Seattle Mariners: Nine Days Until Opening Day

Jun 28, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Endy Chavez (9) hits the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the game at Safeco Field. Seattle defeated Chicago 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

There are now only nine days until Opening Day when the Seattle Mariners travel to Anaheim to take on the Los Angeles Angels.

For the next nine days, we will be celebrating the final days with a look at the most popular Mariners to wear the numbers 1 through 9.

While this is something I would like to revisit with other numbers at another time, we will focus on these nine numbers for the time being.

Each day, I will give you the “nominees”, the players who have worn the number throughout the course of Mariners history.

Now, I won’t give you EVERY player, for that list could get VERY long. So instead, I will narrow the list to 5 or 6 main choices.

I will then ask that you vote for your favorite. I will reveal the winner the following morning with the next day’s nominees. So let’s get started.

Bill Plummer: Best known as the backup to Johnny Bench during the Big Red Machine years. He spent the 1978 season, his final season, with the Mariners. He went into coaching the next season, even managing the Mariners in 1992 after Jim Lefebvre the previous season. The M’s were 64-98 in his one year at the helm.

Ruppert Jones: The first Mariner. He was the first player selected by the Mariners in the 1976 expansion draft. He was the team’s first All-Star representative in 1977.

Scott Bradley: The longest-tenured player to wear the number (six seasons). Bradley caught Randy Johnson’s no-hitter in 1990. He now coaches the Princeton baseball team.

Luis Sojo: The five-time world champion spent almost three seasons in Seattle and was a steady part of the 1995 Refuse To Lose team including 3 RBI in the 5-game ALDS against the Yankees (whom he’d later win 4 World Series titles with).

Endy Chavez: The most recent #9. Chavez was #10 when he was in Seattle in 2010 but in 2013 when he returned, he took #9. In 2013, Chavez batted .267 in 97 games. He may or may not make the club in 2014.

There are your choices. Who is your favorite Mariner to wear #9?