The Retirement Of Former Mariners Shortstop Carlos Guillen

Bottom of the ninth, tied at one.  One out.  Runner on first and third and Lou Piniella calls Carlos Guillen to the plate.  Fans in the stadium are curious but remain on their feet, cheering. You hear a splatter of chatter making its way through the crowd.  Many fathers assuring their ignorant sons that this is a good move, to bring in the backup shortstop in this situation.  The first pitch is already on the way before you can even finish your thoughts.  It is fouled off, with a truly terrible, terrible swing.  It seemed like he was not able to locate the ball at all.  Why did Sweet Lou make this move?  The only move he made prior to this was pinch-runner Ricky Henderson for John Olerud.  Lou had some other options on the bench.  Carlos steps back into the box…no wait, he steps out of the box.  Fans are still on their feet.  They have been on their feet since Jose Paniagua blew that heater past Magglio Ordonez.  Guillen is now ready.  Steps back into the box, with his slightly open stance, swaying the bat back and forth behind his head.  The next pitch is on the way and he’s turning around to bunt!  Everyone in the ballpark is thrown off guard, no more so than the Chicago White Sox defense.  Henderson can practically walk home.  The players rush the field as all you hear around you is cheers and the Baja Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out.”  Mariners win and advance to the American League Championship for the first time since 1995.

Earlier this week, Carlos Guillen announced his retirement, after 14 seasons in the Majors. The Mariners had brought back Guillen on a minor league contract with an opportunity to try and make the big league team.  The M’s were hoping that he would be able to stay healthy and be a decent bat off the bench.  Guillen, however, has been bitten by the injury bug the past two seasons and was finding it harder to stay on the field.   He says he wanted to play but his body was telling he just couldn’t.  

The Mariners are not just losing a switch hitting bat off the bench and veteran leadership; they are losing a figure from their history.  Although Guillen’s most productive years were with the Detroit Tigers, he was a part of a winning Mariners franchise.  He would have been a reminder that a long, long time ago, the Mariners were relevant in the American League West.