1998 Seattle Mariners season
| 1998 Seattle Mariners | |
|---|---|
| League | American League |
| Division | West |
| Ballpark | Kingdome |
| City | Seattle, Washington |
| Record | 76–85 (.472) |
| Divisional place | 3rd |
| Owners | Hiroshi Yamauchi (represented by John Ellis) |
| General manager | Woody Woodward |
| Manager | Lou Piniella |
| Television | KIRO-TV 7 KSTW Fox Sports Northwest |
| Radio | KIRO 710 AM (Dave Niehaus, Rick Rizzs, Ron Fairly, Dave Valle, Dave Henderson) |
The Seattle Mariners 1998 season was their 22nd season, and was the final year in which Kingdome was the home venue for the entire season. Their record was 76–85 (.472) and they finished in third place in the four-team American League West, 11½ games behind the champion Texas Rangers.
The Mariners were the defending division champions, but exceeded the .500 mark only once during the season; at 19–18 after a win at Detroit on May 12. On July 18 at the Kingdome, Seattle (crimson, silver, and black) and the Kansas City Royals (yellow gold and blue) played a game in futuristic uniforms for "Turn Ahead the Clock" night. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Mariners won by three.
The Mariners traded future Hall of Famer pitcher Randy Johnson to the Houston Astros on July 31, receiving Freddy García, Carlos Guillén, and John Halama in return.
Ken Griffey Jr. hit 56 home runs to tie his franchise record set the year before. Rodriguez hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases to become the third member of the 40–40 club, joining Jose Canseco (1988) and Barry Bonds (1996).