4 random Mariners you totally forgot were All-Stars in the past

There's just over a week to go until the All-Star festivities, with Seattle Mariners fans wondering who will join Cal Raleigh in Atlanta, Georgia? Andrés Muñoz and Bryan Woo would appear to have the best chance, but we would contend Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford are also worthy of genuine consideration.

In any event, we thought we would use this opportunity as an excuse to look back on previous Mariners players who were selected to the All-Star Game, with the proviso that they are all one-timers. With this in mind, here are four random players you probably forgot were previously All-Stars in Seattle.

4 random Mariners you totally forgot were All-Stars in the past

1. Jim Presley (1986)

The 1986 season was a miserable one for the Mariners, as their 67-95 record was the worst in the American League and second-worst in the majors as a whole. For Jim Presley on an individual level however, it would prove to be a high point in a Major League career which lasted eight years.

Interestingly Presley had a better overall season a year earlier in 1985, but it was 1986 which would see him reap the benefits. He would receive his one selection to the All-Star Game and actually finished the campaign receiving votes for the AL MVP.

Presley tied a personal best with a 2.0 bWAR and set a career-high of 107 RBI, while also becoming just the second player in Major League history to hit two walk-off grand slams in the same season. And while he didn't actually see any action in the All-Star Game, this doesn't take away from what he achieved during a special 1986 campaign.

2. Joey Cora (1997)

Between 1997-2001 is considered the golden period for the Mariners, as they saved baseball in Seattle, went to the playoffs four times and won the only three division titles in team history to date. This included the 1997 season, when the Mariners went 90-72, won the AL West and saw Ken Griffey Jr. win his one AL MVP award.

Even though Griffey was the best player in baseball during 1997, he didn't do it all alone as the Mariners led the AL with 264 home runs. Among the main contributors on the season were Jay Buhner, Edgar Martínez, Álex Rodríguez and Joey Cora, who had career-highs of a 2.6 bWAR, 11 home runs, 54 RBI, .441 slugging percentage, .800 OPS and 110 OPS+.

Cora would finally earn the first All-Star selection of his Major League career in his 10th season, and it was thoroughly deserved as a regular in the Mariners lineup. And even though he retired after the following year, he would go on to help the Chicago White Sox win the World Series as an assistant coach in 2005.

3. Brandon League (2011)

As with 1986, the 2011 season proved to be another miserable one in Mariners world. Despite the intrigue which came with Eric Wedge taking over as manager, the team finished last in the AL West with a 67-95 record which would double as the second-worst in the AL and third-worst in all of baseball.

There were some positives, though. Dustin Ackley had a tremendous rookie year (which would also prove to be the peak of his MLB career), Justin Smoak showed promise, Ichiro Suzuki was his usual reliable self and Félix Hernández earned the second All-Star selection of his career. In this respect, Brandon League was also named an All-Star as a relief pitcher.

The 2011 campaign proved to be a tremendous one for League all around, as he produced a 2.79 ERA, 2.78 FIP, 1.076 WHIP and a career-low 4.0 walk-rate in 61.1 combined innings. The following year he would be part of a combined no-hitter with the Mariners, and overall secured 52 saves from 69 opportunities in Seattle before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

4. Daniel Vogelbach (2019)

The Mariners actually entered the 2019 season with genuine reason for hope despite a playoff drought dating back to 2001, thanks to 89 wins a year earlier which doubled as their most since 93 wins in 2003. Unfortunately for everyone concerned this ultimately counted for nothing as they went 68-94 and finished in fifth place in the AL West.

It really was a dire season all around, summed up by the worst year of Hernández's career, as he continued his fall from grace and would never play in the majors again. However, the larger than life Daniel Vogelbach proved to be one of the few bright spots, as he gave the Mainers fans something to cheer about by being named an All-Star.

Vogelbach only had a .208 batting average on the year, but he still managed to lead the Mariners with 30 home runs and 76 RBI, as well as 92 walks, which all represented career-highs. He would slump dramatically following the All-Star Game, but by then it didn't matter in what was a lost season in Seattle.