The Seattle Mariners 1998 season was their 22nd season, and was the final year in which Kingdome was the home venue for the entire season. Their record was 76–85 (.472) and they finished in third place in the four-team American League West, 11½ games behind the champion Texas Rangers.
The Mariners were the defending division champions, but exceeded the .500 mark only once during the season; at 19–18 after a win at Detroit on May 12. On July 18 at the Kingdome, Seattle (crimson, silver, and black) and the Kansas City Royals (yellow gold and blue) played a game in futuristic uniforms for "Turn Ahead the Clock" night. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Mariners won by three.
Ken Griffey Jr. hit 56 home runs to tie his franchise record set the year before; Rodriguez hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases to become the third member of the 40/40 club, joining Jose Canseco (1988) and Barry Bonds (1996).
Offseason
- November 13, 1997: Jalal Leach was signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners.
- December 3, 1997: Ken Huckaby was signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners.
- December 16, 1997: Pat Listach was signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners.
- December 27, 1997: Rico Rossy was signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners.
- January 8, 1998: Glenallen Hill signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners.
- January 29, 1998: Jalal Leach was traded by the Seattle Mariners with Scott Smith (minors) to the San Francisco Giants for David McCarty.
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Opening Day starters
- Jay Buhner
- Joey Cora
- Russ Davis
- Ken Griffey Jr.
- Glenallen Hill
- Randy Johnson
- Edgar Martínez
- Alex Rodriguez
- David Segui
- Dan Wilson
Notable transactions
- June 13, 1998: Catcher Ken Huckaby was released by the Mariners.
- July 6, 1998: Outfielder Glenallen Hill was selected off waivers by the Chicago Cubs from the Mariners.
- July 31, 1998: Randy Johnson was traded by the Mariners to the Houston Astros for pitcher Freddy García, infielder Carlos Guillén, and a player to be named later; Houston sent pitcher John Halama to the Mariners on October 1 to complete the trade.
- August 31, 1998: Infielder David Bell was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Mariners for Joey Cora.
Roster
Major League debuts
- Batters:
- Rickey Cradle (Jul 1)
- Charles Gipson (Mar 31)
- Carlos Guillén (Sep 6)
- Shane Monahan (Jul 9)
- Ryan Radmanovich (Apr 13)
- Pitchers:
- Steve Gajkowski (May 25)
- David Holdridge (Aug 8)
Game log
Source:
Player stats
Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; Slg. = Slugging average; SB = Stolen bases
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; Slg. = Slugging average; SB = Stolen bases
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; BB = Walks allowed
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; BB = Walks allowed
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; BB = Walks allowed
Ken Griffey Jr.'s 56 home runs
Awards and honors
- Ken Griffey Jr., franchise record, most home runs in one season (56)
- Alex Rodriguez, third member to join the 40/40 Club
Source:
Farm system
References
External links
- 1998 Seattle Mariners at Baseball Reference
- 1998 Seattle Mariners team page at www.baseball-almanac.com
