| 18 January 2012
Yesterday the Seattle Mariners announced Dan Wilson and Randy Johnson will be inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame this year on July 28, 2012 in a game against the Kansas City Royals (mark your calendars!).
Dan Wilson played 12 of his 14 Major League seasons for the Mariners (1994-2005). Wilson, who played more games as a catcher than any other player in Mariners history (1,281), is ranked among the Top 10 in a bevy of Mariners offensive categories.
Johnson had one of the most dominant fastballs in the game and regularly hit 100+ mph in his prime. He won five Cy Young Awards (1995, 1999-2002), including the first by a Mariners pitcher when he went 18-2 with a 2.48 ERA in 1995. (Via: Mariners.com)
Johnson and Wilson will be joining Alvin Davis (1997 induction), Dave Niehaus (2000), Jay Buhner (2004) and Edgar Martinez (2007) into the Mariners Hall of Fame. For eligibility, a player or a manager must be active in a Mariners uniform for at least five season and must be ceased to be active in the MLB for at least two seasons before selection.
The next obvious inductions have to be Ken Griffey Jr. and Lou Piniella. Ichiro and Jamie Moyer will also get their nods once they retire. Anyone else out there?
A ludicrous suggestion that came in my head after perusing all-time Mariners career stats tells me maybe a case for Jeff Nelson could be made. He is third all-time in ERA and also held opponents to batting .222 in his Mariners all-time leading 432 appearances. Nelson was also a crucial piece to the Mariners' runs in both 1995 and 2001.
Could he be the greatest Mariners reliever of all-time? Think of an M's reliever that had that much of an impact for as long as Nelson did. I can't. I'm not saying his impact was large, but I am saying his impact is unmatched. On the other hand, I found out he only totaled 4.3 WAR in his eight seasons with the Mariners. And then there's that part that he only pitched one inning when he went into games. Am I crazy? Yes, I'm probably crazy.
--Kevin Cacabelos (@seatownsports)
