|
 For 162 games, the Mariners played baseball better than any team since the Roosevelt administration. They spent every day of the season in first place, set records like it was going out of style and looked virtually untouchable. Unfortunately, they will be remembered for not winning the World Series -- not for winning the most games in April. October is when the Mariners' magic disappeared, and now, all their records are nothing more than numbers, nice conversation pieces. Instead of going down in history as one of the greatest teams ever, the 2001 Mariners will go down as just another good team. One hundred and 16 wins … so what?
Best Pitcher: Freddy Garcia won 18 games and led the American League with a 3.05 ERA. He will be the anchor of Seattle's staff for many years to come, but where would the Mariners have been without Jamie Moyer? The veteran hurler (20-6, 3.43) got better as the season progressed, going 11-2 with a 2.22 ERA after the All-Star break to become the only Mariners starter to win 20 games and the oldest major leaguer, at 38, to reach the 20-win plateau for the first time. In the postseason, he was money, one of the few Mariners who actually saved his best for last, going 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA. Solid and dependable, Moyer will be relied on heavily in 2002.
Best Position Player: Ichiro-Ichiro-Ichiro. Better than advertised, the Japanese import took the baseball world by storm. Ichiro Suzuki hit .350 to add the AL batting title to the seven he won in Japan -- only the second rookie to win that crown (Tony Oliva of Minnesota in 1964 was the other). He ended the season with 242 hits -- the most in the majors since Bill Terry's 254 in 1930 -- and hit safely in 135 games, matching Rogers Hornsby (1922), Chuck Klein (1930), Wade Boggs (1985) and Derek Jeter (1999) for the major league record. With 56 base swipes, he became the first player since Jackie Robinson (1949) to lead the majors in hitting and steals. He also scored 127 runs and patrolled right field like Roberto Clemente. No slight to second baseman Bret Boone (.331, 41, 137), who also had a great season, but this was the Year of Ichiro.
Grading The Manager: A. Back in spring training, most experts picked Seattle to finish second or third in the AL West. The recent departures of A-Rod, Junior and the Big Unit had left Lou Piniella without a superstar, and though they would be a decent club, nothing like the 2000 team that went to the ALCS, said the prognosticators. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Seattle went 20-5 in the first month of the season and never looked back. Piniella did a masterful job molding the Mariners into a true team by finding a way to get key contributions from every player on the roster. Playing fundamentally sound "small ball," Seattle set an AL record of 59 road wins and won or tied an MLB-best 29 consecutive road series (last five of 2000 and first 24 of 2001). Along the historical journey, Piniella also achieved some milestones of his own, winning his 700th game with the M's and his 1,200th game as a manager. Sweet Lou may have mellowed in recent years, but his bold ALCS guarantee that there would be a Game 6 in Seattle -- while not coming true -- showed his passion for the game is still as fiery as ever.
Most Improved: Arthur Rhodes in a landslide. The lefty went from being regulary lit up to simply lights out. In 2000, Rhodes had a 4.28 ERA, yielding 34 runs in 69.1 innings. In 2001, he led AL relievers with a 1.72 ERA, allowing just 14 runs in 68.0 innings, and limiting opposing hitters to a .189 batting average. It's a shame the lasting image of his season is Bernie Williams' eighth-inning, game-tying home run in Game 4 of the ALCS. The hit off Rhodes effectively took the wind out of the Mariners' sails and deflated any hope of a comeback in the series, but up until that point, the set-up man was a shining star in Seattle's vaunted bullpen.
|
M's 2000-01 comparison
|
|
|
2000
|
2001
|
|
W-L
|
91-71
|
116-46
|
|
HR leader
|
A-Rod, 41
|
Boone, 37
|
|
BA leader
|
Edgar, .324
|
Ichiro, .350
|
|
ERA
|
Meche, 3.78
|
Garcia, 3.05
|
Biggest Weakness: The Mariners need another proven hitter with some power to play left field. GM Pat Gillick held off on adding an extra bat during the season because he didn't want to mess with a good thing. In the playoffs, the position-by-committee approach in left was ineffective. Stan Javier, Jay Buhner and Ichiro (for the final game of the ALCS) went 6-for-32 (.188) at the plate. Then again, nobody hit in the playoffs. The M's mustered just a .228 average and 3.8 runs a game after posting a .288 average and 5.7 runs a game during the regular season. Seattle needs another big bat, capable of consistently driving in runs and going yard. How about Juan Gonzalez -- if the price is right? The club should also consider an offensive upgrade at third. Although David Bell's glovework is some of the best in the business, his bat sometimes is a liability. The Mariners have a solid foundation to be good for several years, but there's a difference between being good and being great.
Gaining Momentum: Cam do. Centerfielder Mike Cameron is one of the most underrated players in the game today. He made his first All-Star appearance this season, but it certainly won't be his last. While he needs to cut down on his strikeouts (155), he hit a respectable .267, clubbed 25 home runs, drove in 110 runs and stole 34 bases. With amazing grace and speed in the field, and a knack for making the spectacular look routine, he has exceeded expectations in filling the void left by his predecessor. What was his name again?
Kicked Off The Island: So long, Aaron Sele. The free agent is not likely to be re-signed, and if the Mariners want to knock the Yankees off their perch anytime soon, that's a good idea. Although Sele went 32-15 with a 4.05 ERA over the last two seasons in Seattle, his career postseason record is 0-6, and he has lost a playoff game to the proud pinstripes for four years running now. That's just one of many expected changes on a staff that saw its league-leading 3.54 ERA ballon to 4.53 in the playoffs. Seattle leaned heavily on the free agent market in Pat Gillick's first two seasons. This winter, the organization will likely trade for most of its needs and use the market secondarily. LHP John Halama and RHPs Jose Paniagua and Brett Tomko also might be wearing different uniforms next season as the rotation gets younger, relying more on right-handers Joel Pineiro and Denny Stark, as well as right-hander Gil Meche and left-hander Ryan Anderson, who both missed the 2001 season with injuries.
Eric Ortiz is an assistant editor at ESPN.com.
| |
|
