All-Time Mariners Team Since 1995
This is what I do on a Sunday when I'm bored out of my mind. I make up pointless hypothetical lists.
The only rules here are: I'm not doing a true all-time team because I didn't start watching the M's until '95. Also, you can't count any of the players' numbers from before they joined the team, but you can count what they did after they left, since it was management's fault they left in the first place (for the most part). Still, I'm trying to give more creedence to their stats while ON the team.
OK. So the starting outfield is going to look like this:
Ichiro in left
Ken Griffey Jr. in center
Jay Buhner in right (since I figure he had the better arm)
Infield:
3rd Base - Adrian Beltre
Short Stop - Alex Rodriguez
2nd Base - Bret Boone
1st Base - Tino Martinez
Catcher - Dan Wilson
You wouldn't believe the crap we've had at 3rd over the years. It was between Beltre, Mike Blowers, Russ Davis, and David Bell. I picked Beltre because while his numbers at the plate might not be as good, he's the best defensive 3rd baseman we've had, and he still has some pop at the plate. 1st Base was a little tougher, because we also had John Olerud, David Segui, and the very underrated Paul Sorrento. I went for clutchness. Tino's my man. Never should've let him go.
Now, the starting rotation. This is kinda tough, since our rotations over the last 13 years have been spotty at best.
1 - Randy Johnson
2 - Freddy Garcia
3 - Jamie Moyer
4 - Chris Bosio
5 - Felix Hernandez
Moyer, obviously, is our second-best starter in this period, but I'm splitting him and Randy up so we don't have two lefties going back-to-back. I think, when all is said and done, Felix and Freddy will swap places in that order, but for now, the performances don't really bear out. Bosio threw one of the team's two no-hitters, so eff-off. He's a horse from the old school, a fine number 4.
The bullpen was even tougher, since we never really had a good one until very recently. Nevertheless, over the years, enough studs have stood out.
Closer - Norm Charlton
8th Inning Set Up 1 - Mike Jackson
8th Inning Set Up 2 - Jeff Nelson
7th Inning Relief - Shigetoshi Hasegawa
Lefty - Arthur Rhodes
Long Relief - Paul Abbott
(Optional second Long Reliever) - Rafael Carmona
I can't, with good conscience, have J.J. Putz as our closer until he finds a way to regain his form from last year and hang onto it for a few more seasons. Jose Mesa was a bum, as was Heathcliff Slocumb, Kaz Sasaki, and Eddie Guardado. I'll take Norm in his prime anyday. Should we need another long-reliever sometime in the season, I'm calling up Rafael Carmona, because he was an awesome reliever in the late 90s.
Bench:
Designated Hitter - Edgar Martinez
Backup Catcher - John Marzano
First Base - John Olerud
Outfield/Pinch Runner - Charles Gipson
Outfield/Infield - Mark McLemore
(26th Man, Outfielder/Pinch Hitter) - Raul Ibanez
Edgar is too obvious to even mention. I'd always want Marzano backing us up and helping kick some ass during brawls. Olerud would be the first pinch hitter off the bench when we needed a clutch hit vs. a right-handed reliever. Charles Gipson is Willie Bloomquist only faster and with a better arm, in the off chance we needed a defensive replacement in an outfield with outstanding arms. McLemore can play any position, he can pinch run, he could probably even pitch a couple innings of mop-up relief. That guy's certified badass. And Raul is just a good hitter to have around. Him and Rafael Carmona would switch between Seattle and Tacoma, depending on if our bullpen got tired or not.
Now, onto the batting order:
1. Ichiro
2. A-Rod
3. Griffey
4. Edgar
5. Buhner
6. Tino
7. Boone
8. Beltre
9. Wilson
How about THAT, huh? Wouldn't you like to see THAT team kick some major tail? I know I would.
P.S. I tried, I REALLY tried to withhold Arthur Rhodes from my bullpen, but dammit, there just haven't been any good lefties down there! I couldn't, in good conscience, put George Sherrill in there (unless, that is, he goes on to dominate in Baltimore for years to come).
Other Honorable Mentions:
Bob Wells, long reliever
Mike Timlin, 8th Inning Set-Up
J.J. Putz, 8th Inning Set-Up
Willie Bloomquist - bench player
Stan Javier - bench player
Bucky Jacobson - mascot
The only rules here are: I'm not doing a true all-time team because I didn't start watching the M's until '95. Also, you can't count any of the players' numbers from before they joined the team, but you can count what they did after they left, since it was management's fault they left in the first place (for the most part). Still, I'm trying to give more creedence to their stats while ON the team.
OK. So the starting outfield is going to look like this:
Ichiro in left
Ken Griffey Jr. in center
Jay Buhner in right (since I figure he had the better arm)
Infield:
3rd Base - Adrian Beltre
Short Stop - Alex Rodriguez
2nd Base - Bret Boone
1st Base - Tino Martinez
Catcher - Dan Wilson
You wouldn't believe the crap we've had at 3rd over the years. It was between Beltre, Mike Blowers, Russ Davis, and David Bell. I picked Beltre because while his numbers at the plate might not be as good, he's the best defensive 3rd baseman we've had, and he still has some pop at the plate. 1st Base was a little tougher, because we also had John Olerud, David Segui, and the very underrated Paul Sorrento. I went for clutchness. Tino's my man. Never should've let him go.
Now, the starting rotation. This is kinda tough, since our rotations over the last 13 years have been spotty at best.
1 - Randy Johnson
2 - Freddy Garcia
3 - Jamie Moyer
4 - Chris Bosio
5 - Felix Hernandez
Moyer, obviously, is our second-best starter in this period, but I'm splitting him and Randy up so we don't have two lefties going back-to-back. I think, when all is said and done, Felix and Freddy will swap places in that order, but for now, the performances don't really bear out. Bosio threw one of the team's two no-hitters, so eff-off. He's a horse from the old school, a fine number 4.
The bullpen was even tougher, since we never really had a good one until very recently. Nevertheless, over the years, enough studs have stood out.
Closer - Norm Charlton
8th Inning Set Up 1 - Mike Jackson
8th Inning Set Up 2 - Jeff Nelson
7th Inning Relief - Shigetoshi Hasegawa
Lefty - Arthur Rhodes
Long Relief - Paul Abbott
(Optional second Long Reliever) - Rafael Carmona
I can't, with good conscience, have J.J. Putz as our closer until he finds a way to regain his form from last year and hang onto it for a few more seasons. Jose Mesa was a bum, as was Heathcliff Slocumb, Kaz Sasaki, and Eddie Guardado. I'll take Norm in his prime anyday. Should we need another long-reliever sometime in the season, I'm calling up Rafael Carmona, because he was an awesome reliever in the late 90s.
Bench:
Designated Hitter - Edgar Martinez
Backup Catcher - John Marzano
First Base - John Olerud
Outfield/Pinch Runner - Charles Gipson
Outfield/Infield - Mark McLemore
(26th Man, Outfielder/Pinch Hitter) - Raul Ibanez
Edgar is too obvious to even mention. I'd always want Marzano backing us up and helping kick some ass during brawls. Olerud would be the first pinch hitter off the bench when we needed a clutch hit vs. a right-handed reliever. Charles Gipson is Willie Bloomquist only faster and with a better arm, in the off chance we needed a defensive replacement in an outfield with outstanding arms. McLemore can play any position, he can pinch run, he could probably even pitch a couple innings of mop-up relief. That guy's certified badass. And Raul is just a good hitter to have around. Him and Rafael Carmona would switch between Seattle and Tacoma, depending on if our bullpen got tired or not.
Now, onto the batting order:
1. Ichiro
2. A-Rod
3. Griffey
4. Edgar
5. Buhner
6. Tino
7. Boone
8. Beltre
9. Wilson
How about THAT, huh? Wouldn't you like to see THAT team kick some major tail? I know I would.
P.S. I tried, I REALLY tried to withhold Arthur Rhodes from my bullpen, but dammit, there just haven't been any good lefties down there! I couldn't, in good conscience, put George Sherrill in there (unless, that is, he goes on to dominate in Baltimore for years to come).
Other Honorable Mentions:
Bob Wells, long reliever
Mike Timlin, 8th Inning Set-Up
J.J. Putz, 8th Inning Set-Up
Willie Bloomquist - bench player
Stan Javier - bench player
Bucky Jacobson - mascot
