|
 Servais, a former catcher who spent 11 years in the major leagues
with four different teams, replaces Lloyd McClendon, who was fired
two weeks ago by Seattle ago after failing to make the postseason
during his two years in charge.
"It has long been my goal to manage a big league team," Servais, who
is the 17th full-time manager in Mariners history, said in a
statement.
"We have a terrific core of players and I'm looking forward to
bringing in a coaching staff that will help me establish a winning
culture here as we work toward putting a championship-caliber team
on the field for the fans of the Northwest."
Prior to his stint in Los Angeles, where he worked on all aspects of
baseball operations, Servais spent six seasons as the senior
director of player development for the Texas Rangers.
The 48-year-old was also a scout for the Colorado Rockies in 2005
after spending the prior two years as a roving catching instructor
for the Chicago Cubs.
Servais is Seattle's ninth manager since they last made the MLB
postseason in 2001. He will take over a club that finished fourth in
the five-team American League West division, 12 games back of the
first place Rangers.
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The Mariners consider Servais as one of the most complete, well
balanced and inclusive baseball people in the game with the tools to
get the franchise back on track.
"He is a communicator with strong baseball acumen and leadership
skills," Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement.
"I truly believe his strong character and career experiences as a
player, coach and executive have prepared him for this opportunity."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Mark
Lamport-Stokes)
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