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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Michael Sykes

What the world was like the last time the Seattle Mariners made the playoffs

The Seattle Mariners are playoff bound for the first time in 21 years.

And what an epic entrance into the postseason it was, too. Cal Raleigh hit a game-sealing homerun that also sealed the Mariners’ first playoff berth. It was such a fitting end to what has turned out to be a magical season for Seattle.

But, obviously, 21 years is a long time. That means the last time the Mariners made the playoffs was in 2001. Someone who hadn’t even been born yet might be able to legally drink a beer in that time span.

So we thought it’d be fun to take a look back and see what the world was like the last time the Mariners made the playoffs. Below is that list. And it’s almost certainly going to make you feel old, but it’ll also be a fun trip down memory lane.

Enjoy.

Ichiro was a rookie.

That’s right. Mariner legend Ichiro Suzuki had literally just started his career.

Nearly 18 years later in 2019, he’d retire as an absolute legend and one of the best to ever do it in Seattle. You love to see it.

Julio Rodriguez was just 8 months old

Just like Ichiro was a rookie sensation the last time the Mariners made the playoffs, Julio Rodriguez is a rookie sensation now.

By the way, he was just 8 months old in October 2001.

Let’s hope the drought doesn’t last this long again.

Albert Pujols has hit 664 home runs

A rookie Albert Pujols hit 37 homeruns for the Cardinals in 2001, which was the last time the Mariners made the playoffs. Since then, he’s smashed 664 balls out of the park.

Whole lot of history made in between time. 

Michael Jordan was playing basketball...for the Wizards

Yeah. Wizards Jordan. It was a thing. Jordan officially retired after the 2002-03 season.

What a time.

Tom Brady wasn't a starter for the Patriots

Not only did Tom Brady still play for the Patriots back in 2001, but he also wasn’t a starter. He was still behind Drew Bledsoe on the depth chart.

Now he’s the GOAT. Go figure.

There were A LOT of Blockbusters still around

Blockbuster definitely wasn’t in its prime in 2001, but there were still thousands of them that existed. To be exact, there were 5,273.

Now there’s just one. And it’s largely just there for show.

The iPhone didn't even exist. The iPod barely did

There was no such thing as a smartphone back then. All those iPhones y’all use today? Yeah, that wasn’t a thing.

The iPod barely existed — it first launched in the middle of the Mariners’ ALCS run.

Wild.

In fact, this is what cell phones looked like

Prepare yourself, children.

COVER YOUR EYES.

Harry Potter ruled the movie theater

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone was the no. 1 movie in theaters at the time. Shoutout to Shrek, too, which had just released.

Do kids these days even know what Shrek is?

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