Series Preview: Seattle Mariners Wikipedia Facts

Luckily, our beloved Brewers, riding a four game winning streak, don't have to worry about facing King Felix or Cliff Lee in this series.  Which is good, because that's the only thing Seattle has going for them right now and makes it a good possibility that the Brewers should be able to continue their hot streak.  I mean, just look at the OPS+ of the players on that team.  Ichiro (130) and Franklin Gutierrez (108) are the only players over 100 and Josh Wilson (98) is the only other player over 77!   Put simply, they are a terrible, terrible offensive team.

Here are some quick, basic stats on the Mariners thus far this year:
Current Record: 30-42 (Last in AL West)
Runs Scored: 247
Runs Allowed: 306
Best Batting Average: Ichiro (.339)
Best OBP: Ichiro (.394)
Best SLG: Ichiro (.441)
Most HR: Milton Bradley, Franklin Gutierrez and Mike Sweeney (6)
Most RBI: Gutierrez (31)
Most Strikeouts (Hitter): Gutierrez (69)
Most Strikeouts (Pitcher): Felix Hernandez (105)
Most Walks (Pitcher): Hernandez (35)
Best ERA: Cliff Lee (2.39)
Best FIP: Cliff Lee (1.98)
Best WAR (hitter): Ichiro (2.8)
Best WAR (pitcher): Cliff Lee (3.7)

Wikipedia facts following the jump

• The Mariners were created as a result of a lawsuit.  After the Pilots moved to Milwaukee to become the Brewers, Seattle and the State of Washington sued the MLB for breach of contract, resulting in the Mariners being formed for the 1977 season.
• "Ichiro's agent Tony Attanasio described his client's status: 'When you mail Ichiro something from the States, you only have to use that name on the address and he gets it [in Japan]. He's that big.'"
• When Ichiro first arrived in the MLB, he was indifferent as to what number he would wear, so the Mariners issued him #51, formerly worn by Randy Johnson in Seattle.  Ichiro, trying to avoid insulting the Big Unit, sent a message to him promising that he would not "bring shame" to the number.
• "The Japanese name 'Ichiro' is often written 一郎, meaning 'first son'. Ichiro's name, however, is written with a different character, 一朗, so that his name roughly means 'brightest, most cheerful'."
• Milton "Bradley is named after his father, Milton Bradley, Sr., who filled out the birth certificate form without his wife's permission. As Milton's mother says of his father, 'He wanted a Junior, and made sure he got one.'"
• Josh Wilson's nickname is "The Paperboy" due to his youthful appearance.
• Ryan Rowland-Smith's father is a celebrity trainer and his sister is a professional surfer, and his grandfather was once Australia's minister for sports and recreation.
• Rowland-Smith is also the first player with a hyphenated last name to appear in a major league game.
• I'm always surprised when I see Cliff Lee and realize he's white.
• If you listed every player in MLB history alphabetically by last name, David Aardsma would be the first player on your list.
• Aardsma's sister, Amanda, is a beauty pageant contestant and actress.
• Greg Halman speaks four languages:  Spanish, English, Dutch and Papiamento.
• Dustin Ackley broke a metal bat while playing in college.  His teammates nicknamed him Roy Hobbs after that.
• I had a dream last night that the Brewers traded for Erik Bedard.