The 2001 season for the Seattle Mariners was the best season in franchise history. Under manager Lou Piniella, who oversaw the team from 1993 to 2002, the Mariners tied the record for most wins in a season with 116 and lead the league in batting, fielding, and pitching. The team was comprised of veteran baseball players. Players like third baseman Edgar Martinez and second baseman Bret Boone had long careers in Major League Baseball (MLB), while pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki had years of experience in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball before joining the MLB in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Despite losing to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series and failing to make it to the World Series, the 2001 team is often considered one of the greatest in MLB history.

Seattle won their 116th game on the next to last game of the season, defeating the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field with a score of 1-0. Boone hit a home run in the first inning, and Sasaki struck out former Mariner Alex Rodriguez to end the game. This photo shows Sasaki being congratulated at the end of the game. A large screen in the background projects the message "116 wins! Ties the Major League Record for Most Wins."

Caption information source: "Top 5 moments in T-Mobile Park history," by Daniel Kramer, December 1, 2021, Mariners.com.
Caption information source: "Seattle Mariners," by Glenn Drosendahl, HistoryLink.org Essay 9560.