The first home run in team history was hit on April 10, 1977, by designated hitter Juan Bernhardt.[12]
That year, pitcher Diego Seguí, in his last major league season, became the only player to play for both the Pilots and the Mariners. The Mariners finished with a 64–98 record, matching the 1969 Pilots' record. The team was able to avoid last place in the AL West by half a game. The Mariners would not post a winning record or finish above 4th place in any of their first 14 seasons. In 1979, Seattle hosted the 50th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. After the 1981 season, the Mariners were sold to California businessman George Argyros,[13] who in turn sold the team to Jeff Smulyan in 1989, and then to Nintendo of America in 1992. Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi, who held a 49 percent share of the franchise, had never been to a baseball game but sought to thank the city for its role in the company's success.[14][15]
Before the 1993 season, the Mariners hired manager Lou Piniella, who had led the Cincinnati Reds to victory in the 1990 World Series. Mariner fans embraced Piniella,[16] and he would helm the team from 1993 through 2002, winning two American League Manager of the Year Awards during his tenure. Piniella was selected by the Seattle Pilots in the 1968 expansion draft but did not play for Seattle, being traded in April 1969 to the Kansas City Royals, where he earned AL Rookie of the Year honors that year.
The 2001 Mariners club finished with a record of 116–46, leading all of Major League Baseball in winning percentage for the duration of the season and easily winning the American League West division title. In doing so, the team broke the 1998 New York Yankees' American League single-season record of 114 wins and matched the all-time MLB single-season record for wins set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs. At the end of the season, Ichiro Suzuki won the AL MVP, AL Rookie of the Year, and one of three outfield Gold Glove Awards, becoming the first player since the Fred Lynn in 1975 to win all three in the same season. The celebration wouldn't last, however, as the Mariners lost to the Yankees in the 2001 ALCS.
On October 22, 2008 the Mariners announced the hiring of Jack Zduriencik, formerly scouting director of the Milwaukee Brewers, as their general manager.[17] Weeks later, on November 18, the team named Oakland Athletics bench coach Don Wakamatsu as its new manager. Wakamatsu and Zduriencik hired an entirely new coaching staff for 2009, which included former World Series MVP John Wetteland as bullpen coach. The off-season also saw a litany of roster moves, headlined by a 12-player, 3-team trade that sent All-Star closer J. J. Putz to the New York Mets and brought 5 players, including prospect Mike Carp and outfielder Endy Chávez from New York and outfielder Franklin Gutiérrez from the Cleveland Indians, to Seattle. Many of the moves, like the free-agent signing of Mike Sweeney, were made in part with the hope of squelching the clubhouse infighting that plagued the Mariners in 2008. It also saw the return of Seattle favorite Griffey Jr. The 2009–10 offseason was highlighted by the trade for 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee from the Philadelphia Phillies, the signing of third baseman Chone Figgins and the contract extension of star pitcher "King" Félix Hernández.
Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on June 2, 2010, after 22 MLB seasons.[18]
After its busy offseason and high expectations, the team flopped in 2010, finishing with the worst record in the American League. The Mariners fired Wakamatsu along with several coaches on August 9, 2010. Daren Brown, the manager of the Triple-A affiliate Tacoma Rainiers, took over as interim manager.[19]
Dave Niehaus, the Mariners' play-by-play announcer since the team's inception, died of a heart attack on November 10, 2010, at the age of 75.[20] In memory of Niehaus, Seattle rapper Macklemore wrote a tribute song called "My Oh My" in December 2010. He performed the song at the Mariners' Opening Day game on April 8, 2011.
The Mariners hired former Cleveland manager Eric Wedge as their new manager on October 19, 2010.[21]
On April 21, 2012, Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox threw the third perfect game in White Sox history against the Mariners in Seattle. It was the 21st perfect game in MLB history.[22] Mariners starter Kevin Millwood and five relievers combined to throw the tenth combined no-hitter in MLB history, and the first in team history, on June 8, 2012. The six pitchers used in a no-hitter tied a major league record, first set by the Houston Astros in 2003. Félix Hernández pitched the first perfect game in team history, shutting down the Tampa Bay Rays 1–0 at Safeco Field on August 15, 2012. It was the 23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball history.[23] The Mariners became the first team in Major League Baseball to be involved in two perfect games in one season.[24]
Zduriencik was fired on August 28, 2015. Jerry Dipoto, a former general manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, was hired as the Mariners' new general manager one month later.[25] On October 9, 2015, manager Lloyd McClendon was fired.[26] Scott Servais was named the new Mariners' manager on October 23, 2015.[27]
Nintendo announced on April 27, 2016, that it would sell its controlling stake in the Mariners to First Avenue Entertainment limited partnership, led by John W. Stanton. Nintendo retained a 10 percent ownership share of the team after the sale was completed in August 2016.[28]
The Stanton/Dipoto/Servais era was characterized by two competitive phases. In the first phase, the organization tried to contend for a championship with the existing core of Robinson Cano, Félix Hernández, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager. The team came close but ultimately missed the playoffs each year from 2016 to 2018. Following the 2018 season, the organization pivoted to a rebuild, trading off their most valuable players in return for prospects. Following a fallow period of 2019–20, the team returned to contention in 2021, winning 90 games but falling short of the playoffs. In 2022, with a new core including Julio Rodriguez, J. P. Crawford, Cal Raleigh, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, the team reached the postseason for the first time since 2001. This broke what was at the time the longest playoff drought of any team in the big 4 North American sports. Rodriguez also won the American League Rookie of the Year Award. In 2023, the team won 88 games but finished one game out of a playoff spot. In August 2024, Servais was fired and replaced by the team's former catcher Dan Wilson as manager.[29] The team again missed the playoffs by one game.
The Mariners' original colors were blue and gold, the color scheme previously used by the Seattle Pilots and its successor Milwaukee Brewers. For the first four seasons, they wore white pullover jerseys at home with the team name in front and numbers on the left chest. The "M" in "Mariners" was shaped to resemble a trident. On the road, they wore baby blue pullover jerseys with the city name in front and numbers on the left chest. The lettering colors were blue with gold trim, though in the 1977 season the trim on the road jersey was white and the "Seattle" wordmark appeared smaller. The trident logo was added to the left sleeve prior to the 1979 season.
The cap was all-blue and featured the gold trident logo with white trim.
The Mariners made some subtle changes to the uniform in 1981. The trident logo was replaced by blue and gold racing stripes on the shoulders, and the lettering received an extra blue outline. The number font also changed from rounded to block style. In 1985, the road jersey color was changed to grey.
The cap logo also featured a slight update of the trident logo, changing its color to blue, along with additional outlines and a white star background, a logo first used for the 1979 All-Star Game.
In 1987, the Mariners changed its uniform style to traditional buttoned tops and belted pants. Both uniforms incorporated blue piping and a block "Mariners" wordmark in blue with gold and blue outlines. The numbers remained blue, but eliminated the trim outlines.
The cap logo was changed to a gold "S."
The Mariners donned their current uniforms in 1993. The white home uniform originally featured "Mariners" in navy with trim in a dark shade of cyan called "Northwest Green" and featured the "compass rose" logo atop the "M."[30] The grey road uniform originally featured "Seattle" in navy with Northwest Green and white trim; in 2001, the compass rose logo was added in the middle of the "S." In 2015, a silver inline was added to the wordmark of both uniforms, which was also applied to the block letters and numbers. The primary logo is applied to the left sleeve.[31]
From 1997 to 2000, the Mariners also wore sleeveless versions of their primary uniforms, accompanied with a navy undershirt.
The Mariners have also worn Northwest Green alternate uniforms at different points in their history. The original version was unveiled in 1994 and had "Mariners" in silver with navy and white trim. The next season, the white trim was removed[32] to improve visibility. The Mariners did not wear green uniforms from 1997 to 2010, after which it became a regular part of their uniform rotation. Formerly worn on Friday home games, the Northwest Green alternates are currently worn on select Saturday home games and on road games in which the home team wears either navy or black uniforms.[33][34]
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The navy alternate uniform originally replaced the Northwest Green alternate in 1997 and featured the team name in silver with Northwest Green and navy trim. In 1999, the alternates were updated to feature the city name with the "S" behind the compass rose logo and silver piping; this became their road alternate the following season after a corresponding home navy alternate was introduced. In 2003, the silver piping was removed and the letter and number fonts were changed to match the wordmark. In 2012, after the Northwest Green home alternates were brought back, the navy uniforms were tweaked anew, this time with the city name in front and stylized serifed letters instead of the normal block letters. In 2024, the names were changed to block lettering. It is now worn on most road games, though they have also donned them at home on occasion.
A navy blue cap that features a ball and compass rose "S" logo is paired with the home white, road gray, and navy blue jerseys. A variation of this cap with a Northwest Green brim is worn with the home alternate jersey. In 1994, the Mariners also wore Northwest Green caps with navy brims, and in 1997 the team wore a navy cap with grey brims.
In January 2015, the team announced a new alternate uniform to be worn for Sunday home games. This cream-colored "fauxback" uniform features the current logo and lettering style in a royal blue and gold color scheme, a throwback to the original team colors. Unlike the rest of the uniform set, the back of the jersey does not display the player name.[33][1] The cap features the current cap logo in the throwback colors.[1][35]
In January 2019, the Mariners announced a new home and away uniform to be worn during spring training. The jersey has a design similar to their home white jerseys but features a powder blue throwback to the team colors during the 1980s. The cap has the usual navy blue color, but with a logo that features the signature compass rose and with a large M in the center.
For the 2023 season, MLB and Nike have instituted a "four plus one" model for team uniforms, consisting of a home uniform, away uniform, two alternate uniforms, and a City Connect uniform featuring "color schemes and logos that pay homage to a team’s city."[36] The Mariners confirmed that they will replace the gray jerseys with the navy blue jerseys as their standard away uniforms for the 2023 season.[37][38] The team will also stop using the powder blue jerseys during spring training.[37] The choice to remove the gray and powder blue jerseys was based on feedback from players and fans, according to Kevin Martinez, the Mariners senior vice president of marketing and communications.[38]
The Mariners' City Connect uniform is a visual nod to Seattle's baseball history. The jersey includes a sleeve patch featuring Mount Rainier and the letters "PNW", an acronym for Pacific Northwest. The jersey also includes the inaugural colors of the team and the word "Seattle" across the chest lettering reminiscent of the Seattle Pilots. The jersey is paired with a cap that has new design of the trident logo and black pants. This uniform is primarily worn during Friday home games.[39]
The Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona has been the Mariners' home spring training facility since 1994. The complex is shared with the San Diego Padres.[40] On March 25, 2013, in a 16–0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, the Mariners broke the team record for total home runs during a spring training season with 52.[41]
This is a partial list listing the past 24 completed regular seasons. For the full season records, see here.
| Year | Record | Win % | Place in AL West | Postseason | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 116–46 | .716 | 1st | Won ALDS vs Cleveland Indians, 3–2 Lost ALCS vs New York Yankees, 4–1. |
Tied the regular-season record with 116 wins, but went 4–6 in the postseason.
Ichiro Suzuki named AL MVP and Rookie of the Year. |
| 2002 | 93–69 | .574 | 3rd | Celebrated 25th anniversary of the franchise | |
| 2003 | 93–69 | .574 | 2nd | ||
| 2004 | 63–99 | .389 | 4th | Suzuki had 262 hits, which broke George Sisler's 84-year-old hit record. Edgar Martínez retired after his 18th and final season with the Mariners. | |
| 2005 | 69–93 | .426 | 4th | ||
| 2006 | 78–84 | .481 | 4th | ||
| 2007 | 88–74 | .543 | 2nd | The franchise celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Suzuki is named All-Star Game MVP.[42] | |
| 2008 | 61–101 | .377 | 4th |
First team of 2008 to officially be eliminated from the 2008 postseason. Worst record since 1983, which was the last time they had lost over 100 games in a season. First team in MLB history to lose 100 games with a $100 million payroll.[43] Dave Niehaus won the Ford C. Frick Award, presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. | |
| 2009 | 85–77 | .520 | 3rd | Suzuki set the new MLB record with 9 consecutive seasons with at least 200 hits. | |
| 2010 | 61–101 | .377 | 4th | Félix Hernández won the 2010 AL Cy Young Award.
Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Gutiérrez won the 2010 Gold Glove awards for AL right field and center field, respectively. Former Executive Pat Gillick was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Ichiro Suzuki had his tenth consecutive season batting over .300 with 200 hits, winning a Gold Glove Award, and appearing in the All-Star Game. | |
| 2011 | 67–95 | .414 | 4th | Pitchers Hernández, Brandon League, and Michael Pineda named all-stars. | |
| 2012 | 75–87 | .463 | 4th | Celebrated 35th Anniversary of the franchise. Featured a combined no-hitter and perfect game by Félix Hernández. Became the first team in MLB history to both win and lose in perfect games in one season. Suzuki was traded to the Yankees on July 23. | |
| 2013 | 71–91 | .438 | 4th | Despite the debuts of top prospects Nick Franklin, Mike Zunino, Brad Miller, Taijuan Walker, and James Paxton, the Mariners once again failed to make the postseason. Although the Mariners took a major step forward in the power department, hitting the second-most home runs in the American League (188 trailing Baltimore's 212), hitting fundamentals, questionable defense, and a shallow pitching rotation and bullpen held the team back.
On September 27, manager Eric Wedge announced that he would not return for the 2014 season.[44] He was replaced by Lloyd McClendon. | |
| 2014 | 87–75 | .537 | 3rd | The Mariners made a surprising playoff run in 2014, but in the end, they fell short on the final day of the season. Hernández led the AL with a 2.14 ERA and Robinson Canó had a career year in his first season with Seattle. | |
| 2015 | 76–86 | .469 | 4th | Hisashi Iwakuma threw a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on August 12. McClendon was fired after the season ended.[45] On October 23, Scott Servais was hired as the team's new manager.[46] | |
| 2016 | 86–76 | .531 | 2nd | The Mariners made another surprising run for the postseason, but they ultimately fell short of the playoffs by one game. The trio of Canó, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager all had stellar seasons themselves. | |
| 2017 | 78–84 | .481 | tied-3rd | Celebrated 40th anniversary of the franchise. Canó named All-Star Game MVP. | |
| 2018 | 89–73 | .549 | 3rd | Paxton, a Canadian, threw a no-hitter in Toronto on May 8. | |
| 2019 | 68–94 | .420 | 5th | Began the season with two wins in the Tokyo Dome, which were the final two games of Suzuki's career. After opening the season with a historic 13–2 record, the team lost 37 of the next 49 games.[47] | |
| 2020 | 27–33 | .450 | 3rd | The Mariners outperformed preseason expectations for the team in the shortened season, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but ultimately fell two games short of qualifying for the expanded playoffs.
Kyle Lewis named AL Rookie of the Year. J. P. Crawford and Evan White won Gold Glove awards for AL shortstop and first base, respectively, White becoming the first rookie to receive the award at first base. | |
| 2021 | 90–72 | .556 | 2nd | The Mariners remained in playoff contention until the final day of the season but were eliminated with wins by both the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox and a loss to the Los Angeles Angels. | |
| 2022 | 90–72 | .556 | 2nd | Won ALWC vs Toronto Blue Jays, 2–0 Lost ALDS vs Houston Astros, 3–0. |
The team made the playoffs for the first time since 2001, ending the longest active postseason drought in Major League Baseball at the time.
Julio Rodríguez was named the AL Rookie of the Year. |
| 2023 | 88–74 | .543 | 3rd | The franchise hosted the All-Star Game. The team threw a club-record 18 shutouts and came within one game of making the playoffs. | |
| 2024 | 85-77 | .525 | 2nd | The team held a 10-game lead in the AL West with a record of 44–31 over the Houston Astros who were able to take back the lead coming off the All-Star Break and win the division by 3.5 games. |
T-Mobile Park (known as Safeco Field from 1999 to 2018) has been home to the Seattle Mariners since the first game vs. the San Diego Padres on July 15, 1999. There were 44,607 people in attendance that night.[48]
Mariners then-chairman and CEO John Ellis announced on June 14, 1997, the creation of a Mariners Hall of Fame. The Mariners operate the hall of fame, which honors players, staff, and other individuals that greatly contributed to the history and success of the Mariners franchise. It is located at the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest in T-Mobile Park.[49] The most recent Mariners Hall of Fame member, Félix Hernández, was inducted August 12, 2023.[50]
| Year | Year inducted |
|---|---|
| Bold | Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame |
† |
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Mariner |
| Bold | Recipient of the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award |
| Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame | ||||
| Inducted | No. | Player | Position | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 21 | Alvin Davis | 1B | 1984–91 |
| 2000 | — | Dave Niehaus | Broadcaster | 1977–2010 |
| 2004 | 19 | Jay Buhner | RF | 1988–2001 |
| 2007 | 11 | Edgar Martínez† | DH/3B | 1987–2004 |
| Coach | 2015–2018, 2024 | |||
| 2012 | 6 | Dan Wilson | C | 1994–2005 |
| Manager | 2024 | |||
| 51 | Randy Johnson | P | 1989–1998[51] | |
| 2013 | 24 | Ken Griffey Jr.† | CF DH/OF | 1989–1999 2009–2010 |
| 2014 | 14 | Lou Piniella | Manager | 1993–2002 |
| 2015 | 50 | Jamie Moyer | P | 1996–2006 |
| 2022 | 51 | Ichiro Suzuki | RF | 2001–2012, 2018, 2019[52] |
| 2023 | 34 | Félix Hernández | P | 2005–2019 |
|
The Mariners criteria for retiring a uniform number is more selective than the standards for the Mariners Hall of Fame. To be eligible to have one's number retired, in addition to the criteria outlined for the Mariners' Hall of Fame, the former Mariners should have either:
a) been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and been in a Mariners uniform for at least five years, or
b) come close to such election and have spent substantially his entire career with the Mariners.
Eligibility shall not commence until after the former player has been voted on once for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which for effectively means six years after retirement.[53]
Ken Griffey Jr.'s No. 24 was retired at the beginning of the 2016 season, with the retirement ceremony taking place on August 6, 2016.[54][55] Griffey was elected to the Hall of Fame in January of that year.
Edgar Martínez's No. 11 was retired during the 2017 season, with the retirement ceremony taking place on August 12, 2017. Martínez played his entire career with the Mariners and first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2010. His No. 11 was retired in 2017, predating his 2019 election to the Hall of Fame and seemingly establishing the 58.6% of the vote he received that year as sufficiently "close" to election to satisfy the criteria.[56][57] The number 11 was not issued to anyone after Martínez's retirement as a player in 2004 until his return to the Mariners as hitting coach in 2015.[58]
Jackie Robinson's No. 42 was retired throughout Major League Baseball on April 15, 1997.
Currently, only two other players have definitively met the requirements to have their number retired, Randy Johnson and Adrián Beltré.
Johnson played 10 seasons with the Mariners, from 1989 until mid-1998, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015. His number 51 was withheld from players until 2001, when it was issued to Ichiro Suzuki upon his request. Suzuki wore that number for his entire career in Japan. No other player wore the number following Suzuki's 2012 trade to the Yankees. Suzuki once again wore number 51 when he rejoined the Mariners in 2018 until he retired the following year.
Beltré, who spent five seasons in a Mariner uniform (2005–2009) and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2024. Beltré wore number 5 during his first year with the team, then number 29 during his last four. Both numbers have been reissued multiple times since Beltré left Seattle, with Cade Marlowe currently wearing number 5 and Cal Raleigh wearing number 29.[59] The Mariners have not indicated any plans to retire Beltré's number.
Suzuki will be eligible to have number 51 retired in 2025, which is the first year he will appear on the Hall of Fame ballot. He has continued to wear the number after retiring, including during spring training in 2020 and 2022 as well as when throwing out a ceremonial first pitch in 2022.[60][61][62]
Lou Piniella's number 14 was not given to any uniformed personnel after Piniella's 2002 departure until it was issued to third base coach Manny Acta beginning in 2016. Piniella has been on the Hall of Fame ballot three times (2016, 2018, and 2023), and he was one vote short in the latter two ballots from being inducted.[63]
The Mariners have not reissued number 19 since Jay Buhner left the team after 2001.[58]
Number 00 is presumed off-limits, because the Mariner Moose has worn it since 1997. Outfielder Jeffrey Leonard was the last player to wear 00 for the M's, in 1990. From 1990 to 1996, the Moose wore the last two digits of the year of the current season.[citation needed]
From the 1990 season through the 2021 season, as part of the seventh-inning stretch, after the crowd was led in singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" or "God Bless America" the public address system played the Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie". The song was a regional hit in the Northwest, covered by many local bands for nearly a decade until the Portland-based Kingsmen recorded their version in 1963. In 1985, the song's regional importance was publicized by a campaign to make it the official state song of Washington. The tradition to play the song during the seventh inning stretch began as an attempt for the then new ownership group to put its stamp on the team, and was solidified on June 2, 1990, when the Kingsmen performed the song in the middle of the seventh inning live from atop a dugout. That game, Randy Johnson threw the first no-hitter in Mariners history.[64][65]
For the 2022 season, the Mariners replaced "Louie Louie" with the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song "Can't Hold Us". The elimination of the traditional "Louie Louie" has been a source of contention amongst some across the northwest, according to local news media.[66]
In 1994, the Mariners started a promotion called "Buhner Buzz Cut Night." Inspired by Jay Buhner's shaved head, any fan who was willing to have their head shaved before the game—or was already bald—would receive a free ticket to the game and a T-shirt with a slogan, such as "Bald is Buhnerful" or "Take Me Out To The Bald Game." Hair 10 inches or longer was collected for charity. The promotion continued until Buhner's retirement in 2001, with a year's hiatus in 2000, and is still remembered by fans today. The club revived the promotion for its 30th anniversary in 2024, with Buhner giving catcher Cal Raleigh a buzz cut.[67]
Rally Fries are a baseball tradition started by Mariners broadcaster Mike Blowers in 2007. During a game against the Cincinnati Reds, a fan tried to catch a foul ball along the right-field line but in turn spilled his tray of french fries along the track. While chatting on the air and seeing the mishap, Blowers' partner, Dave Sims, suggested that he should send a new tray of fries to the fan. Blowers agreed, and sent his intern to deliver a plate of fries to the man.[68]
At the Mariners' next game, fans made signs and boards asking Blowers for fries as well. Coincidentally, every time the fries were delivered, the Mariners seem to score or rally from a deficit, and thus the "Rally Fries" were created. This became so popular with the fans that signs were even seen when the Mariners were the visiting team, although on August 1, 2009, Blowers established that he only gives out fries at home games.[69]
Generally, Blowers would select a person or a group of people that appealed to him, whether it was through fans wearing elaborate costumes or waving funny signs and boards. The fries were usually delivered from Ivar's, a Seattle-based seafood restaurant with a location at T-Mobile Park. The amount of fries given out varied with the size of the winning group of fans. The winners were generally selected around the 5th or 6th inning, although potential candidates were shown in almost every inning beforehand.
Sims confirmed in 2012 that the Rally Fries promotion had ended.[70]
 | This section may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. (October 2022) |
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2022) |
During the years Ichiro Suzuki played right field for the Mariners, seats in right field were often informally called Area 51, a nod to Suzuki's uniform number (51) and to the top-secret government site in Nevada of the same name. It was the first attempt by Mariners fans to create a dedicated fan section.
As the 2011 season progressed, the Mariners' marketing staff came up with an idea to encourage the growing fanbase of star pitcher "King" Félix Hernández. Every Hernandez start at T-Mobile Park was accompanied by the King's Court, a designated cheering section for fans to sing, chant, and cheer while donning yellow T-shirts and "K" cards that are supplied by the team. It was located in the lower seating area along the 3rd baseline which would regularly see left-handed hitters (which teams would field more of when facing the right-handed Hernandez) hit foul balls into more so than most other areas of the field, meaning the section would be on camera catching foul balls often.
The King's Court was both a personal rooting section for Hernandez and trendsetter for T-Mobile Park. The team encouraged fans to dress like Larry Bernandez, Hernandez's alter ego from a Mariners TV commercial, or show up in wacky costumes, rewarding the best with a ceremonial turkey leg.[71]
The Supreme Court was a special event where the King's Court section was extended to the entirety of T-Mobile Park. The first Supreme Court was Hernandez's first home game following his perfect game in 2012. Following opening day 2012, it occurred each year at Hernandez's first home game of each season.
The King's Court ended following Hernandez's departure from the Mariners at the end of the 2019 season.
The ultimately disappointing 2017 season had a few bright spots, including the establishment of the Maple Grove, a celebration of Canadian pitcher James Paxton and inspired by the King's Court. At home games where Paxton started, a group of fans sat under a Maple Grove banner, typically in the left-field bleachers. A potted maple tree was also present in their section, provided by the Mariners; the Grove dubbed the tree "Stick Rizzs," referencing long-time broadcaster Rick Rizzs. The live tree was replaced in 2018 by a hardier fake tree.
When Paxton got to two strikes on a batter, the Grove held up “Eh” Cards, a tip of the cap to Paxton's home country of Canada and a nod to the "K" (for strikeout) cards held up in King's Court. Variant cards have also been produced for special occasions, such as when a planned Paxton start turned into a Hernández start (a King's Grove, with "K'eh" cards to cheer for Hernández). Other special cards celebrated Paxton reaching 300 strikeouts, and a tribute to broadcaster Angie Mentink ("A" cards, to show support after she had publicly disclosed her breast cancer diagnosis). An "Eh" card[72] now resides in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum collection.
The Maple Grove differed from the King's Court in that it was created and organized by fans, while the Court was promoted by the Mariners' marketing team. When asked, Paxton stated that fans creating the Maple Grove was really special to him and that he never imagined that something of the sort would ever be done for him.[73] The Grove continued until Paxton was traded to the Yankees following the 2018 season.[74]
The JROD Squad honors Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez.[75] The location varies, although it is usually in seats in center field. Fans buying tickets to the JROD Squad section (referred to collectively as JROD's Squad) receive a T-shirt showing a replica of a gold chain Rodriguez wears around his neck. Rodriguez often interacts with the JROD Squad, waving to them and throwing them balls at the end of innings. Also a result of the 2022 season campaign, it is the 3rd overall position player fan section in MLB (2nd overall for an outfielder).[citation needed]
The Mariners also held a longstanding divisional rivalry with the Oakland Athletics as they would often battle for playoff contention or lead of the division through the early 2000s. Following the realignment of the division in 2013, the Mariners have also built a recent rivalry with the Houston Astros as both teams have handily fought for control of the division.[76][77]
The Los Angeles Angels have maintained an off-and-on rivalry with the Mariners as both teams have often fought for control of the division or a playoff berth. Both teams often clashed for playoff positions during the early 2000s as the Mariners boasted a 116 win team in 2001 while the Angels managed to win the World Series in 2002. Despite both teams encountering a decline through the decade, regular matchups often developed into clashes for relevance in the division. Recently, both teams had been fighting for their own respective position in search of the postseason as both sides have been bolstered with such talents as Julio Rodríguez and Ty France for Seattle or Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout for the Angels[78][79] The two teams have met 717 times with the Angels leading the series 388–329, both teams have yet to meet in the postseason. In 2022, tensions were heightened after Angels pitcher Andrew Wantz intentionally hit Mariners batter Jesse Winker with a pitch, leading to a major brawl that resulted in several players receiving suspensions.[80]
The Mariners and Houston Astros have fought for control of the division in recent years. The 2022 season saw the Mariners return to the playoffs, winning their first series since 2001.[81] The Mariners and Astros faced off in the ALDS, with Houston sweeping the Mariners in 3 games. Recently, animosity has grown to the point that brawls and inside pitches have become a regular occurrence as tension has increased for both sides.[citation needed] The series is lopsided in favor of the Astros, which lead the all-time regular season series 127–89, including a 3–0 advantage in the postseason.[82]
An unusual rivalry exists between the Mariners and the National League's San Diego Padres.[83] Often called the Eddie Vedder Cup due to both Seattle and San Diego being hometowns for Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, though he is a fan of the Chicago Cubs.[84][85][86] The two teams have played each other every season since interleague play began in 1997, excluding 2017.[87] Following the introduction of interleague play, one of the 15 naturalized rivalries designated included Seattle and San Diego.[88] The rivalry often involved both teams in the depths of playoff failure, as the Padres failed to win a single playoff series between 1999 and 2019,[89][90] while the Mariners had failed to make the playoffs from 2002 to 2021, thus forcing both teams to regularly compete for draft picks and prospects. The teams also share the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona as their spring training facility.[91] Very little on the surface initially linked any animosity between the two teams, as they play in separate leagues and both cities lie approximately 1,250 miles apart. Both teams often took pride in competing for draft prospects due to the lack of success on both sides, as the Padres have made two appearances in the World Series while the Mariners currently remain the only franchise in MLB not to win a pennant. The rivalry often exists with more respect between the two teams and fans alike, as more of a humorous contest for both sides.[92][93]
| 40-man roster | Non-roster invitees | Coaches/Other | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pitchers
|
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Designated hitters
|
|
Manager Coaches
40 active, 0 inactive, 0 non-roster invitees
| |||
The following elected members of the Baseball Hall of Fame spent part of their careers with the Mariners.[94]
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| Seattle Mariners Hall of Famers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | |||||||||
|
| Seattle Mariners Ford C. Frick Award recipients | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | |||||||||
|
| Seattle Mariners in the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame | ||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4, 16, 38 | Mike Blowers[95] | 3B | 1992–1995, 1997, 1999 | Attended the University of Washington. |
| 21 | Alvin Davis[96] | 1B | 1984–1991 | |
| 24 | Ken Griffey Jr.[97] | CF | 1989–1999 2009–2010 | |
| 11 | Edgar Martinez[98] | DH/3B Coach | 1987–2004 2015–2018 | |
| — | Dave Niehaus[99] | Broadcaster | 1977–2010 | |
| 5 | John Olerud[100] | 1B | 2000–2004 | Born in Seattle, attended Washington State University |
| — | Rick Rizzs | Broadcaster | 1983–1992 1996–present | |
| 30 | Aaron Sele | P | 2000–2001, 2005 | Grew up in Poulsbo, attended Washington State University |
The Seattle Mariners farm system consists of six minor league affiliates.[101]
| Class | Team | League | Location | Ballpark | Affiliated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple-A | Tacoma Rainiers | Pacific Coast League | Tacoma, Washington | Cheney Stadium | 1995 |
| Double-A | Arkansas Travelers | Texas League | North Little Rock, Arkansas | Dickey–Stephens Park | 2017 |
| High-A | Everett AquaSox | Northwest League | Everett, Washington | Funko Field | 1995 |
| Single-A | Modesto Nuts | California League | Modesto, California | John Thurman Field | 2017 |
| Rookie | ACL Mariners | Arizona Complex League | Peoria, Arizona | Peoria Sports Complex | 1989 |
| DSL Mariners | Dominican Summer League | Boca Chica, Santo Domingo | Las Palmas Complex | 1989 |
The Mariners' flagship radio station is KIRO-AM, which previously broadcast Mariners contests from 1985 to 2002. Former flagship stations include KOMO, from 2003 to 2008, and KVI from 1977 to 1984. Television rights are held by Root Sports Northwest, which the Mariners own. In the past, Mariners games appeared in Seattle on over-the-air stations KING, KIRO, KTZZ, and KSTW. Selected Mariners games are also available on Canadian television due to an agreement between Root Sports Northwest and Rogers Sportsnet Pacific.
Since 2013, Rick Rizzs and Aaron Goldsmith have called games on the radio. The television broadcasts are anchored by play-by-play announcer Dave Sims and color commentator (and former Mariners third baseman) Mike Blowers.[102] On select games, Sims and Goldsmith switch places on radio and television, often as a substitute to Rizzs. Seattle radio personality Matt Pitman hosts the post-game show on the Mariners' radio network, along with clubhouse reporter Shannon Drayer. Spanish-language radio broadcast duties are handled by Steve Guasch.[103]
The Mariners' broadcast team for 2010 featured Dave Niehaus and Rizzs—back for their 32nd and 23rd seasons with the club, respectively—as well as Sims and Blowers. For the first three innings of each game, Niehaus worked the television broadcast with Blowers while Rizzs and Sims handled radio duties; after the third inning, Niehaus and Sims traded places. Niehaus, who broadcast for the Mariners since their inaugural season of 1977, died on November 10, 2010. For the 2011 season, Dave Niehaus' duties in the broadcast booth were filled by a collection of former Mariners broadcasters such as Ron Fairly, Ken Levine, and Ken Wilson and former Mariners' players including Dave Valle, Dan Wilson, Jay Buhner, and Dave Henderson.
Tom Hutyler has been the Mariners' public address announcer since 1987, first at the Kingdome, and now at T-Mobile Park.[104] While KOMO 1000 AM was the Mariners' flagship radio station, Hutyler occasionally hosted the post-game radio show.
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