Give Piniella Credit For Mariners’ Turnaround
In just two short years, words that had never been spoken in September at the Kingdome - words like “pennant race” and “playoffs” - have become commonplace.
The performances of All-Stars Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Jay Buhner and Edgar Martinez helped turn the franchise around, but ironically, all four have played for the Mariners since 1989 or before.
The best explanation for the Mariners’ recent reversal of fortune might be found not on the field, but in the dugout, for the rise of baseball in Seattle has coincided with the tenure of Lou Piniella as manager.
Before Piniella arrived in 1993 the Mariners had experienced only one winning season in their first 16. Since then he has added three more, including a winning 1996 season that was clinched with a 12-2 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
“After Lou got here, a winning attitude started developing and rubbing off on the players,” Martinez said.
The winning attitude has also rubbed off on the fans.
In the pre-Piniella era, the Mariners averaged more than 22,000 fans a game only once, but have done so every year since he arrived. This season, attendance records at the Kingdome have been shattered.
“Who would’ve thought this team would draw 2.7 million fans for major-league baseball?” Piniella asked.
It would have been thought impossible four years ago. Now it seems passe.
The crowd of 56,535 in attendance Friday night watched the Mariners win their ninth straight game.
“This nine-game win streak is coming at the right time,” Piniella said. “Let’s hope we can add to it.”
The Mariners also have crept within one-half game of Baltimore in the wild-card race.
“We have confidence now that we can win the big games down the stretch because we’ve done it before,” Martinez said.
Last year the Mariners staged the third-greatest comeback in the history of baseball, rallying from 13 games behind California on Aug. 3 to win the division in a one-game playoff.
On Friday, Griffey hit his careerhigh 46th home run and Buhner hit his career-high 42nd.
After Oakland cut Seattle’s early three-run lead to 3-2, the Mariners put the Athletics away with a five-run third inning.
The Mariners watched in the clubhouse as Texas took a 5-4 lead in the 10th against California, then celebrated when the Angels rallied in the bottom of the 10th on Garret Anderson’s two-run double with two outs.
M’s win flip
The Texas Rangers lost to Seattle again Friday, and the teams weren’t even playing each other.
Seattle, which finished a four-game sweep of Texas on Thursday, won a coin flip to be host of a playoff game in the event of a tie for the AL West lead at the end of the regular season.
The Mariners, who might have to play a makeup game at Cleveland on Sept. 30, would be host for the playoff on Oct. 1. The time of the game hasn’t been determined; ESPN would televise.
The first round of the AL playoffs is scheduled to start Oct. 1, but one series would have to be delayed in the event of an A.L. West playoff.