Countdown to Opening Day: Top 50 Mariners Of All-Time
By Nick Lee
48. Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000-2003)
After the 2001 season, I am sure many were convinced Sasaki would land much higher on this list. Sasaki was the closer for the Mariners’ historic 116-win 2001 season. He notched 45 saves with a 3.24 ERA. All four of his MLB seasons were in Seattle. He totaled 129 saves and a career 3.14 ERA. He also had 242 strikeouts in 223 1/3 innings.
Unfortunately, he is most known for his collapse in the 2001 ALCS when he served up a walk-off home run to New York Yankees’ Alfonso Soriano, putting the Mariners in a 3-1 hole in that series from which they would never recover. He called it quits from Major League baseball after the 2003 season as the Mariners all-time saves leader. He still holds that title.
47. Richie Sexson (2005-2008)
Sexson came into Seattle with much fanfare. The Vancouver, WA native was signed as a free agent, two seasons removed from a 45-home run, 124-RBI campaign. An intimidating presence at 6’7″, he made an instant splash, homering twice in his first game in a Mariners uniform. He finished his first season with Seattle with 39 home runs and 121 RBI. Although his strikeout numbers were very high, he was fun to watch.
After his 2006 season (34 home runs, 107 RBI, .842 OPS), he went downhill fast. He didn’t finish the 2008 season as a Mariner, after posting a .221 average with 12 homers in 96 games. He finished his Mariners career with 105 home runs (10th all-time) and 321 RBI.
46. Mike Blowers (1992-1995, 1997, 1999)
Current Mariners fans know Blowers’ name as one of the voices of Seattle as a broadcaster. He played six seasons with the Mariners in the 90’s, as a corner infielder. His best Mariners season came in 1995, when he slugged a career-high 23 home runs with 96 RBI. He was part of the famous 1995 postseason run for the M’s. He had seven hits including a home run in those playoffs.
The Spanaway, WA native finished his Mariners career with 55 home runs, 69 doubles and a .270 average in 464 games.