In 1980, The Mariners finished 7th in the AL West, tallying over 100 losses. The following season they would come out flat, finishing in 6th place in the first half. They improved slightly in the second half of the season following the strike, with a 23-29 record which was 5th best in the division.
The "highlights" from this era of Mariners baseball included Manager Maury Wills attempting to enlarge the batter's box to gain an edge, for which he was fined (and soon after, fired) Later in 1981, the team's equipment was stolen before a game in Texas, forcing them to wear their batting practice jerseys, Rangers helmets, and Brewers hats. Why Brewers? The hats were purchased from the Rangers' souvenir shop, which did not carry any Mariners merchandise. Ouch. The franchise was still building itself up since becoming a member of the American League in 1977. The players here all have varied stories - some bizarre, some tragic.
Here are the cards:
Donruss # 168 Joe Simpson - Simpson came over to the Mariners from the Dodgers in 1979, and was productive in his first full MLB season, hitting .283 over 120 games in various parts of the outfield. He was primarily used in right field in 79 and 80, center field in 81, then a more even mix of all three spots in 1982. He finished his MLB career in Kansas City in 1983, where he even got work in on the mound with a pair of late inning pitching appearances. He became a broadcaster after his playing career ended, and has been with the Atlanta Braves TV team since 1992.
Fleer #610 Dave Edler - Dave Edler was a successful AAA hitter, hitting over .300 in 1982 and 1983. Following his playing days, Edler became a pastor, then a politician - he was the mayor of Yakima, Washington from 2006 - 2010.
Topps #187 Mike Parrott - A year after going 14-12 with a 3.77 ERA, Mike had a disastrous 1980, with just one victory against sixteen defeats. His lone win came in the season opener. having a mix of hard luck and poor performance plague the rest of his 1980 campaign. His 1979 season set team records for victories and innings pitched for the fledgling franchise, and he would go on to a lengthy coaching career in the minors that continues to this day.
Topps #33 Rick Honeycutt - Honeycutt is known more recently as the long-time pitching coach for the Dodgers, but he also had a 21 year playing career that somewhat resembled his Oakland teammate Dennis Eckersley. He started games early in his career, even winning an ERA title in 1983 in the AL. He would be converted to the bullpen (also under Tony LaRussa in Oakland) and found a second leg to his career there. In 1980, he represented the Mariners at the All-Star Game, and was caught red-handed (and red foreheaded) with a thumbtack taped to his pitching hand. He was suspended and fined, but still was the key piece in a trade that brought Richie Zisk to Seattle in 1981.
Fleer Star Stickers #8 Bruce Bochte - Not to be confused with Bruce Bochy, Bruce Bochte came to the Mariners in their second season and established himself as their offensive leader. In 1979, he was an All-Star and drove in 100 runs for the team. In 1980 he was the team leader in batting average, OBP, hits, doubles, homers and sported a 128 OPS+, the only Seattle regular to surpass league average in that category in 1980.
Donruss #501 Dave Roberts - Not to be confused with the 70s infielder Dave Roberts, or the outfielder turned Dodger skipper Dave Roberts, this Dave Roberts was a member of the 1979 Pirates "We are Fam-A-Lee" champs and split 1980 with the Mariners and Buccos. Roberts was a very good hitting pitcher, with 7 career homers hit. Roberts was a stalwart member of the early 70s Astros rotations, particularly in 1973 when he had a 17-11 record. Roberts passed away in 2009 from cancer caused by asbestos he was exposed to early in his career when he working as a boilermaker in the offseason.
Drake's Big Hitters # 25 Bruce Bochte - (pronounced BOCK-tee) Became a cosmologist (studying the universe) following his playing career, during which he led his team in hitting 4 different times. His All-Star appearance was also the year the event was hosted in Seattle, thrilling the crowd with a double off future teammate Gaylord Perry. The Big Lefty is a proponent of Environmental issues as well, working with the San Francisco Bay institute in efforts to keep the Bay clean(ish).
Fleer #597 Rodney Craig - The switch-hitting Craig played in a career high 70 games for the 1980 Mariners, mostly in center field. Craig was the Opening Day starter for the Mariners in 1980 in CF, but poor hitting led to a demotion to AAA Spokane. After a lengthy minor league career than included stops in Mexico and three different MLB orgs. Sadly, Craig fell on hard times following his playing career and became homeless. In 2013, Craig was involved in an altercation outside of a shelter and was stabbed to death by another man.
Topps #583 Larry Milbourne - Former Topps All-Star Rookie Larry Milbourne had some of his best MLB seasons with the Mariners in the late 70s and early 80s. 329 of his 623 career hits came with Seattle, finding a niche as a solid utility player for the team and several other orgs throughout the 80s. He was a member of the 1981 Yankees team that made it all the way to the World Series - he hit .462 in the ALCS against Oakland. For the Mariners in 1980, Milbourne filled in a 2nd, 3rd, and Short while also DHing from time to time. He attended High School in Millville, NJ the same school as Mike Trout. He also hit .363 playing in the Senior Baseball league in 89 and 1990. and was a minor league manager for 3 seasons in the Cardinals organization.
