Staying the Course: Keeping Junior, A-Rod, and The Big Unit in Seattle

[Hendu Style]

March 27th, 1998


With the ink barely dry on our contract with Pedro Martinez, I've been spinning my wheels on how I could land one of baseball's most feared hitters, Manny Ramirez. I'm second-guessing myself. "What if we didn't exercise Edgar Martinez's $10.5 million option?" The answer is simple: We could've used that money towards Ramirez. But I've found the best way to get over a bad deal is to make a good one.


Having Manny in the lineup would be a luxury. Getting a top-notch set-up man is a necessity. I turn my eye to the Toronto Blue Jays, who have an up and coming reliever by the name of Billy Koch. They also have a stud pitching prospect named Roy Halladay. Halladay is probably a couple of years away from being truly MLB-ready, but Koch is clearly ready to go. But to get either or both of those fireballers is going to cost a king's ransom. Luckily I have some prospects to give away. 3B Aramis Ramirez has become expendable with the acquisition of former Yankees farmhand Alfonso Soriano. The Jays also want our star-in-waiting Freddy Garcia, projected as our #3 starter wedged in between Pedro and Jamie Moyer. I reluctantly say yes. Seems like a fair 2-for-2 swap, but Toronto wants a little bit more. Knowing that I want to make a push for one or two more free agents, I throw in our starting left fielder, Al Martin, and a throw-away prospect. The Blue Jays accept.


The funny thing about this deal is that I half-jokingly inquired about Carlos Delgado. An All-Star 1B this past season, he's set to become a free agent next year and the Jays have been unable to sign him to an extension. Free agency is almost inevitable. All I would need to send to Toronto in return would be 3B David Bell. It gave me serious pause, but I'm already springing leaks on this roster. The last thing I need is one more hole to plug, even if it nets me a 40-homerun hitter at 1B or DH.


I've just traded away a starting left fielder, a stud starting pitcher, and a future All-Star third baseman. It's a steep price, but I'm hoping it's worth it. Koch could be just the kind of reliever we need to set up Mariano Rivera in our bullpen, and Halladay could be a future ace of this staff. Plus, I've just freed up over $3 million to land what I believe to be a bargain outfielder on the free agent market. To recap, I still need a catcher to replace Mike Lieberthal, an outfielder to replace Martin, and a starting pitcher to replace Garcia. This could get real interesting.

[pauwoo]

Originally Posted by Hendu Style

The Jays also want our star-in-waiting Freddy Garcia, projected as our #3 starter wedged in between Pedro and Jamie Moyer. I reluctantly say yes.

This one stings a little bit. Given the bullpen you are putting together, I can't complain, but I love Freddy as part of that staff. Let's hope these moves pay off!

[Hendu Style]

February 9th, 1999


Up to today, we were making the moves that I felt would help put us over the hump in our pursuit of an AL West title. While the A's, Angels, and Rangers were losing players to free agency, we were able to bolster our defense with the addition of catchers Brad Ausmus and Dan Wilson (hello again, Dan!). We got a solid corner outfielder with the signing of John Vander Wal, formerly of the Rockies. And we took a flyer on Rangers right-hander Rick Helling and added him to our rotation despite a miserable 6-18, 7.03 ERA last season.


The rich got richer when Jim Edmonds decided to sign with us in late December for a relative bargain at 7 years for $29.7 million. You'll notice that Edmonds, who hit .250 with 22 HR and 91 RBI last season for Anaheim, is a centerfielder. This move will allow us to move Ken Griffey Junior over to DH occasionally and try to preserve Junior's knees as we make the transition from the concrete at the Kingdome to the natural grass at Safeco Field.


But our biggest surprise was yet to come, when we couldn't help but notice that Manny Ramirez was still on the market. His original asking price of $12 million a year was steep (but worth it, in my opinion) and had scared off many prospective teams. But Manny being Manny decided he was tired of not having a team and reached out to us, seeing if we would be interested in signing him. Stunned, I told his agents in complete candor that we simply didn't have the money to sign him. The best we could do was $6 million a year in an incentive-heavy contract, and that our max for year one was a paltry $4.3 million... our absolute limit without going over our new 1999 budget. Three days later, Manny's agents called to say the deal was done! To my astonishment, I've signed Manny Ramirez to a 5-year deal worth a total of $28.3 million. In other words, the steal of the century. My only regret is not trying to sign him to a longer contract!


As it turns out, we weren't the only ones landing a marquee free agent on this day. The Yankees got Giants 2B Jeff Kent on a cheap two-year deal, and "Mr. Padre" Tony Gwynn did the unthinkable and signed a one-year contract with the, gulp, Toronto Blue Jays.

[Hendu Style]

April 4th, 1999


Today is Opening Day and there are exceedingly high expectations for us in the Emerald City. Despite a season-ending PCL injury to 2B Bret Boone in Spring Training, we are the odds-on favorite to not only win the AL West, but also the World Series. And for good reason.


OFFSEASON ARRIVALS:
SP Pedro Martinez (free agency)
CL Mariano Rivera (trade with NYY)
RF Manny Ramirez (free agency)
CF Jim Edmonds (free agency)
3B David Bell (trade with STL)
RP Braden Looper (trade with STL)
RP Billy Koch (trade with TOR)
C Brad Ausmus (free agency)
C Dan Wilson (free agency)
LF John Vander Wal (free agency)
SP Rick Helling (free agency)
plus minor leaguers Alfonso Soriano and Roy Halladay


The injury to Boone will force us to move Bell from 3B to 2B, thrusting utility man Charles Gipson into a starting role at 3B for us. It's clear that our biggest weakness is depth. We have none. Soriano, Halladay, and AJ Pierzynski won't be MLB-ready for at least another couple of years, so whatever help we get, it will have to come via trade. We are completely maxed out in payroll. Every day that passes, it becomes more evident that this will be Edgar Martinez's last season with us. He is a Seattle institution, but there is simply no way that we can sign him to an extension at the rate that he's asking for. With his salary off the books next season, I'm calculating about $6 million we can spend on free agents. That will come in handy for backup infielders, a bottom of the rotation pitcher, and more bullpen help.


With all of our key players (Griffey, Pedro, Randy, Manny, and Moyer) under contract through at least 2003 and help on the way from our farm system in 2000 & 2001, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict multiple championships for the Mariners. I've done all I can to put this in position to succeed in 1999 and for years to come. It's now up to Lou Piniella and these players to hold up their end of the bargain.

[Hendu Style]

May 13th, 1999
Record: 28-7 (1st, +11.0 ahead of Oakland A's)
Top Hitter: Ken Griffey Junior (.327, 13 HR, 39 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Randy Johnson (7-0, 1.95 ERA, 78 K)
Top Priority: Improve at bottom of rotation

Despite an early season injury to Edgar Martinez, things could not have gone any better for us so far. We sit high atop the AL West standings with a record of 28-7, led by MLB's most potent offense (233 runs scored, 55 homeruns, .300 batting average) and a dazzling 1-2 punch of Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez.

Randy has won 7 of his 8 decisions so far, posting a 1.95 ERA along with a 7-0 record and 78 strikeouts. Pedro is 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 73 K's. But the biggest star, in my estimation, has been Ken Griffey Junior. Not once has he complained about DH'ing with Jim Edmonds roving centerfield, and he obliged manager Lou Piniella when asked to lead off in Edgar's absence. How did Junior respond? With a .327 batting average, and an MLB-best 13 homeruns.

But let's not forget about Manny Ramirez and his .310 average with 12 homers and 34 RBI, Alex Rodriguez's .377, 8 HR, 33 RBI season, or John Vander Wal's amazing .344 start. Sure, our team has its weaknesses. We are especially weak at third base and second base, and our 4-5 starters are atrocious. Despite those misgivings, we are cruising right along. I wouldn't be surprised to see half a dozen All-Stars on the roster come July.

[Hendu Style]

June 10th, 1999
Record: 47-12 (1st, +18.5 ahead of Oakland A's)
Top Hitter: Manny Ramirez (.382, 26 HR, 75 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Randy Johnson (10-0, 2.00 ERA, 125 K)
Top Priority: Get a respectable #4 starter


How do you respond to losing back-to-back games for the first time this season, while also losing your starting third baseman at the same time? You win, of course.


After dropping two straight at defending NL champion San Diego on Friday and Saturday, we bounced back with a 4-0 victory Sunday to avoid the sweep. This came while our starting third baseman, Charles Gipson, broke his hand. He'll be out at least 3 months, if not longer. But what happened the next three days in Denver may never be accomplished again. We opened the 3-game series against the Rockies with a resounding 24-8 victory, led by journeyman Rico Rossey's 4-for-5, 5 run, 2 2B, HR effort in his first start at 3B. We followed that up with a 19-11 victory, powered by John Vander Wal's 4-hit, 5 RBI performance (Rossey collected three more hits along with 3 runs). And we bookended a 25-12 win in the finale with 9 runs in the 1st and 13 more in the 9th. All told, 60 runs scored in a 3-game sweep that did not feature either our ace Randy Johnson or his right-hand man, Pedro Martinez.


On a down note, I couldn't help but notice Dave Burba's 6-0, 1.20 ERA start with the Padres. He was on our radar and we chose Rick Helling instead of Burba to round out our rotation. I made a last-ditch effort to sign Burba, too, but ultimately couldn't free up enough money to sign him. That decision could come back to haunt me, as Helling is 4-5 with a 7.26 ERA. If (okay, when) we reach the postseason, we will need to dominate in Games 1-3. If a series ever comes down to our #4 starter, we could be in big trouble.

[Hendu Style]

July 12th, 1999
Record: 67-21 (1st, +21.5 ahead of Anaheim Angels)
Top Hitter: Manny Ramirez (.367, 34 HR, 101 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Pedro Martinez (15-1, 2.60 ERA, 174 K)
Top Priority: Get a solid 4th starter for rotation

We've arrived at the All-Star Break with an astounding seven Mariners heading to Boston to represent the American League. They are:

RF Manny Ramirez (AL-leading 4,782,898 votes)
CF Ken Griffey Junior (10th consecutive All-Star Game)
SS Alex Rodriguez (4th All-Star Game in 4th full MLB season)
SP Pedro Martinez (leading vote getter for AL pitchers)
SP Randy Johnson (second behind Pedro)
CL Mariano Rivera (2nd career All-Star Game)
CF Jim Edmonds (reserve pick, 2nd career All-Star Game)

Let's take a moment to look at Manny's incredible first season with us. He is on pace to hit 63 homeruns and break Roger Maris's single season record. His 101 RBI at the All-Star Break puts him on pace for 186 for the season, within striking distance of Hack Wilson's seemingly unbreakable record of 191. Pedro, meanwhile, has overtaken Randy as the staff ace, though both have put up nearly identical numbers so far. Both could threaten to become the first pitcher to win 30 games in a season since Denny McLain in 1968.

As a team, we could very easily have three 20-game winners, with Jamie Moyer putting together a very fine 10-5 record so far. And by the end of the season, we may just have a mind-blowing six Mariners with 100+ RBI. Manny is already there, Junior needs one more, and A-Rod only needs 8 to reach 100. John Vander Wal is on pace for 133, David Bell 109, and Jim Edmonds for 94.

I'm still meeting regularly with Edgar Martinez about a contract extension, and he's come down from his $12 million a year demand to $10.5 million. To be honest, I'm not even entertaining the thought of signing him unless that number is closer to $7 million. Edgar is a fan favorite, but I have to think his days as a useful infielder are over. Dmitri Young will assuredly take over 1B as a full-time starter next season, and it's looking more and more like Junior will be at least a part-time DH for the long haul.

Our .761 winning percentage is the best in baseball, and we would be getting a bigger challenge from the New York Yankees in that department if not for their 6-game losing streak heading into the break. But that's a far cry from the Texas Rangers' current 15-game skid in the AL West. In the National League, the Atlanta Braves have established themselves as the team to beat with a stellar mark of 66-25. They are led by a phenomenal pitching rotation of Greg Maddux (14-1, 1.99 ERA), John Smoltz (11-6, 2.99 ERA), and Tom Glavine (10-3, 3.14 ERA). You could add Kevin Milwood (7-2, 1.99 ERA in 13 starts) if not for a fractured elbow that will keep him out for another five months. MLB has no less than three batters threatening to bat .400 in 1999. Colorado's Todd Helton leads the way with a .419 clip, followed by former Padre Tony Gwynn (.399) in Toronto and Jose Vidro (.395) in Montreal.

But my focus remains on bettering my ballclub in Seattle. I'm still actively shopping for better options at the bottom of our rotation, though I'm resigned to Rico Rossy holding down third base until Charles Gipson is ready to return from injury in September. I just hope we have a playoff spot locked up by then.

[Hendu Style]

October 4th, 1999
Record: 122-40 (Won AL West, 45.0 Games Ahead of Anaheim Angels)
Top Hitter: Manny Ramirez (.381*, 58 HR*, 171 RBI*)
Top Pitcher: Pedro Martinez (25-2*, 2.83 ERA*, 314 K*)
Top Priority: Advance to ALCS


The 1999 MLB season didn't see a .400 hitter. It didn't see Roger Maris's homerun record fall. And no pitcher won 30 games. But let me tell you, nobody in our clubhouse is doing any complaining.


The Mariners just wrapped up a record-breaking regular season, winning 122 games, claiming the AL West Crown and with it homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. We also had a couple of Triple Crown winners, as newcomers Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez led their respective peers in hitting and pitching. It is to my knowledge the first time that teammates have won Triple Crowns in the same season.


Everyone is already talking as if a Seattle-Atlanta World Series is a foregone conclusion. Our 122 wins are new MLB and AL records, while the Braves set a National League record with its 120 regular season victories. But I'll tell you what. Those regular season accolades won't mean squat if we can't get out of the first round of the playoffs. Detroit awaits. And so does destiny.

[Hendu Style]

October 11th, 1999

58,716 rabid Mariner fans packed into Safeco Field in Game 1 of the ALDS, the first-ever playoff game to be played in the new retractable roof stadium. John Vander Wal and Randy Johnson made sure those fans didn't leave disappointed.

Vander Wal, the surprise star of the series opener against the Tigers, got us on the board in the 3rd inning with a 3-run homer off Detroit ace Jeff Weaver. He took him deep again with solo homer with 2 out in the 7th. That was enough for Randy, who K'd 11 Detroit batters while giving up 3 runs on 5 hits in 8 innings to pick up the victory. Jim Edmonds, who would hit 2 homers of his own in a Game 2 victory, went on to win ALDS MVP honors, but I would argue that Vander Wal set the tone for the series and should've earned the award. So be it. We took the series, 3 games to 1. We now await the winner of the Twins-Yankees series, which has gone to a winner-take-all Game 5. I don't need to tell you the Mariners are now four wins away from their first trip to the World Series in franchise history, nor do I need to remind our fans.

[Hendu Style]

October 23rd, 1999


I don't need to tell you that the 1999 ALCS is a rematch of the thrilling '95 divisional series between the Mariners and the Yankees. I don't need to tell you that closer Mariano Rivera came to Seattle from the Bronx in the offseason in exchange for starting pitcher Gil Meche and catcher Mike Lieberthal. I don't need to tell you both teams are chock full with All-Star additions like 2B Jeff Kent for the Yankees, and RF Manny Ramirez for the Mariners.


All you want me to do is tell you who won.


GAME 1:
Pedro Martinez was simply dominant in the ALCS opener at Safeco Field. He set a new playoff record with 17 strikeouts, allowing a scant 3 hits in 8 innings of work. The only two runs New York was able to muster came unearned, as Pedro exited with a 3-2 lead. Enter "Sandman," as Mariano Rivera came on to preserve that lead, and hopefully give the Mariners a 1-0 series lead. But a solo homerun by former Mariner Tino Martinez with two outs in the top of the 9th tied the game at 3-3. After Alex Rodriguez was retired to lead off the bottom of the 9th, Dmitri Young stepped up to the plate. After one former Mariner first baseman tagged a 9th inning homerun, why not the current M's first baseman? Young answered the call, belting an Arthur Rhodes offering 416 feet into the Safeco bleachers, and sending Seattle into a state of delirium. Game 1 went to the Mariners, 4-3, in walk-off fashion.
Seattle wins, 4-3, leads ALCS 1-0


GAME 2:
No such drama existed in Game 2, as rookie Mike Lowell and Derek Jeter swatted back-to-back homeruns against Randy Johnson in the 3rd inning. Despite a 2 homerun effort from Jim Edmonds (his second such feat in a Game 2 this postseason), the M's were unable to rally and the Pinstripers salvaged a split with a 6-3 victory heading back to Yankee Stadium.
New York wins, 6-3, ALCS tied at 1-1


GAME 3:
Lowell and Jeter continued to torment Mariner pitchers in Game 3 in New York, with the 2-3 portion of the order racking up 4 hits in 7 total at-bats. With the game tied at 3-3 heading in to the 6th inning, Chad Curtis stung a 2-run double to left off of Seattle starter Jamie Moyer. That go-ahead basehit proved to be the difference in a 7-3 victory. Suddenly the Yankees had the series lead, 2-1.
New York wins, 7-3, leads ALCS 2-1


GAME 4:
Just as had been predicted in the regular season, the Mariners' Achilles heel would be exposed in a crucial Game 4. Desperately needing a victory to even the series at 2-2, Seattle was forced to turn to Rick Helling. The same Rick Helling who had posted a 5.87 ERA during the regular season, and the same Rick Helling who had gone 6-18 with a 7.03 ERA the year before that in Texas. Sadly for the M's, Helling would pitch like hell in Game 4, failing to make it out of the third inning in a 8-5 defeat. Up 3 games to 1, the Yankees were one victory away from the World Series.
New York wins, 8-5, leads ALCS 3-1


GAME 5:
Determined to bring the series back to Seattle, the two cornerstones of the franchise came through for the Mariners. Alex Rodriguez hit a 2-out homer off of Yankees starter Woody Williams in the 4th inning, and Ken Griffey Junior hit a 3-run blast off of reliever Mike Stanton in the 7th. Pedro Martinez took care of the rest, pitching 6-plus innings of 1-run ball in a 7-3 win. There would be a Game 6 in Seattle after all.
Seattle wins, 7-3, trails series 3-2


GAME 6:
To say Game 6 was epic would be an understatement. With their season on the line, the Mariners turned to Randy Johnson, while the Yankees put the ball in the hand of David Cone. Both starters delivered. Johnson pitched 8 innings of shutout ball, allowing just 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 9. But Cone was equally up to the task, going 8 shutout innings of his own, surrendering just 3 hits and striking out 7. Both teams went to their closers in the 9th in a 0-0 ballgame. Just as he had in the series opener, Mariano Rivera gave up a run, this time the go-ahead run, in a win-or-go-home Game 6. But with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, trailing 1-0, Alex Rodriguez took Arthur Rhodes over the wall in left for a game-tying solo homerun. But wouldn't you know it? Mo would give up another run in the 10th as the Yanks retook the lead, 2-1. But playing on sheer will, Ken Griffey Junior led off the bottom of the 10th with a solo shot off of Rhodes, extending the game yet again, tying the game at 2-2. That's the way the game would stand until the bottom of the 13th with the game still tied at 2-2, when Manny Ramirez broke out of his postseason funk with just his 3rd extra base hit of the playoffs with his first homerun of the series, a walk-off homerun to lead off the inning. Game 6 went to the Mariners in a game for the ages, 3-2 in 13 innings.
Seattle wins, 3-2 (13), ALCS tied 3-3


GAME 7:
When you're one win away from the World Series, you lay all your cards on the table. Manager Lou Piniella seriously considered pitching Pedro Martinez on just two days rest against the Yankees, but decided to stick with his scheduled starter, Jamie Moyer. Seattle's batters certainly answered the call, clobbering New York starter Andy Pettitte with homeruns by Brad Ausmus, David Bell, and Manny Ramirez in the game's first 3 innings. But Moyer was not up to the challenge, getting chased out of the ballgame in the 4th inning, finishing the ALCS with an 0-2 record and an accompanying 8.64 ERA. A 5-run Yankee 6th seemingly sealed Seattle's fate, as the Mariners dug themselves into a 11-7 deficit. A Jim Edmonds solo homerun in the 7th pulled the M's within 3, and Seattle was able to draw within one with a 2-run 8th. But former Mariner Mike Lieberthal sucked the energy out of the building with a pinch-hit RBI double off of Paul Spoljaric in the top of the 9th. Seattle was down to its final three outs yet again, but this time trailing 12-10. Arthur Rhodes, determined to exorcise his demons from earlier in the series, came out of the bullpen hoping to retire the M's 1-2-3 to put the Yanks in the World Series. He had no such luck. John Vander Wal led of off the bottom of the 9th with a single. David Bell followed that up with a double to left, scoring Vander Wal from first. Suddenly it was a 1-run game as Bell advanced to third on the throw home. After a Brad Ausmus walk, Ken Griffey Junior struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch from Rhodes. But with the game-tying run on third and game-winning run on first, Rhodes did the unthinkable. He balked. Bell hopped up and down from third as he scored the game-tying run. With the game-winning run now on second by virtue of that balk, the Yankees had no choice but to issue an intentional walk to Edgar Martinez to set up a potential double play. Manager Joe Torre had seen enough out of his so-called "closer" and gave Rhodes the hook in favor of Ed Yarnall. A lefty versus lefty matchup, Yarnall prevailed against Edmonds, inducing him into a popout for out number two. It seemed these two teams were destined yet again to go to extra innings. With New York's bullpen depleted from an extra inning affair the night before, Torre stuck with Yarnall, only to see Manny Ramirez patiently rally back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk to load the bases. Now the ALCS's winning run stood just 90 feet away. Up came Alex Rodriguez, he of the 9th inning heroics in Game 6. Capping off one of the most epic meltdowns in MLB playoff history, after the RBI double, after the balk, after the walk to load the bases, A-Rod couldn't hold back a smirk as Yarnall's pitches traveled everywhere but in the strike zone. Ball four sent pinch-runner Brad Ausmus to home plate and the Seattle Mariners to their first-ever World Series. 13-12 the final.
Seattle wins, 13-12, takes ALCS 4-3

[ThatOneJerk]

I'm really enjoying reading this, even though I'm a Yankees fan. That epic ALCS really highlighted for me just how important having a closer like Mariano Rivera was to the Yankees run in the late 90's-early 00's. Having him instead of Rhodes on the hill likely would have led to a different outcome.

[Hendu Style]

We expended every ounce of energy we could muster in the American League Championship Series. Our reward? A trip to the World Series against the National League champion Houston Astros, in a match-up of Fall Classic first-timers. While we boasted a lineup of All-Stars like Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez, the Astros proved to be no slouches themselves. They had a surefire MVP candidate in CF Carl Everett (career-high's of .342, 54 HR, 160 RBI in the regular season) and last year's NL MVP in former Cub Sammy Sosa (a disappointing .263, 28 HR, 90 RBI in the '99 season), not to mention long-time Astros Jeff Bagwell (.308, 47, 133) and Craig Biggio (.288, 16 HR). The stage was set. Two clubhouses full of stars, all trying to make history and bring a World Series home to their respective team.


GAME 1:
Pitching in his first-ever postseason, two-time Cy Young award winner Pedro Martinez owned baseball's biggest stage. The World Series opener in Seattle was no different. The right-hander tantalized the Astros bats for 7-plus innings, striking out ten while walking just one, and allowing one run. Pedro left the game with a 2-1 lead with one out in the eighth inning, giving him an ERA of 0.91 in four postseason starts (29.2 IP, 46 K). But the Mariners surprising bullpen woes continued to haunt them, when Mariano Rivera once again blew a 9th inning lead, inflating his postseason ERA to a head-scratching 8.10. The Astros would put Mo out of his misery when NLCS MVP Mitch Meluskey drilled his second double of the ballgame, eventually scoring on a pinch-hit RBI single by Moises Alou in the top of the 10th. Houston would win the game, and take away home field advantage from the Mariners.
Houston wins, 5-4 (10), leads World Series 1-0


GAME 2:
Sensing this could very well be the Mariners last World Series game in Safeco, Seattle's bats left nothing to chance. Journeyman third baseman Charlie Gipson clubbed two homeruns on a 4-hit, 6 RBI night, as the Mariners pounded Houston for 22 hits. Every Mariner starter collected a hit, all but one (Alex Rodriguez: 1-5, HR, 4 RBI) had at least two hits, and the bottom of the order -- David Ball, Brad Ausmus, and Gipson -- combined to go 10-for-15 with 4 homeruns, 7 runs scored, and 9 RBI. Randy Johnson, pitching on four days rest, went seven innings, allowing just 2 runs on 5 hits in the 16-3 victory.
Seattle wins, 16-3, World Series tied at 1-1


GAME 3:
The Astros pulled a page out of Seattle's playbook as the series went to Houston for Game 3. Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell, Richard Hidalgo, and Carl Everett all homered as Jamie Moyer failed to make it out of the 5th inning in the 11-3 victory. Just as they did in the ALCS, the Mariners dug themselves into a 2-1 series deficit with games 4 and 5 on the road away from Seattle.
Houston wins, 11-3, leads World Series 2-1


GAME 4
For a second night in a row, Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell, and Carl Everett hit homeruns. Rick Helling curiously got the start in Game 4, despite pleading from Pedro Martinez to manager Lou Piniella. Pedro's starting would've set up the possibility of a Game 7 start. Instead, Mike Hampton easily went through the Mariners order as the Astros put Seattle on the brink with a 8-3 win.
Houston wins, 8-3, leads World Series 3-1


GAME 5
If this was going to be Pedro Martinez's final start of the '99 World Series, he left it all on the line. The certain AL Cy Young winner scattered 3 hits over 7 innings, while fanning 14 Astros. He left the game with a 6-1 lead. Alex Rodriguez bashed two more homeruns, upping his total to 6 for the postseason. Jim Edmonds, who had earned series MVP honors in both the ALDS and ALCS, collected 3 hits to lift his playoff batting average to .328 in a 7-3 victory.
Seattle wins, 7-3, Houston leads World Series 3-2


GAME 6
With Randy Johnson waiting in the wings in Seattle, it was a foregone conclusion that there would be a winner-take-all Game 7. But Johnson inexplicably was shelled for 5 runs and 8 hits and was chased out of the game with two outs in the 6th inning. Seattle's bullpen was even worse, with Braden Looper retiring just two batters while giving up 4 runs on 4 hits and Turk Wendell allowing 5 runs in 1.2 innings of work. Those 9 runs in the 7th and 8th innings turned a 5-4 game into a 14-4 victory. Swiftly and unceremoniously, the Mariners were dismissed from the postseason and the Houston Astros claimed their first World Series title. Sammy Sosa, who hit .417 with 3 HR and 6 RBI against the Mariners, was named World Series MVP.
Houston wins, 14-4, and clinches World Series 4-2

[rpriske]

So close!

[Cigar_City_Rays]

Sammy Sosa had a hell of a series!

[Hendu Style]

November 16th, 1999


We can officially close the book on the 1999 season. Though we fell two wins short of a World Series trophy, I can hold my head up high as we head into the offseason. Salary Arbitration and free agency looms at the end of the month, but we can take a brief moment to reflect on the season that was.


Outside of Rookie of the Year honors (Tim Hudson, Oakland A's), it was a clean sweep for us on the awards stage. Pedro Martinez is the AL Cy Young winner, beating out his partner in crime, Randy Johnson. Three Mariners finished in the top 3 in balloting for AL MVP, with Manny Ramirez taking home the trophy ahead of Alex Rodriguez and Pedro. And our esteemed skipper, Lou Piniella, earned AL Manager of the Year honors.


Before the roster takes shape for the upcoming 2000 season, I had to address several key positions on our coaching staff. Our hitting coach, Jonathan Bridges, decided to walk after we failed to come to terms on a contract extension. In his place is Derrick Pollock, who has an excellent reputation but has never been a hitting coach at the Major League level. I also seriously considered buying out the remainder of Luis Uribe's contract as our team trainer, but decided to give him a second chance. He did a fantastic job at preventing injuries and staying ahead of the curve, but even our pitchers remarked that Luis doesn't do the greatest of jobs in aiding in fatigue recovery. That bit us in the butt in the postseason when we could only get two starts out of Pedro in a 7-game series.


We accomplished plenty in 1999, but our owner has wasted little time of informing me of his expectations for the future. Hiroshi Yamauchi is unhappy with our catching position, and wants us to upgrade soon. I'll hold off on that... Brad Ausmus did great this past season and our top prospect, AJ Pierzynski, still needs some time to season. Yamauchi has also laid out a 3-year goal of raising attendance to 55,0000 a game. That would be no problem, if not for the fast that Safeco Field only currently holds 50,000 fans! Maybe he is planning on expanding seating in the near future... I don't know. Last, but certainly not least, Yamauchi expects us to win a championship by 2001. That gives us two years. I better get to work.

[Hendu Style]

December 31st, 1999


You really have to hand it to the San Diego Padres. Built upon pitching, they have completely overhauled their roster making the two biggest signings so far of the offseason. While they let pitcher Kevin Brown walk via free agency, they brought on board two future Hall of Fame bats on the verge of hitting 500 career homeruns: Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire. Bonds hit .346 with 52 homers in his final season in San Francisco, and returned to his Southern California roots for a relatively reasonable $9.6 million per season. Another SoCal native, McGwire agreed to a similar 3-year deal that will pay him a nearly identical salary after clubbing a career-high 59 homers for the Cardinals in 1999.


Our offseason plan, meanwhile, revolves around finding value. We're not going to make any big signings like we did last year with Manny and Pedro. We're waiting out the market to buy on the cheap for some relievers and a #4 starter. Also, at the behest of our owner Hiroshi Yamauchi, I've been instructed to enter into globalize our brand in Japan and find a player overseas. With that in mind, we've entered into negotiations with reliever Kazuhiro Sasaki of the Yokohama BayStars. There are other outstanding Japanese players, so Kaz could be the first of many to travel across the Pacific to play in the Majors.


While other teams are wining and dining top-tier free agents Chipper Jones and Kevin Brown, I've set my sights on guys like Jose Valentin. Utility infielders that can give us great versatility if someone goes down next season. We learned that lesson the hard way when Bret Boone went down with a season-ending knee injury last year. We won't repeat that mistake in 2000. Valentin inked a 3-year deal that will pay him a total of just under $1 million. He gives us some good pop (21 homers for the Dodgers and Twins in '99) and could supplant David Bell as our starting third baseman. Valentin can also play the left side of the infield and outfield, and would be a great late-game defensive replacement if need be.


As we head into the New Year, I've also got my eye on several relievers, plus a couple of "buy low" opportunities on starting pitchers. We struck out last year with Rick Helling, but I hope for better luck in 2000.

[Hendu Style]

February 23rd, 2000


It turns out I grossly underestimated the power of the Mariners brand. Kazuhiro Sasaki turned out to be an easy signing overseas in Japan, and he has been promised an opportunity to compete for our closer's role with Mariano Rivera and Billy Koch. We further bolstered our bullpen by signing Eddie Guardado to a modest 6-year, $8 million contract. The Royals tried using Eddie as a starter for a 10-game stretch last season with disastrous results: 3-8, 7.35 ERA, 17 homeruns allowed in 93 innings. I project him more as a LOOGY (Lefty One-Out Guy), and as a bridge from our starters to our two elite setup men and closer. Keeping to my promise, we added further depth to our infield by signing Tony Womack to a cheap two-year deal. He hit .264 and stole 33 bases last season for the A's, and can play middle of the infield and in right field. He's also a great option as a pinch-runner in key situations.


But I have totally buried the lead here. Both Chipper Jones and Kevin Brown were considered the prizes of the free agent market, and they were still dangling out there unsigned. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I approached Chipper. He's coming off a stellar .339, 33 HR, 123 RBI season, so I didn't want to insult him with a bad offer, but I wanted to pay him what we could afford. Explaining that we need a modest amount of money to sign a pitcher, I offered up a 10-year, $64.5 million deal... almost identical to the one given to our shortstop, Alex Rodriguez. Surprisingly, Chipper said that would be just fine, and signed one week later. Just like that, we have a 3-time All-Star holding down third base, right next to A-Rod.


David Bell, who moved over from third base to second in the wake of Bret Boone's season-long knee injury last year, will now be our primary backup at both of those positions. The person most affected by Chipper's signing will be Jose Valentin, who is now strictly a utility man for us. We'll have to see how he handles it. Otherwise he could be trouble in the clubhouse.


This entire offseason, I've focused on a buy-low option for our rotation. Brown was almost completely off of my radar. We're talking about an ace pitcher who has gone to four consecutive All-Star Games and hasn't posted an ERA above 3.00 since 1995. But right after Chipper came on board, Kevin approached us and said he wanted in. Here's a guy who's already won a World Series (1997 with the Marlins) but wants a chance to compete for another ring. Knowing he's just a few days shy of 35, all I was willing to give him was a two-year deal. But I looked him square in the eye and told him, "You sign this, and you'll get that other ring." Kevin Brown signed the next day.


So, to recap, we've completely revamped our once-flagging bullpen, and we've added an MVP candidate at 3B and a Cy Young contender as our #3 starter. But we can't get overconfident. The Yankees have been very active this offseason, adding Will Clark (.333, 41 HR, 137 RBI) and Tony Gwynn (.402 in 101 games with Toronto) to their lineup and Kenny Rogers to their rotation, while addressing their closer's role by signing Jeff Zimmerman. The White Sox also look dangerous with their lethal lineup of Mike Cameron, Carlos Lee, Magglio Ordonez, Frank Thomas, Albert Belle, Robin Ventura, and Ray Durham still intact, to go with a strong rotation of Mike Sirotka, Jim Parque, Jason Bere, and James Baldwin.


The 2000 season should be an interesting one to say the least.

[HerbertMcHoover]

Is this the Mariners or an All-Star team? Holy crap, what a job you have done. Good luck this season.

[buckeye22]

I see Bobby Higginson is finally a Yankee. Seemed like that rumor was going every season IRL lol. As a Tiger fan during the losing years who loved Higgy, I'm glad he never was.

Holy crap on the roster you've put together though!

[St Louis]

Do you have minors? If so how many levels. Also are you using "OOTP Dev" for ratings or "Real Stats"?

I look forward to reading. My parents just moved to Seattle a couple months ago so I expect to become a even bigger Mariners fan. Cheers