The Seattle Mariners are a team now known for their one-two punch of Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. But the batting side is where trouble awaits. Many years ago, Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre were signed on to help Ichiro Suzuki in the batting department. That didn’t work out too well. Now, Ichiro still has nobody to help him. Ken Griffey Jr. is an all-time great who brings nostalgia to the team, but not much else. Aside from Ichiro, only one other player on the Mariners is even batting .250 this year. Chone Figgins was supposed to be a great acquisition, but his batting average is not even .200 more than mine is.

Cliff Lee has proven to be a great pick-up for Seattle. However, they clearly did not focus enough on batting. Ichiro continues to be his usual great self, but he is climbing up in age. At this rate, by the time he retires, the Mariners won’t have anyone batting over .250. The Mariners need serious batting help. Until then, I hope they will at least find the need to get employees for playoff viewing parties.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

The Mariners have had the biggest turnaround in the Major Leagues this season, spurred by one familiar offensive weapon and two newcomers.


Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, center fielder Franklin Gutierrez and first baseman Russell Branyan have been so instrumental in the team’s resurgence on the field that they have been selected by the Mariners organization as its nominees for the MLB Hank Aaron Award.

The Hank Aaron Award, presented by Sharp, is awarded annually to the best overall offensive performer in each league, with each club having three nominees. This is the seventh consecutive year that fans have had a voice in selecting the award winners.


Click here to read the full article – By Jim Street of MLB.com

Seattle Mariners Sports Memorabilia
and other Seattle Mariners Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Ichiro Suzuki.