Guidelines for Selection to the Mariners Hall of Fame
The Mariners Hall of Fame was established in 1997 to honor the great players and other individuals who make positive contributions to the history of the Mariners franchise.
I. Eligible Candidates
To be eligible for consideration, uniformed personnel (player, manager or coach) should meet the following requirements:
A. Active in a Mariners' uniform for at least five seasons;
B. Ceased to be active in the Major Leagues at least two seasons preceding the selection, but may be otherwise-connected with baseball.
To be eligible for consideration, non-uniformed personnel should meet the following requirements:
A. Full-time employee of the Mariners for at least five seasons;
B. Made significant contributions to Mariners Baseball and the franchise, either on or off the field.
II. Method of Selection
The Mariners governing board, the Board of Directors of Baseball of Seattle, Inc. (the "Board"), makes the selections for the Mariners Hall of Fame. Such selections may be made at the initiative of the Board, or at the recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer and the President of the Mariners, the Mariners front office, Mariners players, members of the media, or the fans.
III. Criteria for Selection
The primary criterion for inclusion in the Mariners Hall of Fame for players shall be the on-field impact a player had while in a Mariners' uniform. The measure of a player's impact shall primarily be the statistical record created by the player.
The Mariners will consider other factors, such as:
- The statistical impact on the field while in a non-Mariners uniform, whether before or after his tenure with the Mariners;
- A player's positive impact on the Northwest community outside the game of baseball; and
- A player's positive impact in enhancing the image of the Seattle Mariners or Major League Baseball.
IV. Time of Selection
The Board will consider recommendations of eligible candidates at least once each year, typically at its annual business meeting each fall. There may be more than one selection in a given year, and there may be no selection at all.
V. Retirement of Uniform Number
The Mariners plan to retire uniform numbers only very selectively and subject to substantially higher expectations than those applied to the Mariners' Hall of Fame. To be eligible to have one's number retired, in addition to the criteria outlined above, the former Mariners should have either a) been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and been in a Mariner's uniform for at least five years, or b) come close to such election and have spent substantially his entire career with the Mariners. Eligibility shall not commence until after the former player has been voted on once for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which for all practical purposes means six years after retirement. In this regard, the Mariners will take into consideration the policy of other American League clubs in retiring uniform numbers. This determination will also be made by the Board.
VI. Amendments
The Seattle Mariners reserve the right to alter and amend these guidelines at any time.