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What happened to that bright future?
ELAINE THOMPSON / AP, 1995
Ken Griffey Jr. and teammates rejoice after the thrilling Game 5 win in the 1995 AL division series.
March 31, 1996: After the miracle of 1995, it seems like anything is possible for the Mariners. And why not? They're loaded with stars — Junior, Edgar, A-Rod, Buhner, Randy. A new ballpark is on the way. The Mariners open the season with a 3-2 win over the White Sox. Life is good.
June 1996: The Mariners pick Gil Meche in the first round of the draft. (Here's the bad news: Meche is the most productive player the team has drafted in the first round the past decade. Hold your applause, please.)
July 30, 1996: Crafty left-hander Jamie Moyer is acquired by the M's, who hope they might squeeze a few more wins out of his old arm.
1996 record: 85-76, second place.
June 1997: First-round draft pick: Ryan Anderson. Oops.
1997 record: 90-72, AL West champions.
1997 playoffs: Mike Mussina beats the Mariners twice, and the Orioles take the best-of-five division series in four games.
June 1998: First-round draft pick: Matt Thornton. Oops.
July 31, 1998: Mariners can't agree to a contract extension with Randy Johnson, and ship him to Houston, where he suddenly remembers how to pitch.
1998 record: 76-85, third place.
June 1999: First-round draft pick: Ryan Christianson. Oops.
June 27, 1999: The final game is played at the Kingdome. Good riddance, you big blob of concrete.
July 15, 1999: The first game is played at sparkly new Safeco Field. Fans enjoy the views of everything except the game, a 3-2 loss to the Padres. Hitters start complaining about the center-field background. Fielders say they can't see pop-ups because of "that big yellow thing in the sky."
1999 record: 79-83, third place.
Feb. 10, 2000: And you thought the Randy Johnson trade was a big deal? Mariners send the most famous athlete in Seattle history, Ken Griffey Jr., to Cincinnati.
June 2000: First draft pick (fourth round): Sam Hays. Oops. Who in the name of Tito Nanni is making these picks?
2000 record: 91-71, second place.
2000 playoffs: Mariners sweep the White Sox, 3-0. Then they run into the hated Yankees, and lose the ALCS in six games.
Nov. 18, 2000: Good news. Mariners sign Ichiro.
Dec. 11, 2000: Bad news. Texas throw $252 million at A-Rod.
Dec. 20, 2000: More good news. Mariners sign Bret Boone.
June 2001: First-round draft pick: Michael Garciaparra. Oops.
July 10, 2001: Eight Mariners play in the All-Star Game on a glorious night at Safeco Field.
Oct. 6, 2001: Mariners set an AL record with their 116th win. This team was so good, Paul Abbott was 17-4. No, really, you can look it up.
2001 record: 116-46, first place.
2001 playoffs: Mariners beat Cleveland in the division series, 3-2, then run into the Yankees again. This time, the New Yorkers take out Mariners in five games.
Dec. 18, 2001: Bald head gleaming, Jay Buhner announces his retirement.
June 2002: First-round draft pick: John Mayberry. Oops.
July 4, 2002: Mariners sign a 16-year-old pitcher from Venezuela named Felix Hernandez.
2002 record: 93-69, third place.
Oct. 28, 2002: Manager Lou Piniella leaves to manage the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, so he can be close to home (and fifth place).
Nov. 15, 2002: The "Bob Melvin Era" begins.
June 2003: First-round draft pick: Adam Jones. Maybe the Mariners finally got one right.
July 29, 2003: Trading deadline? What trading deadline? The Mariners' big deal before the July 31 deadline is to acquire no-hit, fair-field shortstop Rey Sanchez.
2003 record: 93-69, second place.
Nov. 7, 2003: Bill Bavasi is hired as general manager, replacing Pat Gillick.
June 2004: First draft pick (third round): Matt Tuiasosopo. Huskies don't like this pick; we'll see how it works out for the Mariners.
June 27, 2004: Struggling Mariners trade Freddy Garcia to the White Sox.
Oct. 3, 2004: Retiring designated hitter and all-around good guy Edgar Martinez retires, receiving numerous standing ovations from a weepy crowd at Safeco.
2004 record: 63-99, fourth place.
Oct. 4, 2004: Bob Melvin, who never really had a chance with the broken-down team he inherited, is fired.
Oct. 20, 2004: Mike Hargrove, who had a lot of success with the Indians in the '90s, then almost none with the Orioles from 2000-03, is hired as the Mariners' new manager.
Dec. 15, 2004: Mariners sign first baseman Richie Sexson (4 years, $50 million).
Dec. 17, 2004: Mariners sign third baseman Adrian Beltre (5 years, $64 million).
April 4, 2005: Eight Mariners minor-leaguers test positive for steroids, then make the usual excuses about not knowing what was in their supplements.
June 2005: First-round draft pick: Jeff Clement. So far, so good.
Sept. 30, 2005: Dan Wilson catches one inning in his final game. It's official, 1995 is over.
2005 record: 69-93, fourth place.
Dec. 19, 2005: Mariners sign left-hander Jarrod Washburn to a four-year, $37.5 million contract. Washburn is the highest paid of the Mariners' free-agent class, which includes catcher Kenji Johjima, outfielder Matt Lawton and designated hitter Carl Everett.
Monday: The Mariners open the season hoping to avoid a third straight 90-loss season.
Bill Reader
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
ELAINE THOMPSON / AP, 1995
Ken Griffey Jr. and teammates rejoice after the thrilling Game 5 win in the 1995 AL division series.
March 31, 1996: After the miracle of 1995, it seems like anything is possible for the Mariners. And why not? They're loaded with stars — Junior, Edgar, A-Rod, Buhner, Randy. A new ballpark is on the way. The Mariners open the season with a 3-2 win over the White Sox. Life is good.
June 1996: The Mariners pick Gil Meche in the first round of the draft. (Here's the bad news: Meche is the most productive player the team has drafted in the first round the past decade. Hold your applause, please.)
July 30, 1996: Crafty left-hander Jamie Moyer is acquired by the M's, who hope they might squeeze a few more wins out of his old arm.
1996 record: 85-76, second place.
June 1997: First-round draft pick: Ryan Anderson. Oops.
1997 record: 90-72, AL West champions.
1997 playoffs: Mike Mussina beats the Mariners twice, and the Orioles take the best-of-five division series in four games.
June 1998: First-round draft pick: Matt Thornton. Oops.
July 31, 1998: Mariners can't agree to a contract extension with Randy Johnson, and ship him to Houston, where he suddenly remembers how to pitch.
1998 record: 76-85, third place.
June 1999: First-round draft pick: Ryan Christianson. Oops.
June 27, 1999: The final game is played at the Kingdome. Good riddance, you big blob of concrete.
July 15, 1999: The first game is played at sparkly new Safeco Field. Fans enjoy the views of everything except the game, a 3-2 loss to the Padres. Hitters start complaining about the center-field background. Fielders say they can't see pop-ups because of "that big yellow thing in the sky."
1999 record: 79-83, third place.
Feb. 10, 2000: And you thought the Randy Johnson trade was a big deal? Mariners send the most famous athlete in Seattle history, Ken Griffey Jr., to Cincinnati.
June 2000: First draft pick (fourth round): Sam Hays. Oops. Who in the name of Tito Nanni is making these picks?
2000 record: 91-71, second place.
2000 playoffs: Mariners sweep the White Sox, 3-0. Then they run into the hated Yankees, and lose the ALCS in six games.
Nov. 18, 2000: Good news. Mariners sign Ichiro.
Dec. 11, 2000: Bad news. Texas throw $252 million at A-Rod.
Dec. 20, 2000: More good news. Mariners sign Bret Boone.
June 2001: First-round draft pick: Michael Garciaparra. Oops.
July 10, 2001: Eight Mariners play in the All-Star Game on a glorious night at Safeco Field.
Oct. 6, 2001: Mariners set an AL record with their 116th win. This team was so good, Paul Abbott was 17-4. No, really, you can look it up.
2001 record: 116-46, first place.
2001 playoffs: Mariners beat Cleveland in the division series, 3-2, then run into the Yankees again. This time, the New Yorkers take out Mariners in five games.
Dec. 18, 2001: Bald head gleaming, Jay Buhner announces his retirement.
June 2002: First-round draft pick: John Mayberry. Oops.
July 4, 2002: Mariners sign a 16-year-old pitcher from Venezuela named Felix Hernandez.
2002 record: 93-69, third place.
Oct. 28, 2002: Manager Lou Piniella leaves to manage the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, so he can be close to home (and fifth place).
Nov. 15, 2002: The "Bob Melvin Era" begins.
June 2003: First-round draft pick: Adam Jones. Maybe the Mariners finally got one right.
July 29, 2003: Trading deadline? What trading deadline? The Mariners' big deal before the July 31 deadline is to acquire no-hit, fair-field shortstop Rey Sanchez.
2003 record: 93-69, second place.
Nov. 7, 2003: Bill Bavasi is hired as general manager, replacing Pat Gillick.
June 2004: First draft pick (third round): Matt Tuiasosopo. Huskies don't like this pick; we'll see how it works out for the Mariners.
June 27, 2004: Struggling Mariners trade Freddy Garcia to the White Sox.
Oct. 3, 2004: Retiring designated hitter and all-around good guy Edgar Martinez retires, receiving numerous standing ovations from a weepy crowd at Safeco.
2004 record: 63-99, fourth place.
Oct. 4, 2004: Bob Melvin, who never really had a chance with the broken-down team he inherited, is fired.
Oct. 20, 2004: Mike Hargrove, who had a lot of success with the Indians in the '90s, then almost none with the Orioles from 2000-03, is hired as the Mariners' new manager.
Dec. 15, 2004: Mariners sign first baseman Richie Sexson (4 years, $50 million).
Dec. 17, 2004: Mariners sign third baseman Adrian Beltre (5 years, $64 million).
April 4, 2005: Eight Mariners minor-leaguers test positive for steroids, then make the usual excuses about not knowing what was in their supplements.
June 2005: First-round draft pick: Jeff Clement. So far, so good.
Sept. 30, 2005: Dan Wilson catches one inning in his final game. It's official, 1995 is over.
2005 record: 69-93, fourth place.
Dec. 19, 2005: Mariners sign left-hander Jarrod Washburn to a four-year, $37.5 million contract. Washburn is the highest paid of the Mariners' free-agent class, which includes catcher Kenji Johjima, outfielder Matt Lawton and designated hitter Carl Everett.
Monday: The Mariners open the season hoping to avoid a third straight 90-loss season.
Bill Reader
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
