At the conclusion of the season, Seattle fired Manager Bob Melvin. When Melvin received this position prior to the 2003 season, I was concerned with the rookie manager's limited managerial experience. While we do not know that additional practice in the minors prior to his first major league managerial position would have been helpful, his record seems to indicate he was unprepared for the task. In Melvin's first season at the helm, the Mariners finished with a record of 93-69, which might appear impressive at first. However when you look closer, Seattle finished six games behind their Pythagorean record and only went 16-15 in one-run games. This season the Mariners finished 63-99, five games behind their Pythagorean record, and only went 20-30 in one-run games. No specific flaws immediately spring to mind with Melvin. He simply failed to excel in any area, giving Seattle no reason to hold on to him when the team turned in a poor record.

Between the League Championship Series and the start of the World Series, Seattle announced the club's hiring of Mike Hargrove as their new manager, signing him to a three-year contract. Hargrove's baseball career began as a player. He spent ten years in the majors at a first baseman, splitting most of that time between Texas and Cleveland with a short layover in San Diego. When he retired, he took a coaching position in the lower levels of Cleveland's system prior to working his way up the minor league ladder as a manager. In 1990, he took a position as the Indians' first base coach, and in July of 1991, Cleveland installed him as their major league manager. He held on to his first managerial position through the 1999 season. Baltimore then hired him to manage the Orioles prior to the 2000 season. He remained with Baltimore through 2003. When the Orioles chose to replace him prior to the 2004 season, he returned to the Indians' organization as an assistant to General Manager Mark Shapiro.

Hargrove's record seems to indicate he makes good teams better but stagnates without an inspiring roster. I expect the Mariners to be dwarfed by the competition in the AL West for the next few seasons, but the club should field a solid team, making Hargrove a decent choice to squeeze a few extra wins out of the players in the hopes of taking advantage of mishaps elsewhere in the division. Hargrove also has positive experience overseeing young offensive talent, which is something Seattle should be working into their lineup during his reign. If a player has speed, Hargrove likely will give them the green light to steal with little regard for their success rate.

The 55-year-old is now working on assembling his coaching staff. So far, Hargrove has decided to keep Pitching Coach Bryan Price while installing Ron Hassey as his new bench coach. Hassey's baseball career also began as a player. He caught for Cleveland for seven seasons before moving on to the Cubs, the Yankees, the White Sox, Oakland, and Montreal. After retiring, he became an advanced scout for the Yankees in 1992. He then took a position on the Rockies' initial coaching staff before signing on as the Cardinals bench coach in 1996. Hassey joined the Arizona organization in 1997, serving as a special assistant to the General Manager from 1998-99. After a season as minor league catching coordinator, he took over as minor league field coordinator from 2001-2002. He then returned to scouting for a season before Florida hired him to manage their AA Carolina, the Marlins' Southern League affiliate in 2004. Prior to receiving this offer, Hassey was set to manage Arizona's AAA Pacific Coast League affiliate at Albuquerque in 2005. Third Base Coach Dave Myers will not oversee the hot corner for Seattle in 2005, but the Mariners have yet to name a replacement.

Edgar Martinez collected a final feather for his cap following his retirement, receiving the 2004 Roberto Clemente Award, which annually honors a baseball player for their community service work. Martinez signed with Seattle as a nondrafted free agent in 1982. After working his way through the Mariners' minor league system, he made his major league debut in September of 1987. Over the course of his 18-season career, Martinez hit .312 with a .418 OBP and .515 SLG on 2247 H, 514 2B, 15 3B, and 309 HR with a 1283:1202 BB:K and 49/70 SB% in 7213 AB. The lifelong Mariner appeared on seven All-Star teams, finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice and won batting titles in 1992 and 1995. Since the early 90's he's been active in charity work, supporting muscular dystrophy research, hospital fundraising, children's literacy, and mentorship programs among other things.