The 2009 season is the first season that Mike Sweeney will be playing with the Seattle Mariners. Prior to the Mariners he played for the Oakland Athletics in 2008 and the Kansas City Royals from 1995 to 2007. During his tenure with the Royals he was a five time All-Star selection (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005). In 2001, Sweeney hit .392 with 11 home runs, 29 RBI, and a .794 slugging percentage and was named the American League Player of the Month.

The best season of his career came in 2002, when he had the second-highest batting average (.340) in the American League, the second highest in club history only to George Brett’s .390 in 1980. Sweeney is a National co-chair of the PCF Home Run Challenge.

The 2009 season will be Don Wakamatsu’s first season as manager of the Seattle Mariners, as well as being his first year managing a Major League baseball team. In 1998, Wakamatsu was named the Manager of the Year in the California Minor League. From 2001 through 2008, Wakamatsu moved up to the majors as a bench coach, interim manager, and third base coach for many different MLB teams. Finally on November 19, 2008, he was named as manager of the Seattle Mariners, as well as the first Asian manager in the majors.