The Sad Truth of the 1997 Seattle Mariners

If the 1995 Mariners were the most fulfilling Seattle sports team of the '90s, then the 1997 Mariners were the most disappointing, by far. In all honesty, the 1995 Mariners were inexperienced when it came to postseason play. But for this '97 Mariners team, there was just NO EXCUSE for failure. The whole sports world was picking the Mariners to finally win their first World Series in their 20th season of existence and I do mean everyone, from Keith Olbermann to Derek Jeter. This Mariners team had Ken Griffey Jr., by far the best baseball player of the 1990s, the best left-handed pitcher in baseball in Randy Johnson and they had a 22 year old shortstop named Alex Rodriguez, who was just oozing with potential. The Mariners, offensively, hit 264 homeruns. But what this team didn't have was a good pitching staff, aside from Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer and, believe it or not, Jeff Fassero. In 1997, the Seattle Mariners won 90 games but they blew 27 games during the regular season, even if they win 15 of those, they win 105 games and have the best record in baseball. Manager Lou Piniella finally blew his lid (What's new?) in July after relief pitcher Bobby Ayala blew a nine run lead in Oakland against the Athletics. On July 31st, the Mariners made a trade they would ultimately regret: They sent first-year relief pitcher Derek Lowe & catcher Jason Varitek to Boston for pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb (Lowe and Varitek would, of course, be members of the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship team). Slocumb, believe it or not, helped out as best he could. But he, along with Mike Timlin and Paul Spoljaric, who were also acquired in another highly controversial trade for Jose Cruz, Jr. (a.k.a. Griffey's Protégé) raised Lou's blood pressure several thousand notches each game by leaving opposing runners on base. The Mariners did make the playoffs in 1997, but they did not win the World Series, in fact they won only one playoff game (Game 3 of the Division Series in Baltimore against the Orioles, thanks to Jeff Fassero which is a phrase you do not hear that often), but Slocumb nearly blew that one too! The Mariners were eliminated from the playoffs the very next afternoon. We had one shot to change the irritating perception that Seattle was not a baseball town and we blew it... and by "we", I mean the clown car of Heathcliff Slocumb, Bobby Ayala, Bob Wells, Paul Spoljaric, Mike Timlin & a past-his-prime Norm Charlton, who later said "It's our [the bullpen's] fault that Varitek and Lowe were traded." That was the best shot the Mariners had, as they traded Randy Johnson & Ken Griffey Jr. to Houston & Cincinnati, respectively, and Alex Rodriguez left to go bankrupt the Texas Rangers & tarnish his legacy by using steroids.