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The Mariners have never played for a World Series in their 25 year existence, but they’re optimistic that 2004 will change all of that. Bob Melvin has the inevitable task of replacing Lou Piniella as manager in Seattle. The Mariners play their home games in Safeco Field, located in the heart of Seattle. Safeco is a huge change from the old ballpark, the Kingdome. The Kingdome was notorious for being a batter-friendly park, but Safeco is one of the toughest hitter’s parks in the league.
The Mariners will once again be led by all-star right fielder Ichiro Suzuki. Suzuki is one of the top ballplayers in the league, because he has blazing speed, power when needed, and an amazing arm that makes every potential base runner think twice before testing him. Edgar Martinez will continue to DH at 41 years of age, but he’s still quite productive. The other big bat in the lineup will undoubtedly come from second base in the form of all-star Bret Boone. With the exception of Alfonso Soriano in Texas, Boone is widely regarded as the top second baseman in the AL and quite possibly in the entire league.
Jamie Moyer, will once again lead the staff this season. Moyer has seemingly gotten better over the years, even though his “fast ball” doesn’t eclipse 85 miles per hour. He throws a filthy sinker, and many hitters are so used to the 95 mph fastball, they have trouble seeing and making contact with something so different. Freddy Garcia will look to bounce back from a disappointing 2003 campaign. Shigetoshi Hasagawa and Rafael Soriano are two of the best set-up men in the game, and newly acquired closer “Everyday” Eddie Guardado will likely have many chances to save games for the Mariners.
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