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Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson speaks to the media before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. | Teren Kowatsch/Roundtable Sports
SEATTLE — It was almost one year to the day Seattle Mariners legend and 2025 National Baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki had his number retired by the organization.
On Aug. 9, 2025, before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Suzuki's No. 51 was placed in the left-center field corner of T-Mobile Park, joining other players and Hall of Famers Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to have their numbers retired by the organization. Randy Johnson, who also wore No. 51 with Seattle, had his number retired this season, joining Suzuki, Griffey, Martinez and league-wide number retiree Jackie Robinson.
As for the players on the 2025 Mariners, Suzuki took time during his speech to turn towards the dugout and told the squad to "seize the moment."
That statement became a rallying cry for Seattle, which won the American League West and made it all the way to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series before ultimately falling to to the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the first time since Suzuki's AL Rookie of the Year/MVP Season in 2001 the M's won the division and made it to the ALCS.
Last year's Mariners at that time were 65-53 after a 7-4 win against the Rays on Aug. 9, 2025. And this season's the team might be in need of another spark of energy from the club alumni.
This weekend, which ironically also coincides with a series against Tampa Bay, marks Seattle's 50th anniversary celebration. The weekend's festivities will include an alumni home run derby after the game Friday and a celebration honoring the 50 greatest players in team history before the game Saturday.
The Mariners will enter this weekend in a significantly different place than they were at during Suzuki's number retirement last season.
Entering Friday, Seattle was 56-60, three games out of first place in the American League West and 1.5 games out of the final AL wild card spot.
Tampa Bay, for contrast, was 57-61 after the loss last season. It's entering Friday's game this year with the No. 1 seed in the American League and has a record of 68-46.
If there's a time for the Mariners to go on a run and retake control of their playoff destiny, it's now. And there's no better time for Seattle to get another boost from a team legend.
"When you see some of the history, some of the legacy, some of the tradition that's been a part of this organization ... it gives you a lift," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Friday. "It is great, on a personal level, to see everybody back and be a part of this weekend. But I do think, on a team level, you hear the stories. You understand what it takes and I think our guys have a good awareness of that. It can be a huge, positive lift for them. ... Last year with Ichiro, it did become a rallying cry and hopefully this year, we continue to find that same energy and focus coming out of this series with Tampa."
The first game of the series between Seattle and the Rays begins at 6:45 p.m. PT on Friday on Apple TV+. The pregame ceremony for the Mariners' 50th anniversary celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. PT on Saturday.
Continue reading...
SEATTLE — It was almost one year to the day Seattle Mariners legend and 2025 National Baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki had his number retired by the organization.
On Aug. 9, 2025, before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Suzuki's No. 51 was placed in the left-center field corner of T-Mobile Park, joining other players and Hall of Famers Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to have their numbers retired by the organization. Randy Johnson, who also wore No. 51 with Seattle, had his number retired this season, joining Suzuki, Griffey, Martinez and league-wide number retiree Jackie Robinson.
As for the players on the 2025 Mariners, Suzuki took time during his speech to turn towards the dugout and told the squad to "seize the moment."
That statement became a rallying cry for Seattle, which won the American League West and made it all the way to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series before ultimately falling to to the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the first time since Suzuki's AL Rookie of the Year/MVP Season in 2001 the M's won the division and made it to the ALCS.
Last year's Mariners at that time were 65-53 after a 7-4 win against the Rays on Aug. 9, 2025. And this season's the team might be in need of another spark of energy from the club alumni.
This weekend, which ironically also coincides with a series against Tampa Bay, marks Seattle's 50th anniversary celebration. The weekend's festivities will include an alumni home run derby after the game Friday and a celebration honoring the 50 greatest players in team history before the game Saturday.
The Mariners will enter this weekend in a significantly different place than they were at during Suzuki's number retirement last season.
Entering Friday, Seattle was 56-60, three games out of first place in the American League West and 1.5 games out of the final AL wild card spot.
Tampa Bay, for contrast, was 57-61 after the loss last season. It's entering Friday's game this year with the No. 1 seed in the American League and has a record of 68-46.
If there's a time for the Mariners to go on a run and retake control of their playoff destiny, it's now. And there's no better time for Seattle to get another boost from a team legend.
"When you see some of the history, some of the legacy, some of the tradition that's been a part of this organization ... it gives you a lift," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Friday. "It is great, on a personal level, to see everybody back and be a part of this weekend. But I do think, on a team level, you hear the stories. You understand what it takes and I think our guys have a good awareness of that. It can be a huge, positive lift for them. ... Last year with Ichiro, it did become a rallying cry and hopefully this year, we continue to find that same energy and focus coming out of this series with Tampa."
The first game of the series between Seattle and the Rays begins at 6:45 p.m. PT on Friday on Apple TV+. The pregame ceremony for the Mariners' 50th anniversary celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. PT on Saturday.
Continue reading...
