MLB

Some weeks back I had a spare hour on my hands, and wanting to not get swallowed up by fond nostalgia for the 1995 Mariners, I put together a starting lineup and roster of the best ex-Mariners. These are guys who played however briefly at the Kingdome or Safeco, were traded, signed with other teams, or were simply released, and went on to star elsewhere.

In 1961, the American League added the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators to become a 10-team league. Finishing in eighth place no longer meant finishing last.

Ninth to First

Five years later, in 1966, the Boston Red Sox finished a dismal ninth, but they weren't as bad as they looked. The following season, they proved it by winning the pennant.

The Boston Red Sox became the first American League team to go from ninth to first.

• Year: 1995
• Record: 60-84 (late start due to 1994 strike)
• Win Percentage: .417
• Win Percentage Change: -44
• Run Differential: -190
• Pythagorean Record: 55-89
• AL Finish: 12th of 14
• Manager: Sparky Anderson
• Best Transaction: Traded Mike Henneman to the Houston Astros for Phil Nevin.  Henneman was lights-out for the Tigers during the first half of the 1995 season.  He had a 1.53 ERA on Aug. 10 when this deal went down.
  

The agent for relief pitcher Billy Wagner is reporting that his client may reverse his previous position and accept arbitration from the Red Sox, if offered.

This new stance represents a change of heart for the 38-year-old Wagner, who is just 15 saves from 400 career saves.

He waived his no-trade clause to accept a trade to the Red Sox prior to the trade deadline. In exchange the ball club promised they wouldn’t pick up his $8 million option for 2010—so he could pursue free agency this winter.

Yesterday, the American League handed out its Gold Glove awards. Today, the National League handed out its Gold Gloves.

Let’s take a look at who won in the National League:

C. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals—.995 fielding percentage, 40 percent caught stealing percentage

1B. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres—.995 fielding percentage, 3.8 UZR

2B. Orlando Hudson, Los Angeles Dodgers—.988 fielding percentage, -3.3 UZR

SS. Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies—.990 fielding percentage, 2.7 UZR

Since the season ended, the Arizona Diamondbacks have been searching for two candidates that would fill the coaching vacancies on the Major League Baseball staff. Diamondbacks manager AJ Hinch suggested he hoped to fill these spots by the first week in November.

It’s official.  Ken Griffey Jr. is returning to the Seattle Mariners in 2010.  This can only be good news for a team looking to carry over the momentum from 2009, when they rebounded from their first 100-loss season in 25 years and finished 85-77.

Griffey’s statistics in 2009 may not look particularly impressive (.214 batting average, 19 home runs, and 57 RBIs), but there’s no doubting the impact the living legend had on the Mariners last season.

In a season of repeated failure, Ryan Zimmerman played up to expectations and in the midst of laughs from home and opposing fans. In turn, his defense has earned him his first N.L. Gold Glove.