Hailing from the Safeco Field, the Seattle Mariners have been in operation since 1977 when they were enfranchised into the Western Division of Major League Baseball. Currently the team is managed by Lloyd McClendon. The Mariners’ mascot is the loveable, thick eyebrow-tufted Mariner Moose. As of the 2014, the team has a losing record of 26 out of 38 seasons. Nicknamed “The Ms,” the Mariners’ team colors are silver, Navy blue and Northwest silver, but they will soon be changing to royal blue and gold.
The Mariners’ name reflects the importance of marine life and culture in the Northwest region. The team holds West Division Titles from 2001, 1997 and 1995. The team is owned by Nintendo of America. Some notable Mariners who have been inducted into National Baseball Hall of Fame include Pat Gillick, Goose Gossage, Ricky Henderson, Randy Johnson, Gaylord Perry and Dick Williams. Although the team has not yet retired any uniform numbers, the number 24, which belonged to Ken Griffey Jr., has not been used since his retirement in 2010.
2015 Mariners Roster
PITCHERS
Joe Beimel
Born April 19, 1977 in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania, Joe Beimel is a pitcher. Weighing in at 205 pounds, Beimel is 6’3 and is known for his thick beard and sleeve tattoo. Beimel is #97, a number he chose based on the year of birth of one of his children. Beimel has also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins and the Colorado Rockets. Batting and throwing left, he has a record of 367 strikeouts and a win-loss record of 27-33.
Felix Hernandez
Nicknamed King Felix, Felix Hernandez is a starting pitcher. He was born on April 8, 1986 in Valencia, Valencia. Hernandez, known for his fastballs between 92 and 95 miles per hour, is famous for throwing the 23rd perfect game in baseball history as well as the first perfect game for the team, which occurred on August 15, 2012 when the Mariners played the Tampa Bay Rays. Hernandez, uniform number 34, throws and bats right-handed, is 6’3 and weighs 225 pounds. His win-loss record is 135-96 and he has 2,051 strikeouts under his belt.
Hisashi Iwakuma
Weighing in at 210 pounds, 6’3 Hisashi Iwakuma is a pitcher for the Mariners. His number is 18. Iwakuma, an NPB All-Star and MLB All-Star, hails from Tokyo, Japan. He has played in the Olympics and joined MLB after playing for the Buffaloes and the Eagles. His win-loss record is 107-69 and he has a strikeout record of 1,175. Iwakuma dreamed of being a professional baseball player since he began playing the sport in the first grade.
Mark Lowe
Mariners uniform number 57 belongs to relief pitcher Mark Lowe. Born on June 7, 1983, Lowe is from Houston, Texas. Lowe is 6’3 and weighs 210 pounds. His fastball runs up to 101 miles per hour. Prior to playing for the Mariners, Lowe played for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Although he pitches right-handed, Lowe bats with his left. His win-loss record is 8-21 and he has 277 strikeouts to his name.
Mike Montgomery
Mariner number 37 is pitcher Mike Montgomery. Born in Mission Hills, California on July 1, 1989, Montgomery is 6’4 and weighs 200 pounds. Prior to pitching for the Mariners, Montgomery played for the Kansas City Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays. His win-loss record is 4-2 and he has had 31 strikeouts. Montgomery is new to the Mariners this year, as he was traded for Erasmo Ramirez on March 31, 2015. During his first game for the Mariners, he struck out four batters. Montgomery throws and bats left.
Vidal Nuno
Player number 38, Vidal Nuno, is from National City, California. He was born on July 26, 1987. Prior to pitching for the Mariners, Nuno played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees. He’s had 164 strikeouts and a win-loss record of 3-15. Nuno is a new player this year, traded from the Diamondbacks for Wellington Castillo and Dominic Leon. He was traded, along with Mark Trumbo, on June 3, 2015. He is 5’11 and weighs 210 pounds. Nuno bats and throws left.
Fernando Rodney
Fernando Rodney is Mariners player number 56. He is 5’11 and weighs 220 pounds. Hailing from Samana, Dominican Republic, he was born on March 18, 1977. As a pitcher, his fastball runs between 94-98 miles per hour. Rodney, nicknamed “Kimbo,” is famous for shooting a pretend bow and arrow into the sky when celebrating a save. Some broadcasters call out, “Shoot that arrow in the sky!” as a result. Rodney bats and throws right. He has 654 strikeouts, 236 saves and his win-loss record is 32-53.
David Rollins
At 6’1, David Rollins weighs in at 200 pounds. The pitcher, who bats and throws left, is number 59. Rollins was born on December 21, 1989 in Deberry, Texas. Due to 80 days of suspension and years of being drafted without signing, Rollins is playing his first season with the Mariners this year with a win-loss record of 0-0. The pitcher’s first game was played on July 4, 2015 and he has thrown four strikeouts. Prior to being on the team, Rollins was on the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros.
Carson Smith
Number 39, Carson Smith, was born on October 19, 1989 in Dallas, Texas. He bats and throws left. Smith is 6’6 and weighs 210 pounds. The pitcher has a win-loss record of 2-2 and 44 strikeouts. Smith also has four saves. Prior to pitching for the Mariners, Smith played for the Oakland Athletics.
Taijuan Walker
Born in Yucaipa, California on August 13, 1992, Taijuan Walker was the 4th top prospect during his first year in MLB according to Baseball America. Walker’s signature pitching throw is a four-seam fastball, as well as a curveball and a changeup. He pitches in the 90 miles per hour range. He has a win-loss record of 10-9 and 139 strikeouts. Walker is 6’6 and weighs 235 pounds.
Tom Wilhelmsen
Born in Tuscan, Arizona on December 16, 1983, Tom Wilhelmsen both pitches and bats right-handed. Wilhelmsen is 6’6 and weighs 220 pounds. Drafted out of high school for the Milwaukee Brewers, Wilhelmsen is a relief pitcher with 54 saves. His win-loss record is 10-9 and he has 256 strikeouts. He throws four-seam fastballs and curveballs, the former running 95-98 miles per hour and the latter in the high 70’s range.
CATCHERS
Jesus Sucre
Player number 2 on the Mariners lineup is catcher Jesus Sucre. Sucre was born in Cumana, Venezuela on April 30, 1988. Weighing in at 225 pounds, Sucre is 6’0. He throws and bats with his right hand. With a batting average of .168, Sucre has 8 RBIs and 0 homeruns to date. He has been a Mariner since May 24, 2013.
Mike Zunino
The other catcher for the Mariners, number 3, is Mike Zunino. Throwing and batting right-handed, Zunino is 6’2 and weighs 220 pounds. He was born on March 25, 1991 in Cape Coral, Florida. Zunino has a batting average of .191 and has hit 36 homeruns. Zunino’s uncle and father also played professional baseball.
INFIELDERS
Robinson Cano
Number 22, Robinson Cano, was born on October 22, 1982 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. While Cano bats left, he throws right. He is 6’0 and weighs 220 pounds. Cano plays second base. Before he joined the Mariners, he played for the New York Yankees. His batting average is .307 and he has hit 224 homeruns, with 912 runs in all. Cano was named after Jackie Robinson.
Brad Miller
Mariners player number 5, Brad Miller, was born on October 18, 1989 in Orlando, Florida. He is 6’2 and weighs 220 pounds. Miller bats left and throws right. Miller plays shortstop and has a batting average of .241. He has hit 26 homeruns and 99 RBIs. Before playing for the Mariners, Miller played college baseball for the Clemson Tigers.
Jesus Montero
Batting and throwing right, Jesus Montero is player number 63 for the Seattle Mariners. He is 6’3 and weighs 235 pounds. Born on November 28, 1989 in Guacara, Venezuela, Montero plays first base. He has also played as catcher. Prior to playing with the Mariners, Montero was a member of the New York Yankees. His batting average is .258 and he has hit 23 homeruns with 85 RBIs.
Logan Morrison
Logan Morrison, or “LoMo,” is Mariners player number 20. Morrison bats and throws left-handed. He was born on August 25, 1987 in Kansas City, Missouri. Robinson is 6’2 and weighs 240 pounds. Morrison plays first base and left field. With a batting average of .248, Marlins has achieved 482 hits and 65 homeruns. Prior to playing for the Mariners, Morrison was on the Florida Marlins team.
Kyle Seager
Batting left but throwing right, Kyle Seager is player number 15. He is 6’0 and weighs 210 pounds. Seager was born on November 3, 1987 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Seager plays third base for the Mariners. An MLB All-Star, Seager has won the Golden Glove Award as well as two AL Player of the Week Awards, both in the 2014 season. With 603 hits, Seager has a batting average of .262 and a record of 82 homeruns.
Chris Taylor
Born on August 29, 1990 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Chris Taylor is player number 1. He plays shortstop for the Mariners. Taylor bats and throws right. Taylor has played with the team for a year but has yet to hit a homerun. His batting average is .250 and he has 10 RBIs. Taylor is 6’1 and weighs 195 pounds.
OUTFIELDERS
Dustin Ackley
Uniform number 13 belongs to Dustin Ackley. Ackley bats left and throws right. He was born on February 26, 1988 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is 6’1 and 205 pounds. In addition to playing outfield, Ackley plays second base. His batting average is .243 and he has hit 42 homeruns. Ackley’s first grand slam occurred on May 4, 2013 while playing the Toronto Blue Jays.
Nelson Cruz
Born on July 1, 1980 in Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic, Nelson Cruz wears uniform number 23. Cruz is 6’2 and weighs 230 pounds. He bats and throws right. In addition to being an outfielder, Cruz is a designated hitter. Before signing on with the Mariners, Cruz played for the Baltimore Orioles, the Texas Rangers and the Milwaukee Brewers. Cruz is a four-time All Star player, an ALCS MVP and a homerun leader with 218 homeruns. His batting average is .271 and he’s had 1,034 hits.
Franklin Gutierrez
Player number 30 for the Mariners is Franklin Gutierrez. Gutierrez bats and throws right. He was born on February 21, 1983 in Caracas, Venezuela. He is 6’2 and weighs 200 pounds. Before his career with the team, Gutierrez played for the Cleveland Indians. An outfielder, Gutierrez has a batting average of .256 and has hit 68 homeruns. He has stolen 77 bases. He is a previous Gold Glove winner and has won the Fielding Bible Award twice.
Austin Jackson
Austin Jackson is player number 16. He bats and throws right. Jackson was born on February 1, 1987 in Denton, Texas. He is 6’1 and weighs 205 pounds. Jackson is the team center fielder and has a batting average of .272 with 50 homeruns and 267 RBIs. Before his Mariners career, Jackson played for the Detroit Tigers. He has won Player of the Week, Fielding Bible Award and is a two-time AL triples leader.
Mark Trumbo
Player number 35 is Mark Trumbo. Born on January 16, 1986 in Anaheim, California, Trumbo is 6’4 and weighs 225 pounds. His batting average is .247 and he has hit 120 homeruns. A first baseman and outfielder, Trumbo has also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He was a 2012 All-Star.
DESIGNATED HITTER
Seth Smith
Seth Smith, number 7, both bats and throws left-handed. The designated hitter is 6’3 and weighs 210 pounds. Born on September 30, 1982 in Jackson, Mississippi, he is also an outfielder. Before playing for the Mariners, Smith played for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres. His batting average is .265 and he has a record of 720 hits, 345 RBI and 93 home runs. He was traded by the Padres to the Mariners on December 30, 2014 for pitcher Brandon Maurer.
Mariner Moose
The popular Mariner Moose has been the team mascot since 1990 when a contest for children ages 14 and under invited kids from the Pacific Northwest Region to nominate a fun character to represent the team. Since his implementation into the team, Mariner Moose has served as a positive role model for children of the community, particularly through the D.R.E.A.M. Team program that promotes a healthy, active and educated lifestyle. The moose also routinely makes appearances to birthday parties, public gatherings and even corporate events.
Safeco Field
A famous landmark caught in scenic photographs of the Seattle skyline, Safeco Field has been home to the Mariners since 1999. The stadium took five years to plan and build, and the Safeco Corporation purchased naming rights for $40 million. The first game held at the Safeco Field was against the San Diego Padres on July 15, 1999. 47,000 fans were in attendance of the field’s inauguration game. Some notable moments at Safeco Field include the 72nd Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the day the Mariners set the American League Record for most wins in a season and the last Buhner Buzz Night, during which fans were able to obtain free admission if they shaved their heads to attend the game. Prior to the Safeco Field, the Mariners played ball at the Kingdome.
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