After seeing their 10-game AL West lead fall by the wayside, the Mariners are making a change in the managerial post. Out steps longtime gaffer Scott Servais, who was fired Thursday, as first reported by the The Athletic.
Servais, 59, was partway through his ninth year as Seattle’s boss. He compiled an impressive record with the M’s, even leading them to the postseason in 2022, the first time the team made the playoffs since “The Blueprint” was on the charts in 2001.
Nevertheless, his standing around the front office had faltered in recent months as the losses piled up and the franchise’s seemingly insurmountable advantage over its divisional foes dwindled. Now, Seattle turns its hopes to a familiar face, enlisting the services of a former player in an attempt to return the Emerald City outfit to its past glory.
With that, here’s what you need to know about the newest member of the Mariners’ staff, Dan Wilson.
Dan Wilson playing career
Wilson was named the Mariners’ full-time manager on Thursday, replacing Servais.
Dan Wilson is the Mariners’ full-time manager moving forward, Jerry Dipoto just said.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) August 22, 2024
This isn’t Wilson’s first time sporting Seattle’s blue, teal and silver. In fact, he has ample experience with the Mariners’ strips, having sported them from 1994-2005. Wilson was a steady presence behind the plate, playing more than 1,200 games in Seattle. He wasn’t a very impressive hitter — Wilson never finished a season with a league-average OPS+. He was a dogged defender, however, spending much of his Mariners career reeling in unruly Randy Johnson efforts.
Wilson earned an All-Star nod in 1996 after hitting 18 home runs and driving in 85 RBIs while slashing .285/.330/.444. He finished his big league career with 88 dingers and 519 RBIs.
Despite hanging up his spikes in 2005, Wilson didn’t stray too far from his beloved M’s. He hasn’t served in any big league staff or managed at any substantive level. He has built relationships in the locker room, though, serving as a special assignment coordinator for the club in spring training. The Seattle Times reported that Wilson and catcher Cal Raleigh had formed quite the relationship with one another. He’s also featured as one of the team’s alternate broadcasters.
Wilson has plenty to learn as he attempts to coax strong showings out of Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and the rest of his Mariners players. He won’t be the only former Seattle standout to offer musings from the bench, though. Edgar Martinez, the Hall of Fame designated hitter who starred on Mariners teams of the 1990s and early-2000s, is expected to join Wilson’s staff, according to The Seattle Times’ Adam Jude. Martinez had previously served as Seattle’s hitting coach from 2015-18.
Scott Servais record
Servais compiled a 680-642 record (.514 win rate) in Emerald City. His teams proved competitive in the gauntlet that is the AL West — the Rangers and Astros established themselves as some of baseball’s best organizations during Servais’ tenure.
Nevertheless, postseason success proved evasive for Servais and his Mariners; Seattle won one postseason series during his spell as manager, a 2022 epic against the Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card round.