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The Seattle Mariners played their first season in 1977 at the Kingdome. The Mariners did not record a winning season until 1991. The team struggled throughout their first 13 seasons, as evidenced by finishing in last or next-to-last place in the American League West Division for 10 of those seasons. Although the team garnered stars such as famed spitballer Gaylord Perry, Alvin Davis, Harold Reynolds, and Mark Langston, the Mariners became known for their poor performance and lack of success during the 80's.
In 1989, the Mariners gave their fans a ray of hope by showcasing the first pick of the 1987 draft, Ken Griffey Jr. Lou Piniella was hired as the manager for the 1993 season, and would remain aboard as the team's skipper until 2002, winning two American League Manager of the Year Awards. In the mid 90's, the Mariners began to organize a solid team around a core of great baseball stars that included Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Jay Buhner.
The 1995 miracle season included a Seattle trip to the postseason, where the team won the American League Division Series, beating the infamous New York Yankees. The late 90's era of the Mariners was marked by the team setting an all-time record for most home runs hit in a single season. However, this was not enough to launch the team deep enough into the playoffs, as their pitching consistently faltered. In 1999, the team began play at their new stadium, SAFECO field. 2001 saw the Mariners pull together for an astounding 116 wins, a feat that was accomplished with the help of Japanese phenom AL Rookie of the Year and MVP Ichiro Suzuki. The team sent eight players to the all-star game that season, only to succumb to the New York Yankees for the second consecutive year in the American League Championship Series.
Presently the Mariners are in the midst of rebuilding their team. In 2007 they posted an 88-74 record, finishing 2nd behind the LA Angels. 2008 served to be much more disappointing as they finished 4th in the AL West with a 61-101 record. The Mariners will rely on leaders Ichiro Suzuki and Adrian Beltre to be a contender for the upcoming season. Along with them comes young talent to make Seattle an exciting upcoming team to watch.
