Seattle Mariners
Bellingham Mariners was officially named what from 1977 to 1994?
Bellingham Mariners The Bellingham Mariners were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League , based in Bellingham , Washington . The club served as the Seattle Mariners short-season affiliate for eighteen years from 1977–1994 . History . Major League Baseball returned to Seattle in 1977 with the expansion Mariners of the American League . Bellingham signed a player development contract with the Seattle and adopted their parent clubs identity , taking the name Mariners . Affectionately referred to as Baby Ms , the team would serve as Seattles only affiliate in their inaugural season . In a strange alignment , the Northwest League would have two divisions , one of teams with affiliation and the other comprised on independents . Bellingham would win the affiliate division with a 42–26 record . The club would square off against the infamous Portland Mavericks for the league championship . In a best of three series , Bellingham and Portland would split the first two games . The Baby Ms would hold off the Mavericks by a score of 4–2 in the decisive game to claim the 1977 Northwest League crown . Mariners skipper Bobby Floyd earned the leagues manager of the year award . The Mariners continued their on-field success with nearly identical records going 41–30 and 41–31 in consecutive seasons . 1980 was a banner year for Bellingham . The club amassed a 45-25 en route to a North Division title . The Baby M’s faced the Eugene Emeralds in the league championship series . Eugene and Bellingham split the first two games of the series . The decisive third game was cancelled due to rain . The two clubs were awarded Co-Northwest League Champions . The club witnessed a significant jump in attendance with 42,292 passing through the turnstiles . Seeking to repeat as league champions the Baby Ms claimed the north division . Bellingham faced the Medford As in the championship series , but were swept in two games . Two seasons later in 1983 , with a roster that included future Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez , the Mariners claimed the division title with a 40-28 record . Bellingham was again swept by Medford in the championship series . In 1984 and 1985 the Baby Ms posted mirror finishes at 39-35 taking second in the Washington division standings . In 1987 , 17-year-old Ken Griffey , Jr . hit his first professional home run while on the road at Everett Memorial Stadium on June 18 . A plaque was placed on the sidewalk outside the stadium where the ball landed . Despite on-field success and a steady stream of Mariners prospects , the club struggled with poor attendance . Following the 1994 season , the Mariners ended their relationship with Bellingham . Seattle moved their affiliation south to Everett were the team assumed a new identity as the Everett AquaSox . Everett , who had been affiliated with the San Francisco Giants swapped with Seattle and moved their short-season affiliation to Bellingham . Bellingham assumed their parent clubs moniker to become the Bellingham Giants in 1995 . Ballpark . The Bellingham franchise played at Joe Martin Field , a venue with a seating capacity near 1,600 . The park is currently the home of the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast League . Hall of Fame alumni . - Ken Griffey , Jr . ( 1987 ) Inducted , 2016 - Edgar Martinez ( 1983 ) Inducted , 2019 Notable players . - Phil Bradley - Iván Calderón - Dave Henderson - Raúl Ibañez - Mark Langston - Derek Lowe - Joe Nathan - Russ Ortiz - Jim Presley - Dave Stewart MLB All-Star - Dave Valle - Omar Vizquel MLB All-Sta