Joel Dorcas | May 14th, 2020
The Seattle Mariners franchise began in 1977. They went through multiple losing seasons never having reached a .500 winning percentage until 1991. Despite no championships, there have been some very exciting moments during the short history of the franchise. Who can forget the spirited 1995 Division Series win over the New York Yankees or the record-breaking 116 -win regular season in 2001. Despite the brief history, the Mariners franchise has had some very high-end talent be a part of their organization. Let’s open up the history books and take a look at the Seattle Mariners Mount Rushmore.
Be sure to check out all of our Mount Rushmore articles here.
Randy Johnson (1989-1998)
The “Big Unit” Randy Johnson was an imposing figure on the mound because of his non-prototypical stature of six feet, 10 inches. He also had a fastball that got up into the triple digits. Johnson’s claim to fame started in Seattle after being rather mediocre in a short stint with the Expos. Johnson struggled with command early on as he led the league in walks three straight years. We first got a glimpse of what was to come in 1990 as he threw his first no-hitter. Many great achievements would follow. Johnson would go on to lead the league in strikeouts four times, hits per nine innings four times, and strikeouts per nine five times. He was an all-star five times, he was awarded the Cy Young Award in 1995. All-toll Johnson is second-best ever with 4,875 strikeouts and first all-time in strikeouts per nine innings with a 10.61 rate. Randy Johnson became a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Edgar Martinez (1987-2004)
When anyone thinks of the best designated hitters of all-time, Edgar Martinez immediately comes to mind. He exemplifies the position so well that the outstanding D.H. award was renamed after him in 2004. Martinez truly had a remarkable 18-year career(all with the Seattle Mariners). He led the league in OBP three times, hit over a 1.000 OPS five times, is a five-time silver slugger award winner, and is a seven-time all-star. As for his ranks in all-time team category statistics, he is second in hits(two-time batting champion), first in doubles(514), and first in RBI(1261). Martinez is only the sixth player ever to hit at least .300 with an OBP of .400, a slugging percentage over .500, and have hit over 500 doubles for their career. Martinez was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame just last year(2019).
Ichiro Suzuki (2001-2012, 2018-2019)
It’s not always a sure thing for players who have had started their careers with success in Japan to immediately succeed in North America. Ichiro was not only successful, but he was also dominant. An AL MVP in his first year, then in 2004 he would break the single-season record for hits with 262 breaking George Sisler‘s former best all the way back in 1920. Ichiro would go on to have at least 200 hits in a season 10 times, leading the league seven times. He leads the Mariners in several categories, he is the all-time leader in hits with 2542, stolen bases(438), and carries the highest career batting average of .321. Suzuki could also flash the leather in rightfield as he took home 10 straight Gold Glove awards from 2001 until 2010.
Ken Griffey Jr. (1989-1999, 2009-2010)
The most recognizable and marketable player in the game for the past thirty years, Ken Griffey Jr. did so many things really well. His mechanics were almost flawless. Griffey was an all-star 13 times, a Gold Glove winner for 10 consecutive seasons from 1990 to 1999. He is the all-time Mariners leader in home runs with 417 having hit over 40 HRs six times. Griffey’s greatest regular season came in 1997 where he hit 56 HRs and 147 RBI with a 1.028 OPS which would be good enough for league MVP honors. Griffey performed at a high level in the postseason as well. In 36 games he’s hit 13 HRs and 22 RBI. Ken Griffey Jr. was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
Check out our Seattle Mariners 2020 Season Preview for the 2020 season while we wait for baseball to get back on the field.
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