10. John Olerud
Despite spending just over four seasons with Seattle Mariners, Olerud became an instant fan-favorite with his friendly personality and even-keel mentality on the field. He hit over .300 twice for the M’s while taking home three gold gloves and appearing in the 2001 all-star game that featured eight Mariners.
9. Dan Wilson
The trusty backstop gets on the list by virtue of his 12-year tenure with the Mariners. Wilson’s best season offensively came in 1996 when he hit .285 with 18 home runs and 83 RBI and made his sole all-star game appearance. Wilson was brilliant behind the plate, posting a career fielding percentage of .995, the sixth-best in major league history.
8. Jay Buhner
“Bone” came to Seattle in 1988 from the Yankees and never left. The brawny right-fielder crushed 40 home runs in three consecutive seasons in the mid-90s and was in the thick of the monstrous lineup that featured a young Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. in his prime.
7. Jamie Moyer
The ageless wonder turned in some of his best years in a Mariner uniform. He won 20 games in the magical 2001 season and threw 200 innings seven times during his tenure in Seattle. While Moyer’s numbers were never eye-popping, his untouchable change-up was and he will go down as a legendary player and human being in the Mariners’ record books.
6. Felix Hernandez
The only current Mariner on the list, “King Felix” is the lone reason Mariners fans continue to have faith in their organization. A 13-12 record in 2010 didn’t stop the 27-year-old right-hander from nabbing the Cy Young award as he led the league in innings pitched (249.2) and topped all of baseball with a 2.27 ERA. We are witnessing a legend in the making.
5. Randy Johnson
The Big Unit spent nearly a decade with Seattle, where he burst onto the scene with his overwhelming mound presence and scraggly long hair that turned him into the most feared pitcher in the game. Johnson’s most dominant phase didn’t come until he moved to Arizona – including a four year stretch in which he won the Cy Young award each year and struck out over 1,400 batters – which is why he doesn’t sit at the top of this list.
4. Alex Rodriguez
A-Rod broke into the show as an innocent rosy-cheeked teenager in 1994 and turned heads as he led the majors in hitting (.358) as a 20-year-old two seasons later. As his Hall of Fame-worthy career winds down, Mariners fans will always get to say the star was born in Seattle.
3. Ichiro
The greatest Japanese player of all time didn’t have to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in the same season to prove his worth, but he did it anyway in 2001. The wizard’s career .322 batting average is just one of many reasons why he will be enshrined eternally not only in the eyes of Mariners fans but universally amongst the baseball world as a whole.
2. Edgar Martinez
A member of a dying breed, Martinez played his entire career with one number on his back for one team. The six-time all-star and doubles machine defined Mariner baseball for almost two decades and his legacy will forever live strong. After all, he and Mr. Niehaus form the cross street for Safeco Field.
1. Ken Griffey Jr.
Every hero carries with him a sense of tragedy, which is why Griffey garners the top spot. Sure he broke plenty of hearts when he left, but back-to-back 56 home run seasons and the ’95 slide simply cannot be topped.
Evan O'Kelly is on Twitter. Follow him at @evo5giants
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