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2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Mariners Lineup
2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Mariners Lineup

Fox Sports

time10-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Fox Sports

2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Mariners Lineup

Ichiro. The Kid. A-Rod. With names like that, it's truly a shock the Seattle Mariners are the only MLB team to never make a World Series. But consider those guys, and who else has made their all-time roster (and who is "merely" an honorable mention) and it becomes clear in a hurry that Seattle has been home to players that were outright incredible to watch play baseball. The postseason success may be still to come, but their legends are already etched in stone. Manager: Lou Piniella "Sweet Lou" is here for more than the amusing tantrums and meltdowns. Piniella leads the Mariners in wins with 840, in part because he was successful — a .542 winning percentage with Seattle is also at the top of the ranks — but also because he kept the job longer than anyone else: those are related, naturally. Piniella was at the helm for 10 years, managing 1,551 games, as well as another 34 in the postseason. He was named AL manager of the year twice, for the Mariners' surprise 1995 AL West crown, and in 2001 for their record-tying 116 wins. Starting pitcher: Felix Hernandez If this were an exercise in players who appeared for a given club, Randy Johnson would be the pick as a Hall of Famer and one of the half-dozen or so greatest pitchers ever. We're talking about the greatest Mariners starting pitcher however, and that's Felix Hernandez, easy. He leads the franchise in both wins and wins above replacement, in games started and innings, and he spent the entire 15 years of his major-league career with Seattle, from age 19 through 33. King Felix won the 2010 Cy Young, and also threw MLB's 23rd — and Seattle's only — perfect game. Reliever/closer: Kazuhiro Sasaki Before the Mariners brought Ichiro Suzuki in from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, they signed closer Kazuhiro Sasaki. The right-hander's numbers might not jump off the page at you — a 3.14 ERA and 9.8 strikeouts per nine, for example — but consider that he pitched for Seattle during the height of the most significant offensive environment in MLB history, and that used to be a ton of strikeouts. Sasaki won Rookie of the Year honors, made two All-Star teams in four seasons — Sasaki was already 32 when he debuted — and still ranks second all-time in saves for the Mariners. Catcher: Dan Wilson Cal Raleigh swings his bat like a man determined to make this list someday, but for now, Dan Wilson and his 12 years in Seattle have the edge owing to excellent defense and the work he performed with Mariners' pitchers throughout the years. While Wilson's bat was never a threat, at his peak, he was at least average for the position, and his work behind the plate — he leads the Mariners in defensive WAR — made up for his deficiencies there, anyway. That might not have been as true at the end, but from 1995-2002, Wilson and the Mariners both thrived. 1B: Alvin Davis Before the Mariners started attracting future Hall of Famers, there was the 1980s, and there was Alvis Davis. None of those teams made it to the postseason — the franchise's first appearance came in 1995 — but none of that was Davis' fault. He spent eight years with Seattle, and hit .281/.381/.453 with 160 homers (seventh in Mariners' history) and 382 extra-base hits (eighth) in that time. While he had power, his patience was the real virtue: Davis' 672 walks with the M's rank fourth, and his on-base percentage fifth. Consider who else makes up this list when reading that. 2B: Bret Boone Seattle was the first stop in Bret Boone's career, but he played just over 100 games there before he was traded to the Reds for Dan Wilson. He'd return as a free agent in time for the 2001 season, and of the five years he spent there on that deal, three of them rank as his best seasons ever. That first campaign in 2001 is the true highlight: Boone hit .331/.372/.578 with an AL-leading 141 RBIs, powered by 37 home runs and 77 extra-base hits; combined with his defense, that graded out to nearly a 9-win season. 3B: Kyle Seager In 11 years with the Mariners, Kyle Seager, the older brother of Corey Seager, hit .251/.321/.442, numbers that look worse than they are because of how pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park's run environment was throughout his decade-plus in Seattle. He ranks fifth in wins above replacement among Mariners' position players, owing to placing in the same spot in both offensive and defensive WAR, fourth in games played, hits (1,395), home runs (242), and total bases (2,458), third in doubles (309) and fifth in walks (533). An exemplary player underappreciated due to the teams he was stuck on. SS: Alex Rodriguez The Mariners have had an impressive number of Hall of Famers on their roster, especially considering they joined MLB in just 1977, and Alex Rodriguez should number among them. Drafted first-overall in 1993 by Seattle, Rodriguez debuted in the majors the next summer: while it took until '96 for him to stick, he did so in an awe-inspiring way by leading the majors in batting average, hitting .358/.414/.631 overall at the age of 20. From 1996 through 2000, Rodriguez amassed 39 WAR, enough to outrank all but three Mariners ever… and then had an all-timer career after that. OF: Ichiro Suzuki Have you seen Ichiro Suzuki play baseball? Then you don't need an explanation here, but it'll be fun to read one, anyway: Ichiro won the AL MVP, Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger in 2001 with the Mariners, who won 116 games in no small part due to him. He led the majors in hits in seven of his first 11 seasons, and in 2004 set the single-season record with 262 while batting .372. Ichiro won 10 Gold Gloves with the Mariners, hit .346 in 19 postseason games and was elected to Cooperstown on the first try. OF: Ken Griffey Jr. That a single organization could have both Ichiro Suzuki and Ken Griffey Jr. seems impossible, but it's true: the Mariners moved on from the era of one supremely cool Hall of Famer that everyone idolized to another like it was normal, with merely a year separating their tenures. Griffey signed with his hometown Reds as a free agent in 2000, and returned to the M's to end his career. In his first go, from 1989-1999, he had an entire Hall of Fame-worthy career, hitting .299/.380/.569 with 398 home runs and 71 wins above replacement all before turning 30. OF: Jay Buhner Jay Buhner didn't have the all-time numbers of some of his Cooperstown-bound teammates, but he could do two things exceptionally well: hit the ball very far, and draw a walk when he didn't see a pitch that he liked. Sure, he struck out a ton, but that was the cost of doing business. Said business: sixth in Mariners' history in slugging (.497), third in home runs (307), fifth in total bases (2,245), third in both RBIs (951) and walks (788), and first in number of fans who shaved their heads like his to see a baseball game for free. DH: Edgar Martinez When did Edgar Martinez peak? It began when he was 27, that's clear. When did that peak end, though? In '90, he hit .302/.397/.433, for a 133 OPS+. In 2003, at age 40, Martinez batted .294/.406/.489 for a 141 OPS+. In between? More of the same, and often even better: Martinez put together a 14-year run of .317/.426/.531. He's second in OPS among Mariners at .933, second in hits behind Ichiro, first in on-base percentage (.418), total bases (3,718), doubles (514) and walks (1,283). A somehow undersung Hall of Famer. Honorable mention Dan Wilson (manager) Jamie Moyer (starting pitcher) Freddy Garcia (starting pitcher) Randy Johnson (starting pitcher) Jeff Nelson (reliever/closer) Edwin Diaz (reliever/closer) Mike Zunino (catcher) Robinson Cano (2B) Harold Reynolds (2B) Julio Cruz (2B) Adrian Beltre (3B) Mike Blowers (3B) Omar Vizquel (SS) Carlos Guillen (SS) Raul Ibanez (OF) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic

The time the Brewers thought a Felix Hernandez trade was done
The time the Brewers thought a Felix Hernandez trade was done

Yahoo

time08-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

The time the Brewers thought a Felix Hernandez trade was done

The post The time the Brewers thought a Felix Hernandez trade was done appeared first on ClutchPoints. The phrase 'Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Felix Hernandez' just sounds weird — but it could have been a reality. Advertisement Before San Francisco Giants general manager Zack Minasian moved out west, he was a scout with Milwaukee, and as he tells it, there was a time where the club really thought it was about to land King Felix in a trade. ESPN published a collection of executives telling their wildest trade stories on Monday, and Minasian's tale was among them. According to him, then-GM Doug Melvin and Seattle Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik were 'deep in conversations' about a deal. 'Jack and Doug were talking about a trade that would have sent Felix Hernandez to Milwaukee,' Minasian said. 'At one point, we thought Jack had agreed to it but he needed to make one other move before we could finalize it. 'It didn't happen, but for an hour we thought we were getting Felix Hernandez. We were nervous, anxious, excited and just waiting.' Advertisement Hernandez, of course, ultimately spent his entire 15-year career in Seattle, winning a Cy Young and making six All-Star teams along the way. Though Minasian didn't say what year this deal almost happened, the Brewers did land eventual Hall of Famer CC Sabathia instead at the 2008 deadline. Sabathia ultimately pitched them into the postseason in his half-season in Milwaukee. The Brewers also almost landed Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images At one point, the Brewers also thought they had a deal lined up for Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler from the New York Mets. This one the public did know about because when news. broke of the potential deal, the Mets were in the middle of a game, and Flores took the field, visibly emotional as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Advertisement When that 2015 trade never materialized, Minasian said he went to a local bar, where he had to excuse himself to try and come up with another plan. 'One of my friends owned a place in Milwaukee,' he said. 'I got a call from Doug while I was there and I had to go in the basement of the bar where all the liquor is being stored, huddled in the back corner, going through Astros prospects. 'You have to do what you have to do, right?' Related: Predicting Brewers' next big trade before deadline Related: Brewers recall former 3rd overall pick amid Rhys Hoskins injury

Cal Raleigh ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners record for home runs before All-Star break with 35
Cal Raleigh ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners record for home runs before All-Star break with 35

Washington Post

time05-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Washington Post

Cal Raleigh ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners record for home runs before All-Star break with 35

SEATTLE — On the spot, Cal Raleigh compiled a laundry list of players he would consider for a Mount Rushmore of Seattle Mariners following their 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Friday. Ichiro was one of the first names off the board, followed by the likes of stud starting pitchers Felix Hernandez and Randy Johnson. When identifying who is the face of the Mariners, though, Raleigh immediately landed on Ken Griffey Jr., who he tied for the franchise record for home runs before the All-Star break with 35 with a pair of blasts.

Cal Raleigh Ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners Record for Home Runs Before All-Star Break With 35
Cal Raleigh Ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners Record for Home Runs Before All-Star Break With 35

Al Arabiya

time05-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Al Arabiya

Cal Raleigh Ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners Record for Home Runs Before All-Star Break With 35

On the spot, Cal Raleigh compiled a laundry list of players he would consider for a Mount Rushmore of Seattle Mariners following their 6–0 victory over Pittsburgh on Friday. Ichiro was one of the first names off the board, followed by the likes of stud starting pitchers Felix Hernandez and Randy Johnson. When identifying who is the face of the Mariners, though, Raleigh immediately landed on Ken Griffey Jr., who he tied for the franchise record for home runs before the All-Star break with 35 with a pair of blasts. 'To be mentioned with that name, somebody that's just iconic, a legend, first-ballot Hall of Famer, I'm just blessed,' Raleigh said. 'Trying to do the right thing and trying to keep it rolling. If I can try to be like that guy, it's a good guy to look up to.' From Raleigh's perspective, Griffey would have smashed the major league home run record, rather than come up 132 short of Barry Bonds, if not for injuries. Thankfully for Raleigh's sake, that admiration hasn't been reserved for the public eye. Whenever Griffey finds himself back in Seattle, which was the case when FIFA Club World Cup games were taking place at Lumen Field, Raleigh has enjoyed his chats with 'The Kid.' 'It's always fun to have him around the clubhouse to just talk to him a little bit and figure out how he went about his business,' Raleigh said. 'So I've talked to him on the phone once or twice as well. So he's a good one. He's one of the best of all time. It's hard to beat talking to somebody like that.' It's also hard to find many comparable runs to what Raleigh–who will participate in the Home Run Derby–is in the midst of and what Griffey accomplished ahead of the 1998 All-Star break. Manager Dan Wilson, who was a teammate of Griffey's in 1998, is among the few folks who can truly put Raleigh's fast start to 2025 in perspective. 'It's remarkable. It feels like he hits a home run every game, that's what it feels like,' Wilson said. 'And I can remember feeling it as a player that (Griffey) just felt like he hit a home run every day. Again, that's the consistency that (Raleigh) has shown. It hasn't been a streak where he has hit a bunch of home runs in a short amount of time. It's been kind of 10 per month.' To Wilson's point, Raleigh has been remarkably consistent. He walloped nine home runs in April, 12 in May, and 11 more in June. Griffey's figures were a tad more mercurial, but just barely (10 in April, eight in May, 14 in June). All told, the 28-year-old Raleigh has more than lived up to the early stages of his six-year, $105 million contract extension, which he signed just ahead of the 2025 season. Not only has Raleigh set a career high for home runs, but he's on track to post new marks for batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Raleigh chalked those developments up to his maturing a little over halfway into his fourth full major league season. 'I have the ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark,' Raleigh said. 'I mean, it's part of my game and I'm a strong guy. It's learning how to hone it in and take your hits when maybe you're not getting those pitches in the heart of the plate.' Such an approach is all well and good, but the results have been starkly different. Raleigh has racked up just 36 singles, or one more than his home run total. Suffice to say, Raleigh's offensive output has justified every dollar the Mariners have sent his way so far, and then some. 'Want to make sure I'm doing everything I can every single day to earn that paycheck and earn what they gave me,' Raleigh said. 'But it's a lot more than just that. It's being a leader, doing things in the clubhouse and making sure you're ready to go every single day.'

Cal Raleigh ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners record for home runs before All-Star break with 35
Cal Raleigh ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners record for home runs before All-Star break with 35

Associated Press

time05-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Associated Press

Cal Raleigh ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners record for home runs before All-Star break with 35

Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] SEATTLE (AP) — On the spot, Cal Raleigh compiled a laundry list of players he would consider for a Mount Rushmore of Seattle Mariners following their 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Friday. Ichiro was one of the first names off the board, followed by the likes of stud starting pitchers Felix Hernandez and Randy Johnson. When identifying who is the face of the Mariners, though, Raleigh immediately landed on Ken Griffey Jr., who he tied for the franchise record for home runs before the All-Star break with 35 with a pair of blasts. 'To be mentioned with that name, somebody that's just iconic, a legend, first ballot Hall of Famer, I'm just blessed,' Raleigh said. 'Trying to do the right thing and trying to keep it rolling. If I can try to be like that guy, it's a good guy to look up to.' From Raleigh's perspective, Griffey would have 'smashed' the major league home run record rather than come up 132 short of Barry Bonds if not for injuries. Thankfully for Raleigh's sake, that admiration hasn't been reserved for the public eye. Whenever Griffey finds himself back in Seattle, which was the case when FIFA Club World Cup games were taking place at Lumen Field, Raleigh has enjoyed his chats with 'The Kid.' 'It's always fun to have him around the clubhouse to just talk to him a little bit and figure out how he went about his business,' Raleigh said. 'So, I've talked to him on the phone once or twice as well. So, he's a good one. He's one of the best of all-time. It's hard to beat talking to somebody like that.' It's also hard to find many comparable runs to what Raleigh — who will participate in the Home Run Derby — is in the midst of, and what Griffey accomplished ahead of the 1998 All-Star break. Manager Dan Wilson, who was a teammate of Griffey's in 1998, is among the few folks who can truly put Raleigh's fast start to 2025 in perspective. 'It's remarkable. It feels like he hits a home run every game, that's what it feels like,' Wilson said. 'And I can remember feeling it as a player, that (Griffey) just felt like he hit a home run every day. Again, that's the consistency that (Raleigh) has shown. It hasn't been a streak where he has hit a bunch of home runs in a short amount of time. It's been kind of 10 per month.' To Wilson's point, Raleigh has been remarkably consistent. He walloped nine home runs in April, 12 in May and 11 more in June. Griffey's figures were a tad more mercurial, but just barely (10 in April, eight in May, 14 in June). All told, the 28-year-old Raleigh has more than lived up to the early stages of his six-year, $105 million contract extension , which he signed just ahead of the 2025 season. Not only has Raleigh set a career high for home runs, but he's on track to post new marks for batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Raleigh chalked those developments up to his maturing a little over halfway into his fourth full major league season. 'I have the ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark,' Raleigh said. 'I mean, it's part of my game and I'm a strong guy. It's learning how to hone it in and take your hits when maybe you're not getting those pitches in the heart of the plate.' Such an approach is all well and good, but the results have been starkly different. Raleigh has racked up just 36 singles, or one more than his home run total. Suffice to say, Raleigh's offensive output has justified every dollar the Mariners have sent his way so far, and then some. 'Want to make sure I'm doing everything I can every single day to earn that paycheck and earn what they gave me,' Raleigh said. 'But it's a lot more than just that. It's being a leader, doing things in the clubhouse and making sure you're ready to go every single day.' ___ AP MLB:

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