The What if Mariners

[tonyfire2001]

Now looking at some of the rosters that have been made, I looked at the 1999 roster made by Mkhash...

Now using this roster, I was looking at the Mariners (being in my 40’s and growing up in the pacnorwest) I was thinking, what if....

1) Ichiro had the same international signing rules as today, he would have been given a chance to play in his prime with Jr. and Kaz Sasaki would have came with Ichiro...

2) All the same signing still happen up to the 2001 team, except for one difference...Jr didn’t get home sick, he realized that Seattle was his home. A-rod was signed the big bucks here in Seattle, they open up the pocket book and kept the best SS here in Seattle.

3) Now I thought about the Randy Johnson Trade...I would still have gone through with it...hear me out...at the time of the trade his arm was tired and he did leave everything out on the field for this team (look at the 95 playoffs) but his trade returned Freddy Garcia, John Halama and Carlos Guillen. That’s 2 Starting pitchers for our What if Team and possible UT bench guy.

4) The Jay Buhner question. Would have have played more that 19 games if he was just move to a platoon role cause Ichiro would have been the full time RF...for me I would have said yes...it would save his knees and ankles,..

So looking at all this the Team would look like this....

Starting lineup
RF Ichiro Suzuki
SS Alex Rodriguez
CF Ken Griffey Jr.
DH Edgar Martinez
1B John Olerud
2B Bret Boone
LF Al Martin/Jay Buhner
C Dan Wilson
3B David Bell

Bench
UT Mark McLemore
C Tom Lampkin
OF Stan Javier
3B/1B Ed Sprague
UT Charles Gipson
LF Al Martin/Jay Buhner

Starting Staff
1. Freddy Garcia
2. John Halama
3. Aaron Sele
4. Jamie Moyer
5. Paul Abbott

Bullpen
CL Kaz Sasaki
SETUP Norm Charlton
SETUP Jeff Nelson
MID Jose Paniagua
MID Arthur Rhodes
MID Ryan Franklin


Now I will be playing every game, all 162 games and I will post updates as the Series Ends. First series is Opening day against the Rangers...

Tell me what you think? What would you different, also like to make a plug for the rosters and armor&sword sliders check them out...

For you you tubers check out sbnation Mariners series they just made copies like to episode one of six down below, give you true appreciation for this Team...

https://youtu.be/6pkVu6Kw00M

[MightyMaxxx13]

Cool concept ... following

[Subway_sub]

Super cool! I did this with the tigers once, making sure to resign shcherzer and not trading Prince fielder for Ian Kinsler. Was a ton of fun. Looking forward to seeing this progress!

[SamC24167]

I'm thinking of doing this with the Cardinals maybe the 2004 team and changing history of us getting beat by the Red Sox . Always hated that team and year lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using Operation Sports mobile app

[Godgers12]

Man that team could have been a Dynasty if they stayed together. Ichiro, Griffey, A-Rod, Buhner, Edgar, Olerud, Wilson, Boone, Bell...that could have gone down as one of the 5 best lineups in baseball history. And if Randy stayed on...my God....

Sent from my SM-G965U using Operation Sports mobile app

[saucerset]

That would be a fun thing to do. Sounds really interesting.

[tonyfire2001]

In the final days of spring training, fans in Peoria, Ariz., who asked for 1999 Seattle Mariners' schedules were given team photos from last season with the schedule printed along the bottom.

It was a gift that always brought a second question - what happened to the '98 Mariners?

When the Mariners' pregame introductions begin tonight in the T-Mobile park., 19 players on the 26-man roster will be new since opening night 1998. 4 of the 11 pitchers on the staff will never have thrown a pitch for Seattle.

"People keep asking about continuity, we've got plenty of continuity," M's outfielder Jay Buhner said last week. "Look at our broadcast crew - the same guys are back. Look at the beat writers who follow us, they're almost all back. ..."

It drew a laugh in the clubhouse where players are still getting to know one another. For a team that managed to keep its core, Seattle reached out across the breadth of major league baseball to fill out its roster.

Seattle tapped Japan (Ichrio Suzuki, Kazuhiro Sasaki) New York Mets (John Olerud), Cincinnati (Bret Boone), Pittsburg (Al Martin), New York Yankees (Jeff Nelson ),Texas (Aaron Sele) and Baltimore (Arthur Rhodes).

Last year, M's general manager dealt with Cleveland to get infielder David Bell, then moved an unhappy Randy Johnson to Houston for three rookies now on the Seattle roster - starting pitcher Freddy Garcia, second baseman Carlos Guillen and reliever John Halama.

And from their own system, the Mariners have promoted three players,Paul Abbott, Ryan Franklin and Charles Gipson, all of whom are about to experience their first major league opening night.

"It was a little weird sitting in the clubhouse this spring," veteran Edgar Martinez said. "I was in my usual spot, but there were people all around I didn't know."

The cast of characters who filled out the Mariners roster last year and have since departed is a long one. Missing are Richie Amaral, Ken Cloude, Joey Cora, Tony Fossas, Bobby Ayala, Rob Ducey, Glenallen Hill, Greg McCarthy, Jeff Huson, John Marzano, Heathcliff Slocumb, Paul Spoljaric, Mike Timlin, David McCarty, Bob Wells, Bill Swift, Joe Oliver, Rick Wilkins, Rico Rossy, Ryan Radmanovich, David Holdridge, Robert Perez, Andrew Lorraine, Shane Monahan, Rickey Cradle, Felipe Lira, Jim Bullinger, Steve Gajkowski and Johnson.

"We wanted to keep our core together, and for the most part we were able to do that," Woodward said. "We knew we had to rebuild our bullpen, and we were able to do that. Then we tried to add depth. We're a younger team. We're a deeper team. Now we just have to see how it works outs."

The Mariners' core is a productive crew - Ken Griffey Jr., Buhner, Alex Rodriguez, Martinez, Dan Wilson and Jamie Moyer.

But what happens between tonight and the final game of the season, will largely be dependent upon what the supporting cast contributes. Over the course of 162 games, the 19 players who weren't here on opening night '98 will determine whether Seattle rebounds from the 76-85 record of a year ago or flounders once again.

[tonyfire2001]

Welcome Rangers and thank you for playing.

Well the opening series is now over and what we learned:

Griffey might be the motor for this hitting machine that we call the Mariners but Ichiro is the battery that gets it started. Ichiro had 8 hits this series with 4 of them being doubles.

“All of Japan, you know, their eyes were on me," Ichiro reflected through a translator. "A lot of them [didn't] know much about Major League Baseball, and if I struggled the first few games, they might say, 'Oh, you know, I can't make it here,' or something.”

Well we don’t have to worry about that. Ichiro looks like he can handle major league pitching and is here to stay.

For the rest of the team the hitting seem contagious. Edgar collect 6 hits and Olerud led the team with 8 hits and a home run.

As for the pitching, these young pitchers were out to prove something. Game 1, Freddy Garcia went deep into the game pitching 7.2 innings and striking out 4. Game 2, John Halama went 7 and only allow 1 run scattered 5 hits. Game 3, Aaron Sele, was a valuable vet by going 6 1/3rds and picking up the big win. Kaz Suaski picking up 3 saves in 4 games, finally the Mariners have an elite closer.

Game 4, was a different story for this Mariner team. The Rangers finally decided it was time to hit and the blew up the crafty Moyer for 7 runs.

All in all, what we learned, is that this Team is going to be a lot of fun to watch. Much like the 1995 Mariners we could expect big thing from this year. I hope to share it all with you.

Game 1 (W 1-0)
Rangers 4 11 1
Mariners 5 9 1
(W) Garcia (1-0)
(L) Munoz (0-1)
(S) Sasaki (1)

2B: Suzuki 1,2 (2), Rodriguez (1), Griffey 1,2 (2)
HR: Griffey (1)

Game 2 (W 2-0)
Rangers 1 6 1
Mariners 4 13 0
(W) Halama (1-0)
(L) Helling (0-1)
(S) Sasaki (2)

2B: Suzuki (3), Martinez (1), Olerud (1), Boone (1)

Game 3 (W 3-0)
Rangers 3 9 0
Mariners 6 12 0
(W) Sele (1-0)
(L) Meche (0-1)
(S) Sasaki (3)

2B: Suzuki (4), Martinez 2 (3)
HR: Olerud (1)

Game 4 (L 3-1)
Rangers 10 17 0
Mariners 5 11 1
(W) Lee (1-0)
(L) Moyer (0-1)

2B: Martinez (4), Lampkin (1)
HR: Griffey (2)