Expansion Brothers in Trouble

Jason Michael Barker

The Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays came into the American League back in 1997, and since that time the two teams have had relatively little in common.

In the beginning, the Jays were far more successful than their expansion brethren. Under Bobby Cox (1982-1985) the Jays gained respectability by improving their record each season, culminating with a division title in 1985. Beginning in 1983, the Jays won at least 86 games a season and never finished lower than fourth in their division until the wheels finally fell off in 1994.

Their ten-year stretch included five AL East pennants, two World Series titles, and a cumulative 1003-778 won-loss record, good for a .563 clip. Not bad for a team that had lost at least 95 games each of its first four seasons.

In Seattle, things didn't work out quite so nicely. After losing at least 95 games in each of their first three seasons, the Mariners entered a period of mediocrity following the player's strike of 1981. They averaged just over 71 wins per season from 1982 through 1989, under six different managers. 1991 marked the M's first winning season, although their 83-79 record was only good for fifth place in the AL West.

Manager Lou Piniella was hired before the 1993 season, and the team improved almost overnight, with a core of stars such as Ken Griffey, Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Randy Johnson leading it to division titles in 1995 and 1997.

Meanwhile, the Jays exceeded their 1998 expectations, winning 88 games and going on a late-season tear which nearly won them the Wild Card.

Yet just when it looked like things might be headed in the right direction for both clubs, it all fell apart. The Mariners are saddled with Piniella, who cannot handle a pitching staff or young players, but is too much of a fan favorite to let go. The Jays are led by Tim Johnson, the man who lied about his time in Vietnam (he never served) and as a high-school basketball star in an effort to motivate his players. Having since admitted his lies, does he expect his players to listen to him?

The future outlook is just as bleak for both squads. Toronto has division rivals in New York, Baltimore and Boston who seem content on spending whatever it takes to win, while the Jays' new ownership has demanded a $42 million payroll next season (down from $48 million last season). Star pitcher Roger Clemens may demand a trade if he thinks the team isn't taking steps to put a winner on the field, and offering venerable DH Paul Molitor a contract certainly isn't a move in the right direction.

The Mariners have divisional foes in Anaheim and Texas who also have unlimited resources, with the Angels backed by Di$ney and the Rangers backed by new owner and free-spender Tom Hicks. Add in a youthful Oakland team with good organizational management, an aging Mariner core and ownership who seem content to field a team just good enough to keep its head above water, and it may be several years before Seattle catches even a glimpse of a division title.

They came into the league as expansion teams 20 years ago, and they've taken different paths over the course of the intervening seasons. But now, both Toronto and Seattle appear headed for the same destination: mediocrity.

about the author

Jason Michael Barker ate too much this Thanksgiving, to the point where he's considering asking Cecil Fielder for diet tips. Offer a contract to play baseball in Japan to jmb@strikethree.com.