Sportshistory
Sports History, News, and Opinion
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Cliff Lee May Go To Mariners and Halladay to Philly

Written on December 15, 2009 – 3:27 am by Sportshistory

It looks like the Mariners are going for broke in building a contender for the 2010 season.  After stealing Chone Figgins from their division arch-foes in LA, Seattle may be getting Cy Young winner Cliff Lee from Philadelphia, while Roy Halladay looks to be headed for the City of Brotherly Love.

If they really do get Cliff Lee, the Mariners become instant contenders to knock the LA Angels off their throne atop the AL West.

Sources: http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=374&sid=256544

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4742072

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Chone Figgins to Play for the Mariners

Written on December 7, 2009 – 5:34 am by Sportshistory

Chone Figgins will bat for the Seattle Mariners next year, but a major question remains:  Who will bat leadoff?  Figgins, or Ichiro?  The Mariners have an interesting conundrum ahead of them in deciding who should bat first.  Realistically, unless Ichiro offers to bat second, it would be logical for Ichiro to go first, given his time in Seattle and the affection the fans have for him.  Besides acquiring a guy who has a great on-base percentage, the Mariners scored a coup taking Figgins from their division rival (and current division champ), the Angels.

 

For more info, read Shannon Drayer’s very informative blog at http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=374&sid=252210

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Catcher Kenji Johjima is Leaving the Seattle Mariners

Written on October 20, 2009 – 3:28 pm by Sportshistory

Kenji Johjima, the Seattle Mariners catcher, is apparently leaving Seattle and returning to Japan, according to his agent, Alan Nero.

On October 19, Seattle announced that Johjima opted out of the remaining two years left on his contract with the Mariners. According to the Seattle General Manager, the opt out clause allowed the catcher to leave at anytime to return to play in Japan.

Reports from Japan indicate that the Hanshin Tigers are looking at Johjima and are preparing to offer a multi-year contract at five million dollars per year.

Source: http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=374&sid=226762

(Note, Mariners Blog  by Shannon Drayer, is an excellent news source on the Seattle Mariners)

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Yanks Beat Twins to Advance to ALCS for Record-Setting 13th Time

Written on October 12, 2009 – 1:21 pm by Sportshistory

American League Championship Series appearances since LCS play began in 1969

Rank Team Total App.
1. Yankees 13
2. Athletics 11
3. Red Sox 9
4. Orioles 9
5. Angels 6
6. Royals 6
7. Twins 5
8. Blue Jays 5
9. Tigers 4
10. Indians 4
11. White Sox 3
12. Mariners 3
13. Brewers 1
14. Rays 1
15. Rangers 0

The New York Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins to advance to the AL Championship Series for the record-setting 13th time since the LCS format began in 1969.  The Twins have not been to the ALCS since 2002.

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2009 Playoffs Full of World Series Experienced Teams

Written on October 11, 2009 – 6:22 pm by Sportshistory

1998—New York Yankees defeated the San Diego Padres

1999– New York Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves

2000– New York Yankees defeated the New York Mets

2001—Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees

2002—Anaheim Angels defeated the San Francisco Giants

2003—Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees

2004—Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals

2005—Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros

2006—St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers

2007—Boston Red Sox defeated the Colorado Rockies

2008— Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays

If you look at the list of World Series teams above, and then look at the teams in the 2009 playoffs, it is interesting that  most of the teams in this year’s playoffs have made it into the World Series over the past ten years.

National League 2009 Playoff teams are the Rockies (lost World Series in 2007), Phillies (won World Series in 2008), Cardinals (lost World Series in 2004, won in 2006), and Dodgers.

American League 2009 Playoff teams are the Yankees (won World Series in 1998, 1999, 2000, lost in 2001 and 2003), Twins, Angels (won World Series in 2002), and the Red Sox (lost World Series in 2004 and 2007). 

That is a lot of World Series experience in these playoffs.

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Ichiro Watch: 1,988 Hits, With 12 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

Written on September 6, 2009 – 5:11 am by Sportshistory

Ichiro Watch: 1,988 Hits, With 12 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

 

September 5, 2009,  Ichiro had two hits in five at-bats in Seattle’s 6-3 loss in Oakland.

Ichiro Career Hits:  1, 988

Ichiro Hits This Season:  193

 

When Ichiro reaches 2,000 career hits, he will be the first the first (and only) player to do so in the first nine years of his Major League career.

When Ichiro reaches 200 hits for this season, he will hold the record for most consecutive 200-hit seasons in Major League Baseball at nine seasons.

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Ichiro Watch: 1,986 Hits, With 14 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

Written on September 5, 2009 – 4:08 am by Sportshistory

Ichiro Watch: 1,986 Hits, With 14 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

 

September 4, 2009,

Ichiro Career Hits:  1, 986

Ichiro Hits This Season:  191

 

When Ichiro reaches 2,000 career hits, he will be the first the first (and only) player to do so in the first nine years of his Major League career.

When Ichiro reaches 200 hits for this season, he will hold the record for most consecutive 200-hit seasons in Major League Baseball at nine seasons.

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Ichiro Watch: 1,983 Hits, With 17 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

Written on August 22, 2009 – 3:58 am by Sportshistory

Ichiro Watch: 1,983 Hits, With 17 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

 

Today, August 21, 2009, Ichiro registered one hit in five at-bats in Seattle’s 9-4 win in Cleveland.

Ichiro Career Hits:  1, 983

Ichiro Hits This Season:  188

 

When Ichiro reaches 2,000 career hits, he will be the first the first (and only) player to do so in the first nine years of his Major League career.

When Ichiro reaches 200 hits for this season, he will hold the record for most consecutive 200-hit seasons in Major League Baseball at nine seasons.

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Ichiro Watch: 1,982 Hits, With 18 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

Written on August 20, 2009 – 8:40 pm by Sportshistory

Ichiro Watch: 1,982 Hits, With 18 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

 

Today, August 20, 2009, Ichiro registered one hit in four at-bats in Seattle’s 7-6 loss in Detroit in a rain-delayed game.

Ichiro Career Hits:  1, 982

Ichiro Hits This Season:  182

 

When Ichiro reaches 2,000 career hits, he will be the first the first (and only) player to do so in the first nine years of his Major League career.

When Ichiro reaches 200 hits for this season, he will hold the record for most consecutive 200-hit seasons in Major League Baseball at nine seasons.

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Ichiro Watch: 1,981 Hits, With 19 To Go To Reach 2,000 Hits

Written on August 20, 2009 – 1:33 pm by Sportshistory

Ichiro Suzuki, by far the most successful and most popular Japanese player in the Major Leagues, is inching closer to a record-setting 2,000 Major League career hits.  With his output in the Mariners win over Detroit ( Aug. 18, 2009), Ichiro needs only 19 more hits to become the first player Major League Baseball’s 133-year history to bat his way to nine consecutive 200-hit seasons.  When he reaches 2,000 career hits, Ichiro will also be the first (and only) to do so in the first nine years of his Major League career.

Ichiro Suzuki Mariners At Bat Hits Record

In yesterday’s game against Detroit, Ichiro added two more hits, including a game-deciding two-run homer in the fifth inning.   This was the Mariners’ 62nd victory of the year, ensuring the team a better season than last year’s pathetic season.  The Mariners notched a 3-1 win over the Tigers in front of 33,194 at Detroit’s Comerica Park.

In Ichiro’s nine-year career in the Japanese Leagues, he acquired 1,278 hits, and holds the Japanese record for most hits in a season with 210.  Japanese League statistics do not count toward Major League totals.

As of the conclusion of the August 18 game against Detroit, Ichiro had 1, 981 hits, with only 19 more needed to reach 2,000.

The consecutive 200-hit record is held by Hall of Fame outfielder “Wee” Willie Keeler (1894-1901).

 

Links:

Ichiro draws closer to 200 hits: Outfielder’s decisive long ball makes winner of righty Snell–MLB.com, August 18, 2009