On this day; 1995 Mariners-A's game

 

               Two days ago, I shared a story about one of my favorite Mariner games as a kid.  Now, I’m going to share another from the year before.  It was on this day in 1995 when my family went down to the Kingdome, the Mariners playing the Oakland Athletics with 6’10” pitcher and intimidation master Randy Johnson on the mound for Seattle.  With his mullet, mustache and piercing stare, he could give you goosebumps even at home, and one year he was my Halloween costume while my brother was catcher Dan Wilson.  Part of the costume was a sleep shirt designed after Randy Johnson’s 1989-1992 Mariners uniform.

 

               True to form, Randy Johnson intimidated the Oakland lineup, the boxscore reads he recorded 15 strikeouts that night before they turned it over to Bobby Ayala, who had one more strikeout for a total of 16 strikeouts on the night.  The dominating pitching was also evident in the final score, the Mariners won 7-0.  The Mariners brought their usual lineup at the time to the game, with stars Ken Griffey Jr. (who had recently returned from a nasty wrist injury), Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Dan Wilson playing in the game.  Vince Coleman led off and played in left field, and the first Mariner whose card I got in a 1995 Upper Deck pack, Mike Blowers, played third base and started a double play during the game.  Last I watched the broadcasts, he was one of the TV commentators.

 

               Oakland had brought a unique lineup which has left a bit of an impression on me over the years.  Future Mariners Brent Gates and Stan Javier played in the game, and today some of their cards hold a special place for me.  Former Mariner Danny Tartabull was their Designated Hitter, as well.  Their leadoff hitter was Mike Gallego, who had returned to Oakland after a stint playing for the New York Yankees.  Both Tartabull and Gallego had played for the Yankees in the previous season, but Gallego signed with Oakland as a free agent in the offseason, while Tartabull was traded midseason for Ruben Sierra.  Also, Mark Acre pitched in relief for them and I had gotten his Upper Deck rookie card earlier in the year.  Oakland also wore their green jerseys with yellow font in the game, rather than the typical gray road jerseys.

 

               Another memory I have from the game is a souvenir shop was selling miniature pennants.  I guess the last Mariners game I had been to at the time, which was in May against the Baltimore Orioles, had left something of an impression on me, because I chose the Baltimore one and my Dad bought it for me.  It still sits in my Mom’s house among my wall of pennants, which include ones from the Seattle Mariners, Tacoma Rainiers and short-lived Bellingham Giants.  Today, that wall is a good memory of the mid-90s, when people weren’t cynical or jaded about baseball, but optimistic.  Hopefully, we can return to that mindset someday, as our constant dour attitudes about most things are wearing down the wonder of the world.