Seattle Mariners Dream Team

 

Every sport evolves with each passing generation -- from the

size and athleticism of players to game strategy. 

Baseball’s evolution, however, is both historic and unique given

the pre-integration and dead ball eras. For the former, full

segregation took place from 1887-1947. Full integration, which

was a gradual process, came in 1959. The Deadball Era was a

period in the early 20th century when baseball was

characterized by low scoring and emphasis on pitching. 

There was the Steroid Era, which has no definite start time though

it is generally assumed that the era ran from the late 1980s until

the late 2000s. This era was defined by shattered home run

records leading to exorbitant salaries. 

The Seattle Mariners came into Major League Baseball in 1977

as an expansion team. The franchise is most commonly associated

with losing as their first winning season did not come until 1991.

They have had 30 of 44 losing seasons in franchise history and

are the only one in Major League history to never reach a World

Series. The Mariners made the postseason four times in seven

years between 1995-2001, three as a division champion and one

as the wild card. The 2001 version won a Major League record

116 games. 

Today, I formed a Mariners Dream Team in a 26-man roster format.

For openers, to make this roster, four years as a Mariner are

required. No exceptions. With the free agency era, I’m not going to

cheapen this roster with 1-3 year rentals. 

I’m forming a 12 man pitching staff, five starters and seven relievers.

For the latter, I want at least one lefthander in the bullpen. For

position players, I am taking what I believe is the best of the best

regardless of era. For the bench players, it’s the best of the rest with

versatility being heavily considered. Merit achievements such as

Hall of Fame, All Star appearances and Gold Gloves are considered

but not guaranteed. General impactfulness on the franchise is also

considered.

Generational reminders

If you played on a playoff team, there is no guarantee of landing on

this roster. If you played during a bad season, that does not deter

you from being on this roster. Off the field baggage is not a deterrent

to landing on this team, nor is any Steroid Era affiliation. This is

baseball, not the Boys Scouts. 

Starting pitchers

Felix Hernandez, Freddy Garcia, Mark Langston, Randy Johnson,

Jamie Moyer

Hernandez, nicknamed “King Felix,” spent all 15 of his Major League

seasons with the Mariners. Hernandez finished his career as the

franchise leader for wins, game started, Innings pitched, strikeouts

and ERA for pitchers who threw a minimum of 500 innings.

Hernandez was a six-time All-Star and American League Cy Young

Award winner in 2010. He led the American League in ERA twice

and the Major Leagues in wins in 2009. Hernandez pitched a perfect

game in 2012. Garcia spent six seasons with the Mariners and was

the staff ace of the 2001 team. Both of his All-Star appearances

came in a Mariners uniform and he led the American League in ERA

in 2001. 

The Mariners have a rich history with left-handed pitchers headlined

by Johnson, nicknamed “The Big Unit.” Johnson developed into one

of the premier power pictures in Major League history. On the way to

a Hall of Fame career, Johnson won 303 games and is second in

career strikeouts behind Nolan Ryan. Johnson became the first

pitcher in franchise history to win a Cy Young Award. Five of his 10

All-Star appearances came in a Mariners uniform. Moyer's finesse

pitching style was the polar opposite of Johnson but he lasted 26

years in the Major Leagues, 11 with the Mariners. Moyer is the only

pitcher in franchise history to win 20 games on two occasions.

Moyer is also one of 29 players in Major League history to have

appeared in a game in four different decades. Langston spent six

seasons with the Mariners and was an All-Star in 1987. Langston

also won two of his Gold Glove Awards with the Mariners. He won

seven in his career. Langston also led the American League in

strikeouts three times.

Bullpen

Closer -- Kazuhiro Sasuki

Jeff Nelson, JJ Putz, Arthur Rhodes, Mike Schooler, Mike Jackson,

Tom Wilhemsen

Sasaki's time with the Mariners was brief but impactful. He only spent

four years with the franchise but was an All-Star twice, American

League Rookie of the Year in 2000, and recorded 129 saves.

Nelson's 432 relief appearances are tops in franchise history. Nelson

was one of the best setup men of his era. He had three different

stints with the Mariners and was an All-Star in 2001. Putz recorded

101 saves in his six seasons with the Mariners with his lone All-Star

season coming in 2007. Rhodes and Nelson formed a strong lefty-

righty set up man combo for four seasons. Rhodes' best season

was 2001 when he recorded an ERA of 1.72. During his career in

Seattle he posted a 3.05 ERA.

Arm injuries shortened Schooler's career but in his five seasons, he

compiled a 3.30 ERA and is fourth in franchise history career saves.

Jackson is second in franchise history in relief appearances and

recorded a 3.38 ERA with 34 saves. Wilhelm pitched a total of six

seasons with the Mariners and 296 games. He compiled an ERA of

3.01 and 68 saves. 

Infield 

Catcher -- Dan Wilson, First base -- Alvin Davis, Second base --

Brett Boone, Third base -- Kyle Seager, Shortstop -- Alex Rodriguez

Wilson was the Mariners starting catcher for four teams that reached

the postseason. Even though players like Ken Griffey, Randy

Johnson and Alex Rodriguez garnered bigger headlines, Wilson was

no less valuable to the team's success. No catcher has played more

games in franchise history than Wilson, whose lone All-Star

appearance was 1996. The Mariners have had more popular players

but Davis is known as “Mr. Mariner.” Davis remains a popular figure

among Seattle fans as he hit 20-plus home runs in three seasons

and drove in more than 100 runs twice. Davis was American League

Rookie of the Year in 1984 and was also an All-Star that season.

Boone played a combined six seasons over two different stints with

the Mariners but his 141 RBIs in 2001 were his crowning

achievement. two of those three All-Star appearances came in a

Mariners uniform and three of his four Gold Gloves also came in a

Seattle uniform.

Seager has only earned only one postseason accolade, an All-Star

appearance and a Gold Glove Award both in 2014. Seager, however,

has exemplified durability and consistency and leads all Seattle third

baseman in every meaningful category as he enters his 12th

season. Rodriguez is a lightning rod among Mariner fans for a

couple of reasons, his association with PEDs and the fact that he

left the franchise after seven years as a free agent. Rodriguez,

however, is hands-down the best shortstop in franchise history.

Though he is not in the Hall of Fame, he has such a resume. 

Rodriguez was a four-time All-Star during his seven seasons with

the Mariners along with a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner and

was the Major League batting champion in 1996. 

Outfield

Leftfield -- Raul Ibanez, Centerfield -- Ken Griffey Jr., Rightfield --

Ichiro Suzuki

Ibanez played three different stints and 11 seasons total with the

franchise and is among the Top 10 in franchise history in games,

hits, home runs, RBIs, and runs scored. In a Mariners uniform,

Ibanez has compiled a .279 batting average with 115 home runs

and 612 RBIs. When Griffey arrived in Seattle, the Mariners

became a nationally-recognized team in his 11 seasons there.

On the way to a Hall of Fame career, Griffey was a 13-time All Star,

10-time Gold Glove Award winner, seven-time Silver Slugger Award

winner and American League MVP in 1997. His 630 career home

runs rank him seventh in Major League history. Suzuki is known

more on a first-name basis and became well known around the

world besides Seattle. He accumulated the 23rd most hits of any

player in Major League history. Keep in mind, he did not come to

the United States until the age of 27. He holds the single-season

record for 262 career hits. Ichiro made 10 consecutive All-Star

appearances and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves and was the

two-time batting champion and led the American League in stolen

bases in 2001. He retired in 2019 and by all accounts should be

in the Hall of Fame.

Bench

Mike Zunino, Edgar Martinez, John Olerud, Robinson Cano,

Phil Bradley, Jay Buhner

No catcher has hit more home runs in franchise history than

Zunino. His .207 career batting average may lead people to think

he was a disappointment but he was an excellent defensive

catcher during his six years with the franchise. Olerud was a

patient hitter and an outstanding defensive player and won three

of his Gold Gloves in five seasons with the Mariners and was a

member of the 2001 team that won 116 regular season games.

Cano was one of the rare free agent mega signings the Mariners

made in their franchise's history. He played for Seattle for five

seasons and while the team never reached the postseason and

his career was hampered by an 80-game suspension for a failed

drug test in 2018 he was an All-Star in three of five seasons. 

Some people may take exception to a primary designated hitter

being on a dream team but Martinez is worthy. Martinez was

inducted into the Hall of Fame and is one of the most beloved

figures in franchise history, spending all 18 of his seasons there.

Martinez's walk-off game winning RBI in the 11th inning of Game

5 of the ALDS to defeat the New York Yankees is one of the

greatest moments in franchise history. Maybe the greatest.

Martinez was a seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger

Award winner. He was also a two-time batting champion in the

American League RBI leader in 2000. Bradley played just five

seasons with the Mariners but compiled .301 batting average in

that span. Bradley's best season was 1985 when he reached the

All-Star team. Buhner did not have a ton of All Star recognition

making just one but he was a strong presence in the middle of

the lineup during the most successful time in franchise history.

He became the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle

and remains a fan favorite to this day.

Manager

Lou Piniella

Piniella was known for his trademark intensity but his legacy as

Major League manager is best defined by his 10 years with the

Mariners even though his lone World Series title as a manager

came with the Cincinnati Reds. Piniella managed the Mariners

from 1993-2002. Before his arrival, the Mariners had just one

winning season in 16 years. During Piniella’s tenure, the Mariners

made the postseason four times and is the only manager to lead

the Mariners to the playoffs. The Mariners have yet to reach the

postseason since Piniella’s departure. Piniella, who has been

considered for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, led the

Mariners to 841 career victories. 

Team

2001

In a sense, this team lives in infamy because they are one of three

teams in Major League history along with the 1906 Chicago Cubs

and 1954 Cleveland Indians to win more than 110 games and not

win the World Series. Nonetheless considering that the Mariners

are a franchise with a lot of losing seasons, picking this version is

a no-brainer. The season marks the debut of Ichiro. The Mariners

won 59 games by four or more runs, which is a Major League record.

They also led the Major Leagues in most runs scored and fewest

runs allowed the Mariners won the division in runaway fashion,

marking the only time in franchise history they made the postseason

in consecutive years. The 2001 season was the Mariners last

postseason appearance. The franchise has the longest active

drought of making the postseason of the four North American

professional sports teams.