Tony Overman/The Olympian
Ichiro Suzuki took America by storm in 2001, setting a rookie record for number of hits on his way to becoming the American League's most valuable player.

M's great season almost greater

116 wins tied record, but Yankees were their undoing

ELLIOTT SMITH, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published December 30, 2001

No matter what the baseball experts or your next-door neighbor might say, no one had any idea that 2001 would be the year of the Seattle Mariners.

Because even the Mariners themselves entered the 2001 season with guarded optimism.

"Truthfully, I have no idea how things will look," Seattle manager Lou Piniella said before spring training. "It makes spring training more interesting. Usually I go into camp with an idea, but we've got to make some decisions there."

After losing Alex Rodriguez to the Texas Rangers in the off-season, the Mariners were counting on a solid pitching staff and stingy defense to keep them in the hunt.

"We're sort of like the Baltimore Ravens," Mariners general manager Pat Gillick said in the spring. "Pitching and defense will carry us, because we don't have a marquee player."

Boy, was Gillick wrong about that.

Buoyed by the remarkable play of the destined-to-be American League Most Valuable Player Ichiro Suzuki, the Mariners ran roughshod over any and all competitors during the regular season. In the process, they racked up a record-tying 116 victories on the way to winning the AL West by 14 games over the Oakland A's.

But once again, the Mariners fell short in the playoffs, losing to the New York Yankees in five games in the American League Championship Series.

Still, it hardly took the luster off a season of dominance not seen in baseball in nearly 100 years.

Leading the way for Seattle was Ichiro, the spark plug at the top of the lineup who won the hearts of Seattle fans and the nation with the kind of play that had earned him a reputation as Japan's best player.

"Ichiro came over here and got it done," Piniella said. "I would never put the kind of expectations on him to get 200 hits -- that's a ton for anyone.

"But he's been fun to watch. He goes up there, takes a swing and does something with the ball."

Ichiro finished the season hitting .350 with 127 runs scored, 56 steals and 242 hits -- breaking the American League rookie hit record held by "Shoeless" Joe Jackson.

And he did it all with a quiet and mysterious grace.

"I am just part of the team," Suzuki said.

Another acquisition also played an integral role in the Mariners run, as second-baseman Bret Boone had a career year at the plate (.331, 31 HR, 147 RBI) to help fill the void Rodriguez created.

Seemingly, there was a new hero every night for the Mariners, whether it was Mike Cameron making a spectacular catch, John Olerud supplying a key hit, Mark McLemore showing his versatility or Edgar Martinez continuing his steady brilliance.

Seattle's pitchers had four 15-game winners, led by emerging ace Freddy Garcia and surprise standout Paul Abbott. New additions Jeff Nelson and Norm Charlton helped solidify the Mariners' bullpen, which was carried by closer Kazuhiro Sasaki, who racked up 45 saves.

There weren't many bumps along the way during the Mariners' magical season, but the team did get a scare in September when Carlos Guillen was diagnosed with tuberculosis, causing him to miss the end of the season and the first round of the playoffs.

Of course, the Mariners had to deal with the tragedies of Sept. 11, which shut down baseball for a week and brought the sports world into perspective.

"It feels good to get back," Seattle center fielder Mike Cameron said before the Mariners returned to the field on Sept. 18. "It will be a chance for people to ease their minds and get away from the TV."

The Mariners stormed into the playoffs, but struggled with a tough Cleveland team in the AL Divisional Series before prevailing in five games.

After dropping the first two games in Seattle to New York, Piniella guaranteed a Game 6 at Safeco Field, but the Mariners could not fulfill his prophecy, causing an abrupt end to a season in which winning the World Series seemed a distinct possibility.

So how do you go forward in 2002 from this record-setting, awe-inspiring season?

The Mariners have made it clear that their goal in 2002 is the World Series.

They'll shoot for it with a slightly different look. Seattle stalwart Jay Buhner retired after 14 big-league seasons as did utility man Stan Javier.

The Mariners let Aaron Sele go to the Anaheim Angels in free agency, and traded away pitcher Brett Tomko and catcher Tom Lampkin.

New faces include third-baseman Jeff Cirillo, acquired from the Colorado Rockies for Jose Paniagua, and catcher Ben Davis, who came from the San Diego Padres in the Tomko/Lampkin deal.

Elliott Smith covers sports for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5473 or esmith@ olympia.gannett.com.

On the Web:

- Mariners: Season 2001

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