Since I am so one dimensional John said I should do the top ten Mariner players. Instead I opted to do a dream team of sorts. I will take one player from each position including DH, and assemble the best on paper Mariner team you’d ever seen.
1. Starting Pitcher
The M’s have sure had their share of great starting pitching, from hall of famer Gaylord Perry with 300+ wins to soft tossing senior citizen Jamie Moyer. But obviously the one pitcher who left his special mark in M’s history would have to be none other than the man behind the mullet, Randy Johnson. Johnson was arguably the most dominant pitcher of his time, he has won 5 Cy Young awards, including the ’95 season. He single handedly swung the M’s into the playoffs that year with the 1 game playoff against the Angels where he held them to just 1 run.
2. Catcher
Well considering Dave Valle can suck my balls, I’ll have to give this one to Dan Wilson #2. Dan Wilson was not only a lovable guy, he was one of the best defensive catchers of the 90’s. He made one all star appearance in 1996, and probably would have made more if he wasn’t competing with Pudge.
3. 1st Base
Alvin Davis made his Mariner Debut in 1984 when he was awarded Rookie of the year where he batted .284/.391/.497, hit 27 home runs and drove in 116. His career statistics were not quite considered hall of fame numbers, but he is Mr. Mariner, So I put him on the squad.
4. 2nd Base
Now for everyone’s favorite sexual harassing 2nd basemen, Harold Reynolds. Reynolds was the M’s 2nd basemen from 1983 to 1992. He won 3 gold glove awards and regularly led the league in double plays. My favorite Baseball Tonight Analyst will be sorely missed, he’s just gotta keep his hands off those ta-ta’s.
5. 3rd Base
I searched through all the third basemen the Mariners have had and the only one that really jumped out at me was current Mariner Adrien Beltre. Some people complain about his contract and how he hasn’t replicated his 48 homer year w/ the Dodgers, but who can blame him? He finally won his first gold glove last year and it was long over due. He makes plays I can’t even dream of making. He has improved every year since we got him and he is only 28 years old. Hopefully he will be a Mariner for years to come.
6. Shortstop
Maybe some people will disagree with me here, but that is because they are stupid. I like to call him the best shortstop on the Yankees right now, and his name is Alex Rodriguez. I don’t know how much more can be said about this guy, but he is something. You can’t hate him all you want for leaving for money, but he signed and played for the Mariners against his agent’s will and played for under the league average in salary for 6 years. He is incredible in the field, and even more so at the plate, and I hope he gets a ring, and I hope he breaks Bonds record, and I hope he gets 61. I love A-Rod.
7. Outfield
Since the M’s have never had a left fielder worth even glancing at, I’m just going to pick 3 Outfielders. The first is my guy, Jay Buhner. Introducing the Pacific Northwest to the greatness of baldness, Jay Buhner. Although his style is much like our pal Big Richie, Buhner managed to his above .250 making all his bombs even more special. He hit 40 home runs 3 times from 1995-1997, and was an intrical part of the two play off runs. I love seeing him at spring training every year and I hope he can stay a presence in the organization
Number 2 is Ichiro Suzuki. By far the best lead off hitter of his time. I really don’t know what to say. Seven 200 hit seasons, record 262 hits in a season, 7 Gold Gloves, and the list goes on. With a newly inked 5 year contract, our outfield defense won’t be all the disaster it should.
AND FINALLY, the kid. George Kenneth Griffey Jr. The greatest center fielder to every play the game. A swing that makes hitting coaches weak at the knees. Range and defensive prowess that make managers cringe, hoping he won’t injure him self. Let’s just pray he’ll be back in a year’s time, roaming the outfield that he built with his own hands.
10. DH
Edgar Martinez. The most lovable of them all. One of the greatest professional hitters this world or any other has seen. Numbers are besides the point when you watch this man take that lumber and drive the ball to all areas of the field. He made the designated hitter a legitimate baseball position, and for all you asshole national leaguers out there, we had Edgar. Bud Selig had the right idea in naming the DH award, the Edgar Martinez award. Beautiful Beautiful man.
This took far to long and now I must play wiffleball.