The File: A closer look at new Mariners manager Dan Wilson

Aug 22, 2024, 4:44 PM | Updated: Aug 23, 2024, 12:30 pm

Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners are turning to a familiar face as their new manager.

Mariners relieve manager Scott Servais of duties, hire Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson, the most accomplished catcher in franchise history, is replacing Scott Servais as Seattle’s skipper, the club announced Thursday afternoon. General manager Jerry Dipoto confirmed to reporters on a Zoom call that Wilson is the full-time manager going forward and won’t have an interim tag.

The Mariners relieved Servais of his duties after nine seasons as the team’s manager. The move comes on the heels of a two-month collapse that saw Seattle blow a 10-game lead atop the American League West and fall to the outer fringes of playoff contention. The Mariners are 64-64, sitting five games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West and 7.5 games out of the AL’s final wild-card spot.

Here’s a closer look at the 55-year-old Wilson, who is a member of the Mariners’ Hall of Fame and has remained an active part of the organization since his playing days.

Wilson’s MLB career

An Illinois native and University of Minnesota product, Wilson was drafted with the No. 7 overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 1990. He made his MLB debut with Cincinnati in 1992 and played two seasons with the Reds before being traded to the Mariners in November 1993.

Wilson then spent the remaining 12 seasons of his 14-year career in Seattle, where he went on to become a franchise cornerstone during the Mariners’ glory years.

Wilson caught 1,281 games with the Mariners between 1994 and 2005, more than any other catcher in franchise history. He was the starting catcher on each of Seattle’s first four playoff teams, including the club’s magical 1995 team and their record-setting 116-win team in 2001.

Wilson’s 88 career home runs with the Mariners are currently the second-most among all catchers in franchise history, though current Seattle backstop Cal Raleigh is right behind him at 86. Mike Zunino holds the club record for a catcher with 95. Wilson had 508 career RBIs with the Mariners, which remains a franchise record among catchers.

Wilson was an All-Star in 1996, when he batted .285 and hit a career-high 18 homers. He finished his career with a .262 batting average. He also ended his career with a .995 fielding percentage, which at the time was the highest for any catcher in AL history. He threw out a career-high 56 base-stealers in 1997.

Wilson’s roles within the Mariners’ organization

Since retiring in 2005, Wilson has remained closely involved with the Mariners.

This year was Wilson’s 11th season working in an on-field capacity in the club’s baseball operations group and his seventh season as a special assistant for player development. His responsibilities have included working with catchers in major league spring training and roaming to various levels of the organization to assist players in preparing for the major leagues.

Wilson also has served brief stints as a fill-in manager for teams in Seattle’s farm system, including one week in 2022 when he managed the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers after Tacoma’s manager and hitting coach entered COVID-19 protocol. Wilson also filled in as a coach in the Mariners’ dugout in 2022 when Servais was out with COVID.

In addition, Wilson was the organization’s minor league catching coordinator in 2014 and 2015 and then the organization’s defensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017.

Wilson also has been a regular broadcaster for the Mariners on both Seattle Sports and ROOT Sports.

Wilson’s family and philanthropy

Wilson and his wife, Annie, raised their four children in Seattle. One of their sons, Eli Wilson, is currently a Double-A catcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system.

The Wilson family has supported local charities such as All God’s Children International, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Seattle’s First Place – a private, nonprofit school for children facing homelessness. Dan and Annie also served as co-chairs of the 2012-13 United Way of King County annual giving campaign.

Every year, the Mariners award one of their minor leaguers with the “Dan Wilson Community Service Award.”