44 Days Until Mariners Opening Day! The History of #44

Guess what Mariners fans, we are 44 days away from Opening Day! So close, yet so far away. To celebrate, let’s take a look at a few Seatle players who wore #44 over the years.

The #44 is not as significant as the #51, but there are a handful of impactful/notable players who wore the double 4’s.

Ken Phelps 1983 – 1988

Ken Phelps spent six seasons with Seattle and played an ample amount. The first baseman and designated hitter hit .249 with a .913 OPS with the Mariners. Phelps hit 105 home runs and drove in 255 RBIs during those six seasons. During that time, he posted a 10.8 oWAR and -4.8 dWAR.

Phelps was the first Seattle player to wear #44 for longer than two years. The first Mariners players to wear the number was John Hale, back in 1978. Phelps is also famous for inspiring this moment on Seinfeld.

Bill Krueger 1991 and 1995

You might know Bill Krueger as a broadcaster, but he played 13 years in the MLB. Two of those seasons in Seattle wearing #44. Krueger’s first stint in Seattle was in 1991 and he posted a 3.60 ERA across 25 starts and 10 relief appearances.

After bouncing around the league, Bill rejoined the Mariners in 1995 before retiring. As a Mariners pitcher with #44 on his back, he has a 3.38 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 195 innings. Krueger had a 2.4 WAR in his two seasons.

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Mike Cameron 2000 – 2003

Mike Cameron is arguable the most notable Mariners player to wear #44. Cameron was involved in the trade that sent Ken Griffey Jr. to the Reds, which turned out to be a win for the Mariners despite the loss of “The Kid.”

Cameron manned center field for four seasons in Safeco Field and made the All-Star team in 2001, won a Gold Glove, and finished 16th in MVP voting. He then went on to win another Gold Glove during his final season as a Mariner.

Across the four seasons, Cameron has a .256 batting average, .798 OPS, 87 home runs, and 106 stolen bases. He also had a 16.3 oWAR and 3.7 dWAR.

Richie Sexson 2005 – 2008

I think most fans have a bittersweet relationship with Richie Sexson. After making the All-Star team in 2002 and 2003, expectations were set high as he came over to Seattle in 2005. The first baseman didn’t have trouble hitting home runs, but he struck out a bunch.

Although he hit 39 home runs in 2005, he led the league with 167 strikeouts. He had another good season in 2006 with 34 home runs, but his last two seasons in Seattle weren’t impressive.

Still, Sexson remains one of the more notable players in Mariners history to wear #44 on their backs.

Lucas Luetge 2012 – 2015

Lucas Luetge isn’t the biggest name in Seattle history, but he was a really good reliever for one season. Luetge only played four seasons in the MLB, all with Seattle. He has a career 4.35 ERA in 89 innings with a 4.27 FIP and 0.1 WAR.

The lefty was an underrated bullpen arm in 2012, which was his rookie season and best season. He posted a 3.98 ERA and saved two games.

Lastly, I will also mention that Taijuan Walker wore #44 in 2016, the year before he joined the Diamondbacks.