Mariners manager Dan Wilson reflects on stretch run, looks ahead

Sep 29, 2024, 12:41 PM

Manager Dan Wilson of the Seattle Mariners looks on before a 2024 game. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

(Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

SEATTLE – When Dan Wilson became the Seattle Mariners’ manager on Aug. 22, he took over a team hurtling towards a disappointing end to a season what once looked promising.

Julio hopes to build off strong finish, learn from tough season

The Mariners had just lost eight of nine games on a brutal 1-8 road trip, including a costly sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, dropped to .500 at 64-64 for the first time since April 24 and fell what at the time was a season-high five games back of first place in the American League West.

Since Wilson’s arrival – and the addition of Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez as the hitting coach – the Mariners have turned things around. They entered the season finale 20-13 under Wilson, a clip the equivalates to about 100 wins over a 162-game season, with three straight series victories to close the year. But it was too little, too late.

Ultimately, the Wilson-led M’s fell short of a playoff berth and were eliminated from contention on an off-day Thursday, the day before their final series of the season began.

“They have a lot of fight in them, a lot of fight, and we’ve seen a lot of that,” Wilson said before Sunday’s season finale against the Oakland Athletics. “It’s in each and every one of these guys and it’s showing up a lot down the stretch, and we pushed hard, we pushed really hard to get to the postseason.

“(We) came up short. It stings a lot, but that can prove as a motivator too going forward.”

For Wilson, the final 34 games of the season were a learning experience.

“That you don’t know anything,” Wilson said with a laugh when asked what the final month taught him about himself. “I know enough to know that I don’t know anything. Without the support of the staff, without the guys and the reaction and the response, it’s really on them. They’ve done a great job, and I’ve learned a lot in this position and will continue to learn every day what it takes, and (I’m) looking forward to that.”

This offseason will look quite a bit different for the 55-year-old Wilson. He’s been involved in the organization in various roles over the years: a roving instructor in the minors, a voice in the TV broadcast booth and, of course, his 12 seasons as a player from 1994-2005. But this will be his first offseason as an MLB manager.

“There’s a lot to catch up on. There’s a lot to assess. There’s a lot to think about,” Wilson said. “I think offseasons are where you can gain a competitive advantage as an organization, and I know this organization does a great job in the offseason. I’ve been a part of it, especially at the minor league level. So, using your offseason wisely, using it to build yourself back up physically, mentally, that’s what it takes. And that’s what this offseason is going to be about as well.”

Wilson said he plans to keep in close contact with his players in the months between now and spring training.

“I think that’s all part of it,” he said. “Like I said, you’re a family, and you don’t go very long without staying in touch. And I think that’s a big part of what we do here in the offseason, this organization, and I expect that to be the same this year.”

For now, there will be plenty of time to reflect on a season that fell just shy of the playoffs.

“That’s always a good thing to kind of look back and assess how we can get better,” Wilson said. “That’s really what you do. That’s what the offseason is for: ‘How can we get better and then start taking the steps to accomplish those things that you want to do to get better?’ So that’s how we look at it.”