2001 Seattle Mariners: Northwestern Greats

2001 Seattle Mariners: Northwestern Greats

2001 Seattle Mariners: Northwestern Greats

In November 2000 the Seattle Mariners successfully signed a player who would turn out to be a phenomenon for Major League Baseball. Signing a 3-year, $14 Million contract through the posting system, Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki would take baseball in the United States by storm. Ichiro had already been successful in Japan, and wanting a new challenge, the Mariners gave him that opportunity.

The Seattle Mariners as a whole had more to celebrate in 2001 than just Ichiro’s arrival. The Mariners went 116-46 in 2001, setting the American League record for most wins in a single regular season and tying the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the Major League record. The Mariners finished 14 games comfortably ahead of the Oakland Athletics to win the American League West division, going 10-9 against the Athletics in head-to-head play. The Mariners went 57-24 at home and 59-22 on the road. The Mariners consistently won through each month of the season, going 20-5 in April, 20-7 in May, 18-9 in June, 20-9 in August, 15-6 in September and 5-1 in October.

Playing right field, Ichiro Suzuki made one of the biggest splashes as a rookie in Major League Baseball history, winning awards such as the American League Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Batting Champion. Ichiro batted .350 with 242 hits, 34 doubles, 8 triples and an outstanding 56 stolen bases, which led the American League.

Second baseman Bret Boone batted .331 with 37 home runs and 141 RBI’s off 206 hits and 37 doubles. Designated Hitter Edgar Martinez batted .306 with 23 home runs ad 116 RBI’s off 144 hits and 40 doubles. First baseman John Olerud batted .302 with 21 home runs and 95 RBI’s off 173 hits and 32 doubles. Utility player Mark McLemore batted .286 with 117 hits, 16 doubles, 9 triples and 39 stolen bases in 125 games. Left fielder Stan Javier batted .292 with 82 hits, 14 doubles and 11 stolen bases in 89 games.

Third baseman David Bell had 15 home runs, 122 hits and 28 doubles. Center fielder Mike Cameron had 25 home runs and 110 RBI’s off 144 hits, 30 doubles and 34 stolen bases. Catcher Dan Wilson had 100 hits and 20 doubles in 123 games. Shortstop Carlos Guillen had 118 hits and 21 doubles. Left fielder Al Martin had 15 doubles and 9 stolen bases.

Seattle also had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Starting pitcher Freddy Garcia went 18-6 with 163 strikeouts and a 3.05 ERA, recording 4 complete games and 3 shutouts. Aaron Sele went 15-5 with 114 strikeouts and a 3.60 ERA, recording 2 complete games and 1 shutout. Jamie Moyer went 20-6 with 119 strikeouts and a 3.43 ERA, recording 1 complete game. Paul Abbott went 17-4 with 118 strikeouts and 1 complete game. John Halama went 10-7. Joel Piniero went 6-2 with a 2.03 ERA.

Closer Kazuhiro Sasaki had 45 saves and a 3.24 ERA. Relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes went 8-0 with 3 saves and a 1.72 ERA. Jose Paniagua went 4-3 with 3 saves. Jeff Nelson went 4-3 with 4 saves and a 2.76 ERA. Norm Charlton had 1 save and a 3.02 ERA.

On the road to 116 wins the Mariners enjoyed multiple winning streaks, starting with a 9-game winning streak which began with a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Angels on April 19 and ended with an 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park II. The Mariners then had an 8-game winning streak which started with a 10-5 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 9, and it ended with a 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on May 17. The Mariners then went on a historic 15-game winning streak which began with a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, and it ended on June 8 with a 7-1 victory over the San Diego Padres.

In the American League Division Series the Mariners competed in a 5-game battle against the Cleveland Indians. In Game 1 on October 9 at Safeco Field the Indians blanked the Mariners 5-0. Cleveland’s Bartolo Colon pitched 8 innings and gave up 6 hits and 2 walks while recording 10 strikeouts. In the top of the 4th inning right fielder Juan Gonzalez, third baseman Travis Fryman and left fielder Marty Cordova all had RBI singles. In the top of the 6th catcher Einar Diaz had an RBI single, and in the top of the 8th designated hitter Ellis Burks hit a solo home run.

In Game 2 on October 11 the Mariners won 5-1. Jamie Moyer pitched 6 innings and gave up 5 hits, 1 walk and 1 run while recording 4 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 1st inning Mike Cameron and Edgar Martinez both launched 2-run home runs. David Bell then hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 5th. Cordova grounded into a double play to score Burks in the top of the 7th, but Cleveland wouldn’t start a rally.

The Indians then returned home to Jacobs Field for Game 3 on October 13 and decided to pound the Mariners 17-2. The biggest highlights of this rout include the bottom of the 3rd inning when Gonzalez hit a solo home run, Diaz and shortstop Omar Vizquel had RBI singles, and then second baseman Roberto Alomar drew a bases loaded walk to score Diaz. Vizquel came back in the bottom of the 8th to have a 3-run double, and Alomar and Gonzalez followed with RBI doubles.

The Mariners then responded by winning Game 4 on October 14 by the score of 6-2. Gonzalez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 2nd inning. In the top of the 7th Bell had a sacrifice fly, and Ichiro and Mark McLemore both had RBI singles. After Fryman had an RBI ground-out in the bottom of the 7th, Mike Cameron had an RBI double in the top of the 8th, and then Martinez blasted a 2-run home run in the top of the 9th.

In the deciding Game 5 on October 15 at Safeco Field, the Mariners won 3-1. Jamie Moyer pitched 6 innings and gave up 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 run while recording 6 strikeouts. McLemore had a 2-run single in the bottom of the 2nd inning, and after center fielder Kenny Lofton got the Indians on the board with an RBI single in the top of the 3rd, Martinez secured the Seattle victory with an RBI single in the bottom of the 7th.

Unfortunately for the Seattle Mariners, their dreams of winning the World Series championship ended when they fell to the New York Yankees 4 games to 1 in the American League Championship Series. However, the Mariners did provide one last spark of entertainment in their only win of the series, which was in Game 3 on October 20 at Yankee Stadium II, winning by the score of 14-3.

In the bottom of the 1st inning center fielder Bernie Williams put the Yankees on the board first by belting a 2-run home run, but that only woke up Seattle’s offense. In the top of the 5th Bret Boone had a 2-run single. In the top of the 6th John Olerud hit a solo home run, Dan Wilson reached on an error to score Stan Javier, Mark Mclemore had a 3-run triple, and then Boone smacked a 2-run home run. In the top of the 7th David Bell and Boone both had RBI singles, and Bell came back in the top of the 8th to get another RBI single. Designated Hitter David Justice gave the Yankees another run with an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th, but nothing could stop Seattle on this night. In the top of the 9th pinch hitting right fielder Jay Buhner hit a solo home run, and Olerud followed with an RBI single.

The 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game would be held at Seattle’s Safeco Field, and 8 Mariners players made the American League All-Star Team. John Olerud, Bret Boone, Ichiro Suzuki and Edgar Martinez were all starters while Mike Cameron, Freddy Garcia, Jeff Nelson and Kazuhiro Sasaki were all reserves. For doing a great job of guiding the Mariners to 116 wins, Lou Piniella would be named Manager of the Year.