Lookout Landing

Johjima's first hit in the majors

The HR of Bartolo Colon

Trent - December 9, 2006 reply

That was pretty sweet...

Career-Outlying Moments

Gil Meche, Yankee Stadium, 2003.

Getting back to optimism, that Mark Lowe moment was pure magic. Here was this debuting guy that even the "serious" fans knew little about, thrust into the ultimate pressure situation by Grover and he strikes out a modern-day Yankee legend in the filthiest possible way. From that moment on we were all hooked on the Mark Lowe show.

Alex B - December 9, 2006 reply

I would have a difficult time

choosing between Putz striking out Bonds on the splitter and Mark Lowe's debut, but I think I might take Mark Lowe. I didn't see that coming, and his stuff just looked pure filthy.

It's just sad that his career might be over. His time in the majors was just so magical.

MT - December 9, 2006 reply

Spot on: it really is sad

He was not only a talented guy, but also one that worked so hard on refining his craft and learning to pitch, not just throw: a great example to all the "live arms" out there. I just hope he doesn't end up being the bright star that burned all too briefly.

Heh, Mark Lowe reminiscing has just made me remember his first game against Oakland when he hit 101mph on the gun, sending an entire blogging population's jaws crashing to the floor over at Athletics Nation. Sweet.

Alex B - December 9, 2006 reply

Soriano's debut

I'll take Rafael Soriano's major league debut as his real defining moment. Derek and I were at this game and I'll never forget how unbelievable he looked.

Top of the 7th, Red Sox Batting, Behind 2-6, Rafael Soriano facing 9-1-2
Rafael Soriano replaces Joel Pineiro pitching
O --- 2 R Sanchez Flyball: CF (CF)
O --- 2 J Damon Groundout: P-1B
O --- 6 S Hillenbrand Strikeout Swinging

Top of the 8th, Red Sox Batting, Behind 2-7, Rafael Soriano facing 3-4-5
O --- 1 N Garciaparra Foul Flyball: C
--- 2 M Ramirez Double to LF
O -2- 3 B Daubach Flyball: RF (RF)
O -2- 4 T Clark Foul Flyball: 1B

Top of the 9th, Red Sox Batting, Behind 2-7, Rafael Soriano facing 7-8-9
--- 5 T Nixon Single to RF
OO 1-- 3 J Varitek Ground Ball Double Play: 2B-SS-1B
O --- 3 R Sanchez Groundout: SS-1B

davidcameron - December 9, 2006 reply

Bob Wolcott

Walks the first three batters in game 1 of the 1995 ALCS, then strikes out Albert Belle, gets Eddie Murray to pop up, and, though Jim Thome crushes the ball, Joey Cora makes a diving stop and throws him out at first, and Walcott escapes unscathed. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

Guess that one didn't really pan out, though (neither Walcott nor the series).

david h - December 9, 2006 reply

Watching Tino

Mash for Calgary whenever they came to Tacoma to play the Tigers....Not only could he mash, he was quality, taking time to sign kids autographs after the game. I still have two of minor league cards that say Edgar Martinez and have Tino's picture on them.

Dollar97 - December 9, 2006 reply

Felix's home debut (1-0 win vs. Twins)

Far and away the best game I've ever been to. The only other one that sort of sticks out in my head is Game 5 of the 2000 ALCS, otherwise known as the last game played at Safeco where A-Rod wasn't booed.

Trev - December 9, 2006 reply

I was at the Twins game too.

Most fun I ever had at a ballgame. Heh, I was even Captain Plastic that night, and after he got Nick Punto to ground out, I swear that he pointed right at me.

Robert - December 9, 2006 reply

Wait a minute

You got to be Captain Plastic?

Yea

Maybe a dozen times during each of the 04-06 seasons. It was pretty much the greatest job ever.

Robert - December 10, 2006 reply

Ron Wright

April 14, 2002. 0-3, hits into triple play.

Never heard from again.

Paytheline - December 9, 2006 reply

That was hilarious..

DIdn't he also hit into a double play in that game too?

Colby In Boston - December 9, 2006 reply

Ron Wright's Debut:

1st PA: Strikeout looking.
2nd PA: Triple play (1-6-2-5-1-4)
3rd PA: Double play (6-4-3)

Only three ABs of his MLB career. Averaged 2 outs/PA, probably the record of anyone with more than 1 PA.

Trev - December 9, 2006 reply

Greg Dobbs

homers in fisrt ever AB.

We can hate on Dobbs all we want..but that had to be an awesome feeling for him.

Mike Cameron

I was actually at that Yankee game where he robbed Jeter in front of the Eddie Bauer sign (I was on a first date too), but one game I distinctly remember was when he scored the winning run in extra innings against the Royals.

Cameron was out pretty obviously, but was called safe. KC's catcher (Gregg Zaun) blocked the plate effectively but the umpire (Marvin Hudson) missed the call and called Cameron safe.

Ricky Botallico went crazy and was chewing Hudson out all the way down the umpire's tunnel. Awesome moment. Here's the link to Retrosheet.

Colby In Boston - December 9, 2006 reply

one more..Bobby Mads

His dominance over the Red Sox at Safeco was a good one.
I think 8 shutout innings.

Or his complete game in Oakland. That game was a big reason the A's didnt make it to the playoffs. Plus I remember a Mariner getting hit (I think Ichiro actually) and Mads was ready to storm out of the dugout and throw down.

Unfortunalty Melvin had him throw about 1,000 pitches in those starts.

The one I really remember

was the game on 8/5 in Tampa Bay - he had his dad and brother going crazy in the stands... good stuff.
8 IP, 1R, tense pitching duel with Jorge Sosa, and then the M's won it in extras.
In all honesty, not as impressive as the win over Boston, but it was about a month earlier, and really made an impression on me.

Ron Villone

Soon after he got called up in 1995 (before he was dealt for Andy Benes at the deadline), he came in to a game, I think it was against the Angels, and struck out 7 in 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief.

That was special.

It was

June 12, against KC.

His line:

3.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 Ks, and a loss.

I love the unholy alliance of baseball-reference and retrosheet.

abelard - December 9, 2006 reply

And how about Bucky Jacobsen

Hitting that cannonshot walkoff blast to dead center against Justin Douche-erer of the A's?

oh yeah..that was a good one

Im pretty sure that was Mads MLB debut as well.

Blackley also pitched in that one.

Griffey

HR in first at-bat in the Dome. Opposite field shot. I was at that game. My first true baseball hero.

BaltimoreMarinersFan - December 9, 2006 reply

First MLB game

Griffey's first MLB at-bat in oakland, just crushing a ball for a double - was that off Dave Stewart?

By the time he hit that homer in his first home AB, it was almost expected...
I've still got my Griffey Jr. candy bar.

Mads

all of his starts where he looked like he was gonna kill someone, nobody shows fire like that on the M's

dust - December 9, 2006 reply

Ichrio

That throw was nice and all but my defining moment for him was the game winning homer against the Rangers in Arlington, 4th game of the season. It was in extra innings and when he stepped up to the plate I could just feel that he was going to try and go deep. Then he did. I had goose bumps for a week. It was then I knew that he was a magician who could do anything he wanted at the plate.

tkjinak - December 9, 2006 reply

Beltre

Walkoff blast on 8/22/06 vs the Yankees, taking a dumb swing at an eye-level pitch and going walkoff yard.

Says it all about Beltre, really.

I was at that one

It was just awesome, being the first time seeing the Yankees play in person, it was just sweet.

Emerald - December 9, 2006 reply

Ichiro

Of course, I'll always remember The Throw.

What I remember most vividly though, is from opening day 2001. I had a digital cam and was taking photos of Ichiro in his first AB, it was great. Unfortunately, those were eventually lost. :(

Anyway, he didn't start off in the best way, I think he was 0-3 at one point. After that he picked up a hit in the 7th to aid a rally for the M's. In the 8th inning tied 4-4 with the A's, Guillen was on first and Ichiro laid down The. Perfect. Bunt. Mecir somehow thought he was going to get him, which he wasn't, and ended up throwing it away to put Guillen on third and Ichiro on second. Olerud eventually hit a sac fly and we won 5-4, but the bunt, while I was sitting right next to first base, is what I'll always remember.

That team wasn't expected to do much of anything, but that was the beginning of something special, for Ichiro and the M's.

Josh @ Lookout Landing - December 9, 2006 reply

An odd one

but the Petagine pinch hit HR of a K-Rod slider

So much optimisim at the time

Scruffy Lefty - December 9, 2006 reply

No Kidding...

What could've been with RP...

Oh, I caught that one, too:

I was listening at work

and Dave got excited when Petagine swung at that pitch. He said, "PETAGINE SWINGS AND THIS BALL IS CRUSHED!" I had never heard him say anything other than SWUNG ON AND BELTED so it must've been a special shot.

Damn, this org really missed the boat with Petagine. I think he had what it took to be the guy at DH.

My three moments:

Saw Ichiro's second game in Toronto. His first AB, he got an "I-CHI-RO" chant. Went 4 for 6 with a double and a triple. Also stole third.

Felix: His first start in Toronto on Sep. 21st. Went 7.1 innings, only gave up two hits (and both were soft hits), struck out 6.

Richie: I'll let retrosheet do the work:

"Mariners behind 3-4, Miguel Batista replaces Justin Speier pitching; Greg Dobbs pinch hits for Yorvit Torrealba batting 9th"

Dobbs singled to CF (Bubela pinch runs)
Ichiro bunt singled to pitcher.
Santiago pinch hit for Betancourt, sac bunted.
Ibanez intentionally walked (Gibbons, you fool)
Sexson homered to RF; Bubela scores; Ichiro scores; Ibanez scores.

As I started to leave the Skydome, an usher was loudly complaining about Miguel Batista's ability to close out games. At that point, I lost all faith in Miggy, even if he did like to quote Augustine in post-game interviews.

abelard - December 9, 2006 reply

I listened to that game on the radio

Niehaus noted that Batista looked like he didn't want to be out there. Guess he didn't.

Betancourt's home debut

was not the same as Felix's home debut. I was at both of them, and remember Betancourt's -- it was Stitch'n'Pitch Night 2005. He did triple in his first at-bat, though, and that was a pretty defining moment.. "hey, is that the new kid from Cuba? HOLY SHIT! LOOK AT THOSE WHEELS!"

Deanna - December 9, 2006 reply

Carlos Guillen

Bunt against the White Sox in the playoffs.

What else is there to say?

JOlderdude - December 9, 2006 reply

Two for Junior

Rookie year against the Tigers, runners on first and second (Lou Whitaker on 2b) nobody out. Lance Parrish hits a ball to the warning track in deep left center at the Kingdome. Whitaker tags up to run to third. The generally accepted correct play is to throw to 2b to keep the dp in order. Not content with that Junior throws out Whitaker at 3b by ten feet, tagged out just as he got to the cutout. Whitaker stops and stares at Junior for five seconds and walks off field shaking head, the backend of an unconventional double play.

A couple of years later at the Kingdome he runs up the pads on the lf wall at the Kingtome to catch a ball headed out of the park. His cleats leave track on pads as he rips the covers. Have never seen anybody do anything remotely like it, before or since.

Simply, the greatest Mariner ever.

TerryBenish - December 9, 2006 reply

Obviously

Who the hell can EVER forget the game winning double against the Yankees by 'Gar or the grand slam he hit the night before. As a junior in high school sitting in that electric Kingdome both nights, I'll NEVER forget the feeling I had hoping the 3rd deck didnt collapse down on us in the 2nd deck.

tkballer22 - December 9, 2006 reply

Willie deserves

credit at least for that game winning hit last season to end the loosing streak with the A's. I never imagined I would be so happy about something Willie did.

Emerald - December 9, 2006 reply

Nah

His is that one game against the Devil Rays where we won like 14-2 or something.

I was at that game

One of the last games I went to, ironically. Haven't had time the last few years.

Amazing how one of my only first-hand impressions of him can be good and I can still dislike him so much as a player.

Josh @ Lookout Landing - December 9, 2006 reply

I hafta go with that one too

Deanna and I were at that game. I couldn't believe Willie actually came through like that. Still can't.

Leone

His upper deck home run to left in 2004. don't remember who it was against. Edgar's for me would be the double.

He had two of those.

I was going to mention them, but I didn't watch Leone go deep and instantly think that he was going to turn into a hell of a player. I just thought, "hey, cool."

Jeff Sullivan - December 9, 2006 reply

Well

Bucky Jacobsen and Greg Dobbs were mentioned, so I figured, what the hell.

I think it was against cleveland

off Lee if im not mistaken. I think we lost like 17-4 and the benches cleared late.

Another Blackley start

Chris Snelling

Hitting those two bombs off of Jered Weaver on August 29th at a time when nobody in baseball could touch him. The bat speed he showed was scary.

I'll always remember Weaver's quote after that game.

"Yeah they hit me pretty hard out there, and I think Snelling won the home run derby."

Goose - December 9, 2006 reply

soriano

Soriano/Garciaparra may be the best post-2001 moment for the Seattle Mariners. I think that was the last vestige of possible playoff contenderness. We were all starting to feel the pinch of the team leveling off after the 42-19 start. They were 51-50 for the rest of that 2003 season.

Frankie Rodriguez' defining moment as a Mariner had to be his role in a certain Yankees/Mariners game back in 1999. Oh, what a night. I was so focused on the inter-bench banter and the brawls that night, I forgot he threw four innings of shutout ball in relief.

wackomann - December 9, 2006 reply

Brett Hinchliffe

Youll remember him as the Mariners 5th starter from the begining of the 1999 season. Or better yet, as Nomars personal punching bag. He gave up 10 homeruns in 30.2 innings in 99'. I think 3 or 4 were Nomars.

jamesy - December 9, 2006 reply

This thread makes me sad.

Imagine this team if Bucky never got hurt, Mads never got hurt, and Lowe never got hurt, and we never traded Soriano.

This reflection just depresses me. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to remember it, but it still just makes me a little sad.

Corco - December 9, 2006 reply

Two more: Ben Davis and Stan Javier.

Javier was a good player, Davis was bad, but they had two pretty good moments in M's history.

Javiers was his amazing catch where he went over the wall to tip the ball back into the field, and caught it while falling to the grass.

Davis was when he ramshacked the Oakland catcher at the end of the futile 02' pennat race (or 03?). It was down in Oakland and Big Ben just mauled the backstop, probably Ramon Hernandez. I dont remember the game but it was at the end of the year, in about the 8th inning.

jamesy - December 9, 2006 reply

I remember that Javier catch.

Man, it was nice having him and McLemore around.

Jeff Sullivan - December 9, 2006 reply

Was it just me

or did anyone else have a significant mancrush on Saloman Torres when he came up in '95?

I don't even remember if he put together any legitimately great games, but he was always so close to having dominant stuff. Or at least that's how it seemed to me.

Yep

And he did more than just show off the occasional nasty slider.
He had a complete game, 2-hit shutout of Minnesota in 1996; I was in college out of the area then, so I didn't see the game. But I caught the highlights on sportscenter and I remember telling my friends that he'd be in the top 10 in Cy Young voting by 1999.

Bearskin Rugburn - December 9, 2006 reply

August 15th, 2005.

Felix against Kansas City.

However, I already knew Felix was a superb talent, so I remember that day more for Yuni's ground ball drills, as it was the first time I'd watched him play live. He moved so much more fluidly than anyone I've ever seen, it was unreal.

Graham MacAree - December 9, 2006 reply

Comeback

Torres made one of the greatest and least known comebacks ever, I think. From the end of 97' until 2002 he didnt pitch in the majors, and nows he getting almost 100 innings of 2-3 ERA relief a year. Tip of the presistence cap to him.

jamesy - December 9, 2006 reply

not to rub salt in a fresh wound but...

Bill Bavasi.

2006 Winter Meetings
With his job and next season on the line, and facing a market in which Dany Baez signs for 15,000,000.00 over three years, Bill Bavasi gives away one of the best righty power arms available for Horacio Ramirez.

Surprized no one's brought it up yet.

Fuck You.

Seriously. Fuck. You.

Corco - December 9, 2006 reply

oh whoops

I kinda missed the 'break from pessimism' part of this post and concentrated on the 'career defining moments' part. My bad.

Bearskin Rugburn - December 9, 2006 reply

Man...

:(

Jeff Sullivan - December 9, 2006 reply

I guess we couldn't have a post

without mentioning the Soriano trade.

Actually

Sorry to derail the sad train, but I'd have to say that Bavasi's sig moment was signing Beltre and Sexson. Big money impact signings... that was vintage Bavasi.

Phil Hatzenbuehler - December 9, 2006 reply

How bout...

Randy Johnson when he beaned Jim Leyritz and then as Leyritz writhed on the ground, the camera picked up Randy mouthing "Get up pussy"

tkballer22 - December 9, 2006 reply

Speaking of Leyritz

Believe it or not, he's trying to make a comeback this year.

Goose - December 9, 2006 reply

I hate that fucker

and his pompous bat spin.

In other words

that pussy's STILL trying to get up. LOLOLOLOLOL UNIT PWNED U.

Phil Hatzenbuehler - December 9, 2006 reply

or how bout

When Marzano took a pop at O'Neill behind home plate?

tkballer22 - December 9, 2006 reply

Somebody mentioned Sexson

homering after Raul was IBB'd in front of him, but I think Sexson cemented himself as a Mariner in his very first game of the 2005 season.

The M's beat the Twins 5-1, which Sexson homering twice and driving in all of the Mariners' runs. It was a good day to be a fan.

I remember thinking after watching that

and watching Beltre double home two runs in the first inning in game 2 that we were gonna see at least 60 homers between those two that year.

Ooops.

Goose - December 9, 2006 reply

and dont foget

after Beltre doubled those runs in, Sexson hit a freakin bomb off Santana that just missed a homer.

I seriously thought we were a playoff team when that happened..then Thorton came in and...."sigh"

They almost did...

Sexson hit 39...Beltre hit 19...

19+39=58.

You were only off by two, that's not bad.

BrettJMiller - December 10, 2006 reply

Ooh Ooh

Another one I got on 'film' :-)

I'm pretty sure

I remember seeing a grand slam by Pete O'brien at one of my first mariners games but I don't know how I could track down if that actually happened. He might have just hit a pop up really high. I was really young so its pretty fuzzy. I also seem to remember a Tino HR.

Edgar for Pres - December 9, 2006 reply

Baseball-reference

has home run logs for the past 50 years or so. O'Brien hit three grand slams in his career:

#1: Against Mark Portugal on June 5, 1987. Also homered against Blyleven that same game.

#2: against Bryan Harvey on September 18, 1988.

#2: against Mike Witt on April 25, 1993.

Through the magic of baseball reference, I now know that O'Brien hit three homers off of Oil Can Boyd and Dave Stieb.

abelard - December 9, 2006 reply

Thanks

Looks like it was the '93 game.

Edgar for Pres - December 9, 2006 reply

I remember that one

Pete O'Brien... I hated that guy.

Speaking of Randy

In 1990, right around the time of his no-hitter against the Tigers (it may have been the same series), there was a brawl in the Kingdome and RJ, after sprinting in from the bullpen and throwing some punches, ripped off his uniform shirt and kept on brawling in his blue longsleeved undershirt.

I swear I'm not making that up.

And, when considering classic brawls, how about Jay Buhner, not eligible to come on the field because he was already suspended, coming out of the dugout in Baltimore to rescue an injured... shit, I don't remember who it was. But he kicked ass, took names, rescued his teammate. That was the brawl that almost cost Cal the streak. I always thought Cal was a fucker anyway, though.

Wasn't that in Milwaukee?

As I recall it, there was a play at the plate and some mariner got hurt. Chris Bosio (still w/the Brewers) started warming up as the trainers were tending to the injured M (who the f*ck was that? I remember billy spiers being involved somehow). That sets the M's off (as it would), and Randy Johnson runs in from the bullpen; he'd just been acquired.
I just remember the visuals: One head standing above the crowd of bodies, and then somehow he gets spun out of the melee and he's got two Brewers in headlocks.

As I recall it, he hadn't even appeared in a game for the M's yet, but that can't be right.
The M's used to have lots of fights with Milwaukee - talk about a weird rivalry.

Speaking of memorable brawls, and one that probably does define a guy's career, how about Frankie Rodriguez taking on the yankees? I swear that guy was on the roster solely to kick people's ass if called upon.

the real f-rod

I mentioned the game above, but the Frankie Rodriguez game bears mentioning again, and that was this one. I'd barely gotten into my seat and Jeff Fassero had already spotted the Yankees a five-run lead. In addition to Frankie Rodriguez, I remember Chad Curtis being prominently involved in the jawing off the Yankee bench.

wackomann - December 10, 2006 reply

That's the one!

I seem to remember Frankie punching (manager of the year) Joe Girardi in that one.

OR,

How about the greatest relief appearance of all time: RJ rolling in in the 8th inning of Game Five against the Yankees? Kingdome so loud you couldn't hear yourself scream, The Big Unit pacing slowly, slowly, towards the mound...

I was at that game. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.

yeah that was awesome

I was 9...thats when I fell in love with the M's.

anyone remember the song they used to play on the radio in 95.."The seattle Mariners are on a roll!"..or something like that.

Ok I got two more

Griffey breaking his wrist.

Buhner jumping over the fence and into the bullpen to get a HR. I think it was at NYY.

Edgar for Pres - December 9, 2006 reply

I didnt follow baseball at the time

But I remember seeing replays of that Buhner catch and I am pretty sure it was in Fenway.

Robert - December 10, 2006 reply

Yeah it was

Fenway.

two for fenway

I think the story goes that Buhner had asked the umpires at Fenway either earlier in the series or before that very game about what the ground rules would be if you caught a ball in the bullpen. Basically, he found out he would have to come back into the field of play with the ball still in his glove, i.e., he couldn't catch the ball and then try to gun it back into the infield while physically in the bullpen.

wackomann - December 10, 2006 reply

Also memorable from Buhner

When he nailed a Brewer (Burnitz?) at 3rd in either '95 or '96 from the bullpen mound int he Kingdome. Thank you Refuse to Lose and YOu Gotta Love These Guys videos.

Mariner John - December 10, 2006 reply

Man, we sure have been spoiled by some cannons

in right field haven't we?

Goose - December 10, 2006 reply

In the longest game ever played at Safeco field

Cameron comes up and blasts what would have been a game winner that goes barely foul down the left field line.

I thought, after coming so close to ending the game, that the M's were done at that point.

Cammy steps back up, fouls off a couple more pitches and then slaps one that sneaks over the fence and inside the pole in right to beat the Red Sox in 17!

What a player...miss that guy!

M Pops - December 9, 2006 reply

I think it was

19. That gave me warm fuzzies all over when it happened.

Josh @ Lookout Landing - December 10, 2006 reply

Wasn't the longest M's game

vs Texas at Texas. I think it was 21 innings or something like that.

Greg 'Pee Wee' Briley

M's versus NY at home. Game goes into the 16th inning, and Yankees rookie 'phenom' Kevin Maas hits a home run. Briley comes up with a man on in the bottom of the inning and hits a walk-off job to win it.

One of the unlikelier walk-offs, really, considering he hit 2 homers in 300+ at bats that year and 'slugged' in the .330s. As a corner OF. In the Kingdome. Ouch.

But I still think he's awesome for that one swing.

Omar Vizquel

Last out of Chris Bosio's no-hitter; chopper over the mound by Ernie Riles. Vizquel's barehanded grab and throw gets him by an inch.

Probably one of the cooler endings to a no-no. Strikeouts are always cool, like Randy's over the Tigers. But I can't think of another amazing defensive play to close one out.

Omar made a lot of plays, but considering the spot, that one always stands out for me.

Brian Holman

...I've never been so mad as when Holman lost his perfect game in the bottom of the 9th in Oakland.
In the 80s/early 90s, all the joy/rage/disappointment/hope/pathos of a pennant chace (or even a .500 season) got focused onto individual players or individual games. At least for me.
I just remember being so excited I was shaking... it could be that I really had to piss, but I couldn't leave the TV room in case that jinxed him.
And then, of course, Bill FUCKYOU Plummer jinxed him by having him bat in the top of the 9th. Of course, Holman got on base and ended up running the bases, and I still blame Plummer for Holman's inability to get the 27th out.
Sometimes I think I must be remembering that wrong, and that no AL manager would MAKE HIS PITCHER BAT IN THE 9TH INNING OF A PERFECT GAME, I don't know, because it's the dumbest fucking thing I've ever heard of in my life. But I checked retrosheet. It happened.

So yes, here's to you 4/20/90: you provided the defining moment of Brian Holman's career, and summed up the career of Bill Plummer in a clear, concise, idiotic way. In fact, the whole 4/20 thing started when people started trying to get sooo baked that that decision actually made sense. It's an homage, of sorts.

Oops

it was Jimmy Lefebvre. Really?
Jeebus, get a team to .500 and people will forgive anything.

I apologize to Bill and the entire Plummer family.

His no-no was broken up

with two outs in the ninth by Ken Phelps (of Jay Buhner trade fame,) who pinchhit for the #9 spot and went deep off of him. Holman then retired leadoff man Rickey Henderson on a strikeout. But he lost the no-no and even the shutout. He still won the game though... and what impressed me most, is that after Ken "Big Dumb Smilin'" Phelps homered, he just calmly went out there and k'd Rickey to end it...

and he reached base on a f.c. in the previous half inning. He did have to run the bases, still wearing his warmup jacket... and looking about as comfortable out there as John Kruk in a suit.

David Bell

a diving stop, then throwing out Johnny Damon of the A's from his back.
One of those patented, parabolic throws that looked so leisurely but still managed to get a fast runner.
Early 2001 maybe?

Yes, I could do this all night.

one nom for joe table

First game at Safeco Field. Dave Niehaus cries tears of joy when unveiled as the person to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Jamie Moyer goes eight innings, giving up one run on seven hits, walking one and striking out nine.

Jose Mesa comes on for the ninth to protect a 2-1 lead. It's probably good that Retrosheet doesn't have play-by-play data for that game so we don't have to immediately know the details of Mesa walking four and giving up two runs in a third of an inning. The Padres won that game 3-2.

Amongst all of the pageantry and the feel-good times of Safeco Field opening its doors, Mesa brought all Mariner fans back to a painful reality -- the bullpen was still complete crap. Pat Gillick took the reins the following offseason and before we knew it, Arthur Rhodes and Kazuhiro Sasaki heavily bolstered the bullpen.

wackomann - December 10, 2006 reply

That. Game. Blew.

Jeff Sullivan - December 10, 2006 reply

Ken Cloude

I took my girlfriend to her first baseball game on 5/23/98. Ken Cloude pitched v. Tampa Bay.
Cloude was simply overpowering, shutting out TB over 7 innings and striking out 11 in the process (3 hits, 2 walks).
M's lead 3-0 in the 8th, when Spoljaric and Fossas give up 2 runs (but Bob Wells saves the lead). Then, as was customary in those days, Bobby Ayala proceeded to blow the game - 4 runs in the 9th, for a true M's pen meltdown.
And, as was customary in those days, Ken Cloude blew out his arm and was never really healthy again (though it was bittersweet seeing him in Tacoma a few years ago).

But still, in those heady days of 1998, the last days of the Dome, I'd seen the future and its name was Ken Cloude.

Whoa

I didn't know Spoljaric lasted past '97. How the hell did he get 83 innings in '98?

Mariner John - December 10, 2006 reply

Simple:

He's Canadian, and he was playing for Toronto. See Butler, Rob; and Ducey, Rob.

Spoljaric's actually still pitching, too. He's in the indy Intercounty Baseball League, pitching for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The main stat page is down now, but he was an all-star, and he was League MVP in 2003.

abelard - December 10, 2006 reply

No, he got 83 IP from Seattle in '98

not Toronto. I don't know how his Canadianness helped him with Lou, but it clearly did.

marc w - December 11, 2006 reply

I remember Cloude being amazing

but looking at his stats, he looked much worse than I thought.

Inconsistency

He was brilliant for a game, then he'd suck for a few. But hey, he was a rookie, and he was going to get better as long as he didn't blow his arm out or nothing... yeah. Not good times.

Alex Diaz

Once again, thank Refuse to Lose video. Alex Diaz sure did suck at hitting, but he made some awesome plays in the field. I think '95 caused his career to last into the '00s.

Mariner John - December 10, 2006 reply

Who can forget Bobby Ayala

I think it was 1996. Mariners have a one run lead, Mr. Ayala takes over in the bottom of the ninth. Proceeds to walk the bases loaded 1-2-3, then surrenders a grand slam.

ira500 - December 10, 2006 reply

Bobby

That seems like so many, many painful memories of Bobby.

batura - December 10, 2006 reply

My favorite Bobby Ayala memory

involves when he punched something and hurt his hand. Very familiar to the feeling I had about Mateo's recent injury.

Carl Everett

Walk-off HR vs. Texas in April 2006. First time since sometime in 2004 by a Mariner.

Carl Everett sucked as a hitter but the man hit some timely homeruns.

ThundaPC - December 10, 2006 reply

Cameron had a shit-ton of great moments

The catch, as mentioned.

The 19th-inning walkoff HR vs the Red Sox (against Jeff Fassero, no less) in this game, as mentioned by M Pops.

The walkoff grand slam to beat Cleveland 8-5 in this game, half an inning after Sasaki and Carrera had combined to give up a 3-2 lead.

And of course, the 4 HR game against the White Sox, which I can't believe no one has mentioned yet. In which, Bret Boone and he became the first and second AL players to ever HR twice in the first inning, he became the second player since 1930 to HR three times in the first three innings, he became the 5th player to ever HR on four consecutive at-bats, and he even robbed Magglio Ordonez of a grand slam.

patsfan - December 10, 2006 reply

That's one of those games a person never forgets

Cammy was a one man wrecking crew that night. Probably one of the greatest single game all around performances in the history of baseball.

Goose - December 10, 2006 reply

IIRC

He only just missed a 5th HR that night as his final at-bat produced a deep fly-ball that was caught at the fence. Can't remember if he was actually robbed though.

Alex B - December 10, 2006 reply

Wasn't robbed.

Just five feet short.

Jeff Sullivan - December 10, 2006 reply

Another thing I remember about that game

is the White Sox fans cheering him on every time he got to the plate looking for #5, then being incredibly pissed at that fielder when he just missed it.

Goose - December 10, 2006 reply

Cammy got hit by a pitch in his 5th at bat

and the White Sox fans booed the hell out of their pitcher. It was awesome.

patsfan - December 11, 2006 reply

94

I remember one of the first games my old man took me to in the kingdome...we got seats right on the third base line trying to get fouls, anyways it was either buhner or valle who ripped a foul that landed right in my pops seat, the only problem was he had gone to get a brewdog and my 10 year old ass wasnt fast enough and some dickface who was sitting next to us snaked it from right under my grasp.

another good one was edgars last year of greatness, in a game against texas he lost his bat on a foul tip which flew up above the dugout and beamed a hot ass female from my high school class at the game, Ill never forget seeing her on FSN and watching the perv cameraguys milk her image out with Neihaus and red saying "Now that is a nice looking young woman down there...." about 3 times in a row, gar even let her keep the bat

dust - December 10, 2006 reply

Dave Valle

I always had a feeling that I dreamed this one up, because I was young and it now seems so improbable, but, thanks to retrosheet, my memory is validated.

Dave "death to the rally" Valle absolutely crushes a ball in the Kingdome. One of the farthest hit balls my nearly 8 year old self has ever seen. Sure home run...but it hits a speaker above the warning track! A freaking speaker hanging from the roof of the dome. It lands just inside the wall, and poor Dave Valle was thrown out by a mile trying to make it a home run any way he could.

Retrosheet hilariously describes it like this:

VALLE BATTED FOR BRADLEY; Valle
tripled to left [Brantley scored, Valle out at home (left to
second to catcher)]; fly ball hit speaker; Valle ran through
sign, out by 20 feet

My memory was only off in thinking it was in dead center, rather than left, which probably led to my doubt about this actually happening because hitting a speaker in center would be an impossibly mammoth shot. Maybe it was left-center, though?

I was at this game, and remember this moment vividly (even if the vivid picture in my mind places the ball in center field). I didn't know until just know, looking at retrosheet, that this game is remembered much more for a different momentous event. The game was on April 10, 1989. It turns out, without even knowing it, I witnessed Griffey's home run in his first at bat in the Kingdome, just six innings earlier. Perhaps I was too busy with my nachos to notice.

david h - December 10, 2006 reply

I miss the Kingdome

not because it was nice. I think it was because it made me feel like a more hardcore fan. The people who went to those games all realized they had to sacrifice a little piece of their life in one of the worst structures ever made to watch some baseball.

That said, I'm not sure if I could go back. Safeco has made me soft.

Brian Giles

No no, not Brian Giles of the Pirates/Pads, but the other one - the guy who played 45 games with the M's in 1990.
He had a total of 10 home runs and 50 RBIs in his all to brief MLB career, but on 5/17/1990 he took all of his frustration (interminable bus rides, the AAAA reputation, never getting a chance to start, all the MLB pitchers getting him out all the time, etc.) on the hapless NY Yankees.

He went 3 for 4 with a double and two home runs. SEVEN RBIs, or 14% of his CAREER total in one day. Randy Johnson got the win, Jimmy Key got owned.

Was that the game

Where Giles hit the salami to cap off a nine-run inning?

I remember that game, because I'd never dreamed that scoring fourteen runs in a game was possible.

Hoft - December 11, 2006 reply

Very good!

yep, it was a 9 run third inning, and the M's won 14-6.

marc w - December 11, 2006 reply

Beltre

when he looked like he was about to kill Ryan Franklin.

Edgar for Pres - December 11, 2006 reply

Ryan Franklin

A loss. Any one of them. There's lots to choose from.

Gomez - December 10, 2006 reply

The only M's game I've ever seen in Seattle . . .

was the last game at the Dome. I remember both Oates (and possibly Palmeiro?) getting ejected and Jr. with a go-ahead blast.

DCMariner - December 10, 2006 reply

Jeff Manto

Uh, I'm thinking. He got a hit, or something.

Paytheline - December 10, 2006 reply

Richie Sexson

Took my girlfriend to her first Mariners game August 8. Felix was dueling Jae Seo (yeah really) and the game went to extra innings tied.

Bottom of the 10th, Ichiro hits a leadoff double, then Lopez sacrifices him over. McClung then walked Beltre and Ibanez intentionally to get to Richie who takes the first pitch and drives it to straightaway center to win the game.

Definately a good way to break someone in to baseball...it was amazing.

moero - December 11, 2006 reply

What I thought was funny about that slam

Was that Rocco Baldelli was already walking back to the dugout while the ball was still in the air over centerfield.

Goose - December 11, 2006 reply

Oh, it gets better

I was sitting in the left-field bleachers that game -- it was Japan Night or something -- and so I'd been chatting with all these people around me for most of the game.

So in the 10th, they ask me what I know about Seth McClung, and I'm just like "Uh, he sucks. That's about all you need to know." With Richie up and the bases loaded, I'm like, "Get your glove out, 'cause Richie's going to hit one right to us."

I was half right.

Deanna - December 11, 2006 reply

I liked it last year when they kept intentially

walking Ibanez to load the bases to get to Sexson. That was fun.

The game in 2004

when it went into 14 innings and we won on a balk. I think it was against Oakland.

That game was awesome because it was the first time I got to do the Rally Jig Dance

Scruffy Lefty - December 11, 2006 reply

Josias Manzanillo

Getting cup-checked by Manny Ramirez.

Phil Hatzenbuehler - December 11, 2006 reply

Mickey Brantley

Mickey Brantley, a boyhood chum of Mike Tyson's, hit three homers in one game at the Kingdome. I was there, and was sure that this was a budding superstar.

ira500 - December 11, 2006 reply

Dave Henderson

wiggling his butt before making a catch in CF. He was a legend in his own mind.

Ichiro, Yubet, and Beltre

Ichiro: I don't know the date or the pitcher, I do know it was against the Orioles. The pitcher hit him. As Ichiro trotted out to first he gave the pitcher a nasty look. First pitch Ichiro stole first; second pitch Ichiro stool second.

Yubet: Just every time he is out in the feild he is smiling a joking looking like he really enjoys what he does.

Beltre: When ever he takes out some at second to brake up a double play. Also he hit a other way homerun that was a lazer beam. Off the bat the ball got to just above the height and was gone in seconds.

InSpokane - December 11, 2006 reply

He stole first?

He really is great.

Mariner John - December 11, 2006 reply

Alvin Davis

every at bat when he was in a hotstreak. He locked in the way Don Mattingly did. Other players would foul off a pitch, just miss hitting one out and then give up on the at-bat... Alvin might foul off 3, and then hit one out. When you see a hitter maintain so much focus, it really impresses.

Reminds me of another... Carlos Guillen... he had a few 10-12 pitch at-bats, maintaining that steely focus. I wasn't surprised at all that he became on the best offensive shortstops in the league after we traded him.

oops

Meant to say, "one of the best offensive SS in the league"