1977 Seattle Mariners season
Encyclopedia
The 1977 Seattle Mariners
season was the first season in franchise history. The creation of the Mariners brought baseball back to Seattle, which had been devoid of baseball since the Seattle Pilots
left for Milwaukee to become the Brewers
following the 1969 season. The Mariners ended the season just avoiding last place (held by the Oakland A's
), finishing 6th in the American League West
, finishing with a record of 64-98.
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
season was the first season in franchise history. The creation of the Mariners brought baseball back to Seattle, which had been devoid of baseball since the Seattle Pilots
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
left for Milwaukee to become the Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
following the 1969 season. The Mariners ended the season just avoiding last place (held by the Oakland A's
1977 Oakland Athletics season
The 1977 Oakland Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The team finished 7th in the American League West with a record of 63 wins and 98 losses...
), finishing 6th in the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
, finishing with a record of 64-98.
Offseason
- October 1, 1976: Dave JohnsonDave Johnson (1970s pitcher)David Charles Johnson is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball between 1974 and 1978 for the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was purchased by the Mariners from the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. - October 22, 1976: Diego SeguiDiego SeguíDiego Pablo Seguí González is a Cuban former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was known for his forkball.During a 16-year baseball career, Seguí played for the Kansas City Athletics , Washington Senators , Oakland Athletics , Seattle Pilots , Boston Red Sox , and Seattle Mariners . He batted and...
was purchased by the Mariners from the San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. - November 5, 1976: The 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft was held. The Mariners (along with their expansionExpansion teamAn expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
partners, the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
) selected 30 players to fill their major league roster. - April 1, 1977: Mike KekichMike KekichMichael Dennis Kekich was a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners between 1965 and 1977...
was purchased by the Mariners from the Tecolotes de Nuevo LaredoTecolotes de Nuevo LaredoThe Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo formerly known as the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos were a Mexican Baseball League team that played in the Zona Norte of the Mexican League. The Ciudad Deportiva's Estadio Nuevo Laredo is their home baseball park which has a capacity of 12,000 fans...
.
Linescore
April 6, Kingdome, Seattle, Washington| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
| Seattle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| W: Frank Tanana Frank Tanana Frank Daryl Tanana is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He was the California Angels' 1st round draft pick in 1971.... (1-0) L: Diego Seguí Diego Seguí Diego Pablo Seguí González is a Cuban former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was known for his forkball.During a 16-year baseball career, Seguí played for the Kansas City Athletics , Washington Senators , Oakland Athletics , Seattle Pilots , Boston Red Sox , and Seattle Mariners . He batted and... (0-1) |
||||||||||||
| HRs: Joe Rudi Joe Rudi Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed... (1) |
||||||||||||
Batting
| California Angels | AB | R | H | RBI | Seattle Mariners | AB | R | H | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remy Jerry Remy Gerald Peter "Rem Dawg" Remy is a Major League Baseball broadcaster and former Major League Baseball second baseman. Remy grew up in Somerset, Massachusetts.-Playing career:... , 2b |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Collins Dave Collins David S. Collins is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball from to .Collins is one of three players to have made it to the major leagues who played for the storied Rapid City Post 22 American Legion baseball program in Rapid City, SD... , DH Designated hitter In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grich Bobby Grich Robert Anthony "Bobby" Grich is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels of Major League Baseball... , ss |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Báez José Báez José Antonio Mota Báez is a former Major League Baseball player.-Los Angeles Dodgers:Báez was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in as an amateur free agent.-Seattle Mariners:... , 2B Second baseman Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base... |
4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Bonds, rf | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Braun, LF Left fielder In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound... |
3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Baylor, dh | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Stanton Leroy Stanton Leroy Bobby Stanton , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors, from to . He played in the New York Mets, California Angels ant the Seattle Mariners. He also played one season in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers in .-New York Mets:Stanton played... , RF Right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound... |
4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Rudi, lf | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Stein Bill Stein William Allen "Bill" Stein is a retired professional baseball player and manager. His playing career spanned 17 seasons, 14 of which were spent in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals , the Chicago White Sox , the Seattle Mariners , and the Texas Rangers... , 3B Third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run... |
4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Solaita, 1b | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Meyer, 1B First baseman First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bochte, cf | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Jones Ruppert Jones Ruppert Sanderson Jones is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers and California Angels... , CF Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chalk, 3b | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Stinson Bob Stinson (baseball) Gorrell Robert Stinson III is a former switch-hitting catcher in Major League Baseball from -. Stinson played for six major league franchises, most notably the Seattle Mariners.... , C Catcher Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to... |
3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Humphrey, c | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Reynolds, SS Shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the... |
4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Totals | 37 | 7 | 9 | 7 | Totals | 34 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Pitching
| California Angels | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | Seattle Mariners | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanana Frank Tanana Frank Daryl Tanana is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He was the California Angels' 1st round draft pick in 1971.... , W, (1-0) |
9.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | Seguí Diego Seguí Diego Pablo Seguí González is a Cuban former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was known for his forkball.During a 16-year baseball career, Seguí played for the Kansas City Athletics , Washington Senators , Oakland Athletics , Seattle Pilots , Boston Red Sox , and Seattle Mariners . He batted and... , L, (0-1) |
3.2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Montague John Montague (baseball) John Evans Montague , is a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the major leagues from 1973 to 1980... |
5.1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
| Totals | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | Totals | 9.0 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
Other notable events
- April 10, 1977: Designated hitterDesignated hitterIn baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
Juan BernhardtJuan BernhardtJuan Ramón Bernhardt Coradin is a retired professional baseball player whose career spanned 13 seasons. Bernhardt spent parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees , and the Seattle Mariners...
hit the first home runHome runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in team history. - July 1, 1977: Amidst a frenzy of negative cheering, the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
played their first game in Seattle since 1969, when they were the Seattle Pilots. The Brewers beat the hometown Mariners, 2-1.
Notable transactions
- April 20, 1977: Pete BrobergPete BrobergPeter Sven Broberg , was a former professional baseball pitcher in the Major Leagues from -. He played for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. He was drafted in 1971, and went straight to the Major Leagues...
was traded by the Mariners to the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for a player to be named later. The Cubs completed the deal by sending Jim ToddJim Todd (baseball)James Richard Todd, Jr. is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played six seasons in Major League Baseball from until .Todd was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft. He pitched in their organization through his major league debut...
to the Mariners on October 25. - May 2, 1977: Dave Johnson was purchased from the Mariners by the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. - June 7, 1977: Tony PhillipsTony PhillipsKeith Anthony Phillips is a former Major League Baseball utility player who had an 18-year career from to . He played regularly at three infield positions, primarily as a second baseman, but also had significant time as a shortstop and third baseman...
was drafted by the Mariners in the 16th round of the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft1977 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1977 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The White Sox raised some brows when they passed on right-handed pitcher Bill Gullickson, a native of nearby Orland Park, IL, and selected outfielder Harold Baines as the number one...
, but did not sign. - July 27, 1977: Dave PaganDave PaganDavid Percy Pagan is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball from 1973 until 1977, and was a member of the Seattle Mariners' 1977 inaugural season roster....
was traded by the Mariners to the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
for a player to be named later. The Pirates completed the deal by sending Rick HoneycuttRick HoneycuttFrederick Wayne "Rick" Honeycutt is the current pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Honeycutt was a left-handed pitcher for 21 years from 1977 to 1997. He played with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals...
to the Mariners on August 22. - August 2, 1977: Stan ThomasStan Thomas (baseball)Stanley Brown Thomas is a former professional baseball pitcher. Thomas pitched in all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball from 1974 until 1977....
was traded by the Mariners to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for future considerations. - September 9, 1977: Bill LaxtonBill LaxtonWilliam Harry Laxton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Laxton pitched in all or part of five seasons in the majors between and .- Early career :...
and cash were traded by the Mariners to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Ray FosseRay FosseRaymond Earl Fosse is a former professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues. He was drafted in the first round of the 1965 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians. Fosse also holds the distinction of being the Indians' first ever draft pick, as 1965 was the first year of the...
.
Roster
| 1977 Seattle Mariners | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 105 | 297 | 80 | .269 | 8 | 32 | |
| 1B | 159 | 582 | 159 | .273 | 22 | 90 | |
| 2B | 91 | 305 | 79 | .259 | 1 | 17 | |
| 3B | 151 | 566 | 144 | .259 | 13 | 67 | |
| SS | 135 | 420 | 104 | .248 | 4 | 28 | |
| LF | 139 | 451 | 106 | .235 | 5 | 31 | |
| CF | 160 | 597 | 157 | .263 | 24 | 76 | |
| RF | 133 | 454 | 125 | .275 | 27 | 90 | |
| DH | 89 | 305 | 74 | .243 | 7 | 30 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 402 | 96 | .239 | 5 | 28 | |
| 99 | 297 | 84 | .283 | 8 | 34 | |
| 86 | 242 | 53 | .219 | 2 | 21 | |
| 60 | 199 | 51 | .256 | 1 | 7 | |
| 42 | 109 | 24 | .220 | 3 | 15 | |
| 35 | 93 | 23 | .247 | 2 | 6 | |
| 11 | 34 | 12 | .353 | 0 | 5 | |
| 21 | 27 | 7 | .259 | 0 | 4 | |
| 9 | 13 | 3 | .231 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 204.1 | 12 | 13 | 4.45 | 100 | |
| 25 | 122.1 | 7 | 12 | 5.15 | 51 | |
| 17 | 88.1 | 6 | 9 | 4.89 | 47 | |
| 10 | 42.1 | 1 | 4 | 5.10 | 16 | |
| 9 | 39 | 3 | 3 | 4.99 | 20 | |
| 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3.86 | 4 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 182.1 | 8 | 12 | 4.29 | 98 | |
| 40 | 110.2 | 0 | 7 | 5.69 | 91 | |
| 26 | 89.1 | 4 | 5 | 3.93 | 39 | |
| 24 | 66 | 1 | 1 | 6.14 | 30 | |
| 13 | 58.1 | 2 | 6 | 6.02 | 14 | |
| 11 | 35 | 0 | 6 | 9.00 | 21 | |
| 10 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 4.34 | 17 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 2.83 | 105 | |
| 43 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4.95 | 49 | |
| 41 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5.60 | 55 | |
| 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4.91 | 13 | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.87 | 6 | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.00 | 5 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27.00 | 1 |