Mariners fire manager McClendon after two seasons
(Reuters) - The Seattle Mariners have fired manager Lloyd McClendon after failing to make the postseason during his two seasons in charge, the Major League Baseball team said on Friday. McClendon had raised hopes of a Seattle turnaround after the 2014 team had their first winning season since 2009 and fell one game shy of a Wild Card playoff berth but he was unable to build on that momentum as the Mariners went 76-86 in the 2015 season. "I have a great deal of respect for Lloyd, as a person and as a manager," Jerry Dipoto, who was named Seattle's general manger last month, said in a statement. "It is a credit to his professionalism that the team continued to play hard through the final day of the season. "However, after extensive conversations it became clear to me that our baseball philosophies were not closely aligned." The 56-year-old McClendon, who played eight seasons in the major leagues and was manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2001-05, posted a 163-161 record in two years with Seattle. Seattle did not name a replacement but whoever succeeds McClendon will be the team's ninth manager since they last made the MLB postseason in 2001. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)
