1989 Seattle Mariners season
| 1989 Seattle Mariners | |
|---|---|
| League | American League |
| Division | West |
| Ballpark | Kingdome |
| City | Seattle, Washington |
| Record | 73–89 (.451) |
| Divisional place | 6th place |
| Owners | George Argyros Jeff Smulyan (August) |
| General manager | Woody Woodward |
| Manager | Jim Lefebvre |
| Television | KSTW-TV 11 |
| Radio | KIRO 710 AM (Dave Niehaus, Rick Rizzs, Joe Simpson) |
The 1989 Seattle Mariners season was their 13th since the franchise creation, and the team finished in sixth place in the American League West division, with a record of 73–89 (.451). The Mariners were led by first-year manager Jim Lefebvre. and
The season was enlivened by the arrival of 19-year-old Ken Griffey Jr., the 1st overall pick of the 1987 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. The team traded for fellow future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson in May, sending out All-Star Mark Langston.
In August, owner George Argyros sold the team to Jeff Smulyan.
Offseason
- November 15, 1988: Luis DeLeón signed as a free agent with the Mariners.
- December 7: Jeffrey Leonard and Tom Niedenfuer signed as free agents with the Mariners.[1]
- In spring training, Ken Griffey Jr. set preseason team records for hits (32), RBIs (20), and total bases (49).[2]
Regular season
- Ken Griffey Jr. made his MLB debut on opening day, April 3, against the defending American League champion Oakland Athletics.[3][4] Griffey hit a double in his first at-bat.[2][3] During the 1989 season, Griffey was selected as card number one in the 1989 Upper Deck baseball card set.[2]
- Jeffrey Leonard represented the Mariners in the All-Star Game.[5]
- Owner George Argyros sold the team in August to a group headed by Indianapolis communications magnate Jeff Smulyan.[6][7][8]
- The Mariners had the lowest payroll in the majors in 1989, at $7.6 million.[9]
- Second baseman Harold Reynolds won a Gold Glove Award.[10] Griffey finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.[11]
- Closer Mike Schooler had 33 saves, a franchise record broken by Kazuhiro Sasaki in 2000.[12]
Season standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Athletics | 99 | 63 | .611 | — | 54–27 | 45–36 |
| Kansas City Royals | 92 | 70 | .568 | 7 | 55–26 | 37–44 |
| California Angels | 91 | 71 | .562 | 8 | 52–29 | 39–42 |
| Texas Rangers | 83 | 79 | .512 | 16 | 45–36 | 38–43 |
| Minnesota Twins | 80 | 82 | .494 | 19 | 45–36 | 35–46 |
| Seattle Mariners | 73 | 89 | .451 | 26 | 40–41 | 33–48 |
| Chicago White Sox | 69 | 92 | .429 | 29½ | 35–45 | 34–47 |
Record vs. opponents
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BAL | BOS | CAL | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | MIL | MIN | NYY | OAK | SEA | TEX | TOR |
| Baltimore | — | 6–7 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 7–6 | 10–3 | 6–6 | 7–6 | 4–8 | 8–5 | 5–7 | 6–6 | 9–3 | 7–6 |
| Boston | 7–6 | — | 4–8 | 7–5 | 8–5 | 11–2 | 4–8 | 6–7 | 6–6 | 7–6 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 6–6 | 5–8 |
| California | 6–6 | 8–4 | — | 8–5 | 5–7 | 11–1 | 4–9 | 7–5 | 11–2 | 6–6 | 5–8 | 7–6 | 6–7 | 7–5 |
| Chicago | 6–6 | 5–7 | 5–8 | — | 7–5 | 4–8 | 6–7 | 10–2 | 5–8 | 5–6 | 5–8 | 7–6 | 3–10 | 1–11 |
| Cleveland | 6–7 | 5–8 | 7–5 | 5–7 | — | 5–8 | 8–4 | 3–10 | 5–7 | 9–4 | 2–10 | 6–6 | 7–5 | 5–8 |
| Detroit | 3–10 | 2–11 | 1–11 | 8–4 | 8–5 | — | 6–6 | 6–7 | 5–7 | 6–7 | 4–8 | 4–8 | 4–8 | 2–11 |
| Kansas City | 6–6 | 8–4 | 9–4 | 7–6 | 4–8 | 6–6 | — | 8–4 | 7–6 | 6–6 | 7–6 | 9–4 | 8–5 | 7–5 |
| Milwaukee | 6–7 | 7–6 | 5–7 | 2–10 | 10–3 | 7–6 | 4–8 | — | 9–3 | 8–5 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 6–7 |
| Minnesota | 8–4 | 6–6 | 2–11 | 8–5 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 6–7 | 3–9 | — | 6–6 | 6–7 | 7–6 | 5–8 | 9–3 |
| New York | 5–8 | 6–7 | 6–6 | 6–5 | 4–9 | 7–6 | 6–6 | 5–8 | 6–6 | — | 3–9 | 8–4 | 5–7 | 7–6 |
| Oakland | 7–5 | 5–7 | 8–5 | 8–5 | 10–2 | 8–4 | 6–7 | 7–5 | 7–6 | 9–3 | — | 9–4 | 8–5 | 7–5 |
| Seattle | 6–6 | 7–5 | 6–7 | 6–7 | 6–6 | 8–4 | 4–9 | 5–7 | 6–7 | 4–8 | 4–9 | — | 6–7 | 5–7 |
| Texas | 3–9 | 6–6 | 7–6 | 10–3 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 5–8 | 7–5 | 8–5 | 7–5 | 5–8 | 7–6 | — | 5–7 |
| Toronto | 6–7 | 8–5 | 5–7 | 11–1 | 8–5 | 11–2 | 5–7 | 7–6 | 3–9 | 6–7 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 7–5 | — |
Notable transactions
- March 27, 1989: Steve Balboni was traded by the Mariners to the New York Yankees for Dana Ridenour.[1]
- May 25: Mark Langston and a player to be named later were traded by the Mariners to the Montreal Expos for pitchers Randy Johnson, Brian Holman, and Gene Harris.[13][14] The Mariners completed the deal by sending Mike Campbell to the Expos on July 31.[15]
- June 5: Roger Salkeld drafted third overall by the Mariners in the 1989 MLB draft.[16] Brian Turang was drafted by the Mariners in the 51st round of the draft.[17]
- June 12: Steve Trout was released by the Mariners.[1]
Major league debuts
- Batters:
- Ken Griffey Jr. and Omar Vizquel (April 3)[18]
- Pitchers:
- Clint Zavaras (June 3)[19]
Roster
| 1989 Seattle Mariners | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
|
Catchers
Infielders
|
Outfielders
Other Batters
|
Manager
Coaches
| ||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases
| Pos | Player | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | Avg. | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Dave Valle | 94 | 316 | 32 | 75 | 7 | 34 | .237 | 0 |
| 1B | Alvin Davis | 142 | 498 | 84 | 152 | 21 | 95 | .305 | 0 |
| 2B | Harold Reynolds | 153 | 613 | 87 | 184 | 0 | 43 | .300 | 25 |
| 3B | Jim Presley | 117 | 390 | 42 | 92 | 12 | 41 | .236 | 0 |
| SS | Omar Vizquel | 143 | 387 | 45 | 85 | 1 | 20 | .220 | 1 |
| LF | Greg Briley | 115 | 394 | 52 | 105 | 13 | 52 | .266 | 11 |
| CF | Ken Griffey Jr. | 127 | 455 | 61 | 120 | 16 | 61 | .264 | 16 |
| RF | Darnell Coles | 146 | 535 | 54 | 135 | 10 | 59 | .252 | 5 |
| DH | Jeffrey Leonard | 150 | 566 | 69 | 144 | 24 | 93 | .254 | 6 |
- Source[20]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Cotto | 100 | 295 | 78 | .264 | 9 | 33 |
| Scott Bradley | 103 | 270 | 74 | .274 | 3 | 37 |
| Jay Buhner | 58 | 204 | 56 | .275 | 9 | 33 |
| Edgar Martínez | 65 | 171 | 41 | .240 | 2 | 20 |
| Mickey Brantley | 34 | 108 | 17 | .157 | 0 | 8 |
| Dave Cochrane | 54 | 102 | 24 | .235 | 3 | 7 |
| Mike Kingery | 31 | 76 | 17 | .224 | 2 | 6 |
| Mario Díaz | 52 | 74 | 10 | .135 | 1 | 7 |
| Bill McGuire | 14 | 28 | 5 | .179 | 1 | 4 |
| Rey Quiñones | 7 | 19 | 2 | .105 | 0 | 0 |
| Jim Wilson | 5 | 8 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Bruce Fields | 3 | 3 | 1 | .333 | 0 | 0 |
Pitching
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Bankhead | 33 | 210.1 | 14 | 6 | 3.34 | 140 |
| Brian Holman | 23 | 159.2 | 8 | 10 | 3.44 | 82 |
| Randy Johnson | 22 | 131.0 | 7 | 9 | 4.40 | 104 |
| Erik Hanson | 17 | 113.1 | 9 | 5 | 3.18 | 75 |
| Mike Dunne | 15 | 85.1 | 2 | 9 | 5.27 | 38 |
| Mark Langston | 10 | 73.1 | 4 | 5 | 3.56 | 60 |
| Clint Zavaras | 10 | 52.0 | 1 | 6 | 5.19 | 31 |
| Luis DeLeón | 1 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 2.25 | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Swift | 37 | 130.0 | 7 | 3 | 4.43 | 45 |
| Gene Harris | 10 | 33.1 | 1 | 4 | 6.48 | 14 |
| Mike Campbell | 5 | 21.0 | 1 | 2 | 7.29 | 6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Schooler | 67 | 1 | 7 | 33 | 2.81 | 69 |
| Mike Jackson | 65 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 3.17 | 94 |
| Jerry Reed | 52 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3.19 | 50 |
| Dennis Powell | 43 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5.00 | 27 |
| Keith Comstock | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.81 | 22 |
| Tom Niedenfuer | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6.69 | 15 |
| Steve Trout | 19 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6.60 | 17 |
| Julio Solano | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.59 | 6 |
Farm system
References
- ^ a b c "1989 Seattle Mariners Trades and Transactions". Baseball Reference. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ a b c Jamieson, Dave (2010). Mint Condition: How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, imprint of Grove/Atlantic Inc. p. 167. ISBN 978-0-8021-1939-1.
- ^ a b "McGwire spoils M's opener, 3-2". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. April 4, 1993. p. C1.
- ^ "Ken Griffey Jr. Stats".
- ^ Donaghy, Jim (July 7, 1989). "Managers, league presidents fill out All-Star rosters". Gettysburg Times. p. B1.
- ^ Cour, Jim (August 23, 1989). "Can owners improve M's". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. p. C1.
- ^ "M's sold but will stay at Seattle". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. August 23, 1989. p. 1C.
- ^ Kelley, Steve (August 24, 1989). "M's owners wear Letterman jackets". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. (Seattle Times). p. C1.
- ^ "Signing of O'Brien heralds loose purse string for M's". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 8, 1989. p. C1.
- ^ "`89 AL Gold Glove winners- 1B-Don Mattingly,…". Chicago Tribune. December 7, 1989. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "1989 Awards Voting". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "Seattle Mariners Top 50 Single-Season Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "Mariners trade ace Langston to Expos". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. May 26, 1989. p. 4D.
- ^ LaRue, Larry (May 26, 1989). "Mariners excited about pitchers they're getting". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. McClatchy News Service. p. B3.
- ^ "Mark Langston Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "Seattle Makes Saugus' Salkeld the Third Pick". Los Angeles Times. June 6, 1989. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "Brian Turang Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "1989 Major League Baseball (MLB) Debuts". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "1989 Major League Baseball (MLB) Debuts". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "1989 Seattle Mariners Statistics and Roster". Baseball Reference. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
- ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America.
- ^ "1989 Seattle Mariners Minor League Affiliates". Baseball Reference. Retrieved March 16, 2026.