Best of the Best: Top 7 Seattle Mariners Team Commercials

Every year the Mariners come out with a new set of five or six commercials in which they feature their most exciting players.  This year we got to meet Larry Bernandez and watch Ichiro hit tic-tacs.  The marketing team always comes up with something pretty clever.

Here's a look at some of the best:

7. Fly Swat

From 1996.

It's nice to reminisce on the Buhner times...

6. What's in a Name?

From 2010.

Felix Hernandez lists off a number of other guys with two "first names."

It was fun at the time to see these two guys next to each other in Mariners uniforms; there was lots of excitement at the beginning of the season.  Many said that the M's had the best 1-2 Punch in baseball, and it's pretty hard to disagree.  Lee won the Cy Young in 2008 and King Felix did it in 2010.

Lee's gone now, but Erik Bedard is back healthy and Michael Pineda looks encouraging so we could see some great, quality starts this year.

5. Ichiro Shift

From 2003.

How many Athletics does it take to cover the field from Ichiro?

We will never know...

4. Epidemic

From 2006.

Ichiro's widely-recognized pre-swing routine is copied.  By everyone.  The increasingly booming chants of "EE CHEE RO, EE CHEE RO," however, are the key ingredient in this commercial.

Any pitcher who ever has pitched or will pitch against Ichiro respects the routine.  To rush Ichiro out of this suave act of delicacy would tarnish any pitcher's record.

3. Swing Away

From 2011.

Ichiro, Chone Figgins and Justin Smoak are featured in "Swing Away."

This 30-second clip proves that Ichiro can, in fact, hit anything.  It should be noted that during the filming, Ichiro did actually hit two tic-tacs.

The can-of-corn joke was also a clever insert (typically in baseball, a can-of-corn is a big pop-up).

2. Sorry

From 2009.

Felix Hernandez is featured yet again in this bittersweet clip.  It shows not only Felix's supreme ability to whiff batters, but also his sensitive side.

The shot down the dugout is a relatively accurate representation of most of Felix's games.  He finished second in strikeouts in 2010 with 232, just one behind Jered Weaver.

1. Encore, Encore

From 2011.

Felix Hernandez, Eric Wedge and the Mariners bullpen star in "Encore, Encore."

It's nice to see the King's fun side(s)—we're so used to the triple digit fast balls and breakneck curves.  Maybe this year,  King Felix, Larry Bernandez and Jerry can pitch 1, 2, 3 in the Mariners relatively inexperienced rotation...

This one earns the top spot in my opinion, but what do you think? (Respond in the comments)

Honorable Mentions

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 29: Ichiro Suzuki #51 of the Seattle Mariners at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on September 29, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Honorable mentions go to:

"Pepe"—Vidro's twin brother who hits from the other side.

"Rauuuul"—A tribute to each individual "U" in Raul Ibanez's name.

"Kollector"—Now we see where Seattle fans find all of the K's to represent King Felix's strikeouts.

"Rosin Bag"—Jarrod Washburn reveals all of the secret contents of the rosin bag.

"Working the Zone"—Ichiro launches pitches from centerfield.  After a sizzling curve, he remarks "just a little bit outside."