Aaron Sele

IN THEIR FIRST two games since play resumed following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and Major League Baseball’s subsequent week-long suspension of operations, the Mariners held Anaheim to eight hits, 16 strikeouts, and eight walks over 18 innings. For Mariners right-handed pitcher Aaron Sele, starting against the Anaheim Angels in front of 44,768 hometown fans at Safeco Field on September 20 following a two-week break, the odds seemed in his favor, considering Seattle was amid a historic season. Seattle had clinched its third division title the night before, providing the team and fans with motivation to charge ahead.

Entering the game, Sele was 1–1 against Anaheim in 2001. He had a modest 13–5 record and a 3.71 ERA, which left Mariners manager Lou Piniella confident in the veteran’s abilities.

Sele opened the game by walking Darin Erstad on seven pitches. On a bunt attempt, David Eckstein reached first on an error by Mariners first baseman Ed Sprague. Sele worked himself out of the jam by striking out Troy Glaus and Tim Salmon. In the top of the second, Sele breezed through, surrendering only a two-out single to Orlando Palmeiro, who was then caught attempting to steal second. Carrying a 1–0 lead into the third, Sele began to struggle. He gave up a one-out single to Eckstein, followed by a two-run Garret Anderson home run to put Anaheim on top, 2–1.

The score remained unchanged until the fifth inning when Sele walked the leadoff batter and gave up a one-out single, putting runners at the corners. Scott Spiezio hit a sacrifice fly to Mike Cameron in center, allowing Erstad to score from third. The Mariners’ offense answered with two in the bottom of the frame, giving Sele a clean slate for the sixth. A one-out single followed by a pair of two-out walks loaded the bases, applying pressure to the veteran right-hander until Eckstein lined out to Ramón Vázquez at second. Relieved by John Halama in the eighth, Sele concluded the night with his 13th no-decision of the season. The bullpen crumbled, giving up three more runs while the Mariners’ bats were silent over the remaining innings. Sele finished the season with 14 no-decisions, eight of which the Mariners lost.

Though he was raised in Western Washington, Aaron Helmer Sele was born in Golden Valley, Minnesota, to Galen Wallace Sele and Phyllis Jean (née Bakken) Sele on June 25, 1970.1 Galen, a three-sport athlete2 who once had a tryout with the Milwaukee Brewers, relocated his family to Poulsbo, Washington, when Aaron was starting grade school.3 There, Galen played in softball leagues and coached his son’s Babe Ruth League team.4 Attending North Kitsap High School, Aaron Sele excelled as a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. At quarterback, Sele led North Kitsap to the 1987 Class 2A State championship semifinals.5 That same season, as a pitcher and position player, he helped the Vikings capture a state championship in baseball.6

In Sele’s senior year, his contributions at quarterback on the football7 team and power forward on the basketball team,8 led the Vikings into contention for state titles in each, but they fell short. However, in baseball, his favorite sport, he helped lead the Vikings to another 2A state championship while playing third base, shortstop, and pitching.9

Drafted in the 37th round of the 1988 amateur draft, Aaron was leaning towards continuing his education. “He’s probably more serious about college,” his father told the Kitsap Sun.10 Sele accepted a full baseball scholarship to Washington State University (WSU)11 and picked up his pitching where he left off in high school, pitching his first collegiate complete game while defeating Virginia Tech, 6–1.12 Sele finished his freshman season with a 6–5 record.

Sele blossomed during his sophomore season, which earned him a first-team All-America selection13 and a tryout for Team USA, who was slated to play in the Goodwill Games in Seattle. “It’s the same competitive attitude that impressed Team USA coaches this summer,” wrote Kitsap Sun’s Chuck Stark. “His 12–3 [2.14 ERA] record as a WSU sophomore earned him a tryout, but nobody thought he’d make the team.”14

Ahead of the 1990 Goodwill Games, Sele and his WSU batterymate and roommate, catcher Scott Hatteberg were both selected to the 25-man roster.15 In preliminary competition, Team USA split a two-game series with Nicaragua, July 16–17. The following weekend, they met the Cuban National Team in a three-game series with the opening contest played in the Cuban capital of Havana on July 21. Before heavy rains mercifully cut the 15–4 blowout short,16 Sele was on the hill, having surrendered one run on three hits in one-third of an inning.17 For the remaining two games, the series shifted to Legion Field in Millington, Tennessee. Team USA evened the series with a 6–5 win,18 setting up the rubber match with Aaron Sele taking the mound.

Exacting retribution for the blowout in the opener, Sele shut out the Cubans by throwing 65 strikes in 93 pitches and striking out eight in the 1–0 series-clinching win. “This summer I’ve been going through 93 pitches pretty fast,” said Sele after the win. “During the season, I threw a lot more pitches. I was up around 120 for a nine-inning game.”19 “Sele turned out to be the ace of the staff,” wrote Stark, “stuffing Cuba, the best amateur team in the world, one memorable evening in Havana.”20

Group B play gave the United States modest competition from Mexico and the Soviet Union, with Japan posing the biggest threat to the Americans. Coming off their July 26, 17–0, drubbing of the Russians that ended after 7 1/2 innings due to a 10-run “mercy” rule, the Americans faced Japan. Sele took the mound and fell behind, 3–2, in the bottom of the fifth, ending Aaron’s day. Japan touched reliever Mike Hostetler for another run in the sixth, but the US tied the game in the top of the seventh, giving Sele a no-decision in the 14-inning, 7–6 loss.21

After a blowout 15–2 mercy-rule-shortened victory over Mexico,22 Team USA faced Cuba in the semifinal game to determine the gold-medal game participants. The Cubans turned the tables and drubbed starter Joey Hamilton and relievers Paul Byrd and Darrin Paxton. With Cuba leading the Americans, 16–2, the mercy rule ended the game after 6 1/2 innings,23 sending Team USA into the bronze-medal game against Canada.

In the bronze medal game, Sele took the hill against Canada on two-days’ rest, and by the fourth inning, he was pitching with a 6–0 lead. Sele “blazed away with his 90-mph fastball and a breaking pitch that tied Canadian hitters in knots,” wrote the News Tribune’s John Lawrence. “Actually, I thought I was running out of gas in the fourth,” said Sele. “I had been pitching on three days’ rest against Japan after coming off nine innings. I was really tired.” Fatigue played a factor in Sele’s pitch selection as he relied heavily on his breaking pitches. “I didn’t have my live fastball. I had to stick with the curveball and that seemed to be working all right,” Sele said. Hatteberg, his batterymate, commented, “He set up hitters well. That’s all he has to do because he has such great stuff.”24 Team USA captured the bronze, with the 10–4 victory as Sele lasted 6 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits before giving way to the bullpen. Cuba defeated Japan, 6–1, to take gold.

Sele’s third Washington State season, 1991, saw his win-loss record contract from the previous year, winning eight and losing six; however, his 2.82 ERA held the attention of major-league scouts and general managers. His ineffectiveness could have been attributed to an early-season injury. In a game against Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho, Sele took a hard line drive off the bat of Dean Banks that struck him in the head just above his right eye. “The first thing I remember was laying face down in the dirt,” said Sele. “I thought I caught the ball, then I felt this pounding in my head and feeling maybe I didn’t. It was really scary for a while.”25

As he followed Sele’s collegiate career, Boston Red Sox scout Jack Lee was undeterred. “The kid has some good tools,” said Lee. “We think he will be a good pitcher. He’s competitive and has faced some good teams.” Lee continued, “He’s young, just 20. There is some room for him to grow, both as a pitcher and physically. He has a good fastball, two different speeds on his curve and a nice changeup.”26

After his junior year at WSU, Sele was selected in the first round by the Red Sox with the 23rd overall pick in the June draft. He departed WSU as the career record holder for strikeouts.27 He listed his two greatest thrills in baseball as his selection as a “first-team All-American and shutting out the Cuban National Team for the first time in their history.”28

Sele spent 1991 in Class-A Advanced Winter Haven in the Florida State League, appearing in 13 games and posting a 3–6 record with a 4.96 ERA. The majority of Sele’s 1992 season saw him pitching for the Class-A Advanced Lynchburg, Virginia, Red Sox of the Carolina League. By late July, he was promoted to double-A New Britain, making his debut with the Eastern League club on July 26 against Albany-Colonie. Sele pitched a 3–2 complete-game victory with Hatteberg, his WSU teammate, behind the plate.29 In his first two professional seasons, Sele amassed an 18–12 record and an ERA of 4.01 while striking out 192 and walking 93 over 229 innings pitched.

Two solid seasons in the lower minor leagues saw Sele promoted at the beginning of the 1993 season to triple-A Pawtucket, where he picked up where he left off. It was no surprise that when Boston, seeking to bolster its outfield, sought Atlanta’s veteran outfielder Otis Nixon, the Braves desired Sele, now one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s system. “If you’re in a pennant situation,” said general manager Lou Gorman, “you might trade away a good young player. But, generally, you keep your best young talent, and that’s what we plan to do.”30 For the Red Sox, Aaron Sele was going nowhere, but up.

On June 21, 1993, Sele received the call to the big leagues. Two days later, he made his major-league debut against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. In his first major-league game, he used 117 pitches over seven innings, striking out eight, walking two, and allowing only one run on five hits. His first strikeout victim was future Hall of Famer and fellow Minnesota native Dave Winfield, who was caught looking on a 1–2 count in the second inning. Greg Harris closed out the game to seal the 3–1 victory for Sele’s first career win.

Sele remained with Boston, finishing the season with a 7–2 record in 18 starts. His 2.74 ERA, 93 strikeouts, and 48 walks garnered him third place in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. The young pitcher was in the big leagues for good.

If a major leaguer is going to have a sophomore slump, Aaron Sele’s second season in the big leagues is the one to have. In his first full season with Boston, Sele started 22 games and pitched 143 1/3 innings. His strikeouts-to-walks ratio fell slightly from 1.94 in 1993 to 1.75 in 1994. He won eight games and hurled his first two complete-game victories in back-to-back starts against Milwaukee on May 11 and Baltimore on May 18. Following the All-Star break, Sele faltered from July 16 through August 1, going winless and losing three with a no-decision. Hosting Cleveland for the first game of a doubleheader on August 6, Aaron ended the streak, exiting the game after the fifth with a 5–3 lead. The game would prove to be his last of the year as the fifth major-league players strike ended the baseball season on August 12.

After 232 days, the strike ended April 2, 1995, commencing with a 24-day abbreviated spring training. The lengthy work stoppage, combined with the shortened Fort Myers, Florida, spring camp, had immediate negative ramifications on Boston’s roster. On April 22, Sox ace Roger Clemens was sidelined with soreness in his pitching shoulder, prompting him to seek further evaluation and causing him to miss his first Opening Day start since 1988. “Every time I get extended or try to put a little more force behind it to drive a ball to the plate, it pulls my shoulder back,” Clemens told Associated Press writer Jimmy Golen. “I think there’s some muscle back there that doesn’t want to fire off.”31 Clemens’ sidelining meant that Sele moved up to number one in the Sox rotation and became the Opening Day starter.32

On three days’ rest following his final spring training appearance, Sele faced the Minnesota Twins at Fenway for an afternoon game in front of 32,980 fans. The right-hander made the most of his first career Opening Day start with five strong innings. After a leadoff walk to Chuck Knoblauch and an Alex Cole sacrifice bunt, Sele settled down, closing out the first frame with a Kirby Puckett flyball out and a Pedro Muñoz strikeout. After 11 consecutive outs, Kevin Maas singled to center to open the top of the fifth. A wild pitch to Marty Cordova advanced Maas to second, but Cordova was then fanned by Sele for the first out. Aaron coaxed Scott Leius into a groundout followed by a Pat Meares fly to right field, which closed out his day. On 65 pitches through five innings, Sele surrendered a single, struck out two, and walked one. The bullpen preserved the 9–0 shutout for Sele’s first win of the season.

Over the next four games, Sele’s 2–2 record seemed to indicate trouble ahead. Despite his 3.09 ERA from May 5–17, he pitched 23 1/3 innings, striking out 15, and walking 10. In his May 23 start in Seattle, he lasted just four innings. While the Red Sox bested the Mariners, 5–4, in the 10-inning contest, trouble was brewing as Sele was the first Boston starter in 13 games to not make it through the fifth inning. Boston continued their nine-game West Coast swing, but Sele went back to Boston for medical evaluation and treatment, kicking off a season-long struggle to regain his health. By mid-August, following multiple minor league rehabilitation attempts, it became apparent that the Sele’s health struggles originated from the abbreviated spring training. “Without 30 or 40 innings of spring training, I didn’t have the arm strength,” Sele told the Boston Globe. “Everything just snowballed from there.”33

Sele’s mound appearances in Sarasota, Trenton, and Pawtucket only exacerbated his problems. “If I had done my first rehabilitation right, I would have been pitching here [in Boston] six weeks ago,” Sele said. “It was bad mechanics,” he continued. “[Pitching coach Al] Nipper ran a tape of me in slow motion and it looked like I was making up stuff. I was putting a strain on my arm.”34 In his final pitching appearance, Sele had to leave the Pawtucket game against Scranton with one out in the third; after a 1–1 pitch to Rob Butler, Sele complained of tightness in his right shoulder. “My shoulder was tight and I didn’t think I should continue pitching,” he said.35 The good news for Sele was that his issues did not require surgical intervention and that Red Sox management followed team doctor Arthur Pappas’ recommendation of shutting the pitcher down until spring. Sele finished the season with a 3–1 record, starting just six big-league games. With 21 strikeouts and 14 walks, Sele’s ERA stood at 3.06. His home runs per nine innings ticked up from 8.8 in 1994 to 8.9.

After his painful and brief 1995 campaign, Sele continued to struggle in 1996. In 17 starts, he managed just three victories, averaged 5 2/3 innings per game, and had nine no-decisions. His worst first-half outing was in Milwaukee on May 9. Sele surrendered six runs on five singles, two walks, a pair of stolen bases, and a sacrifice fly in two-thirds of an inning before manager Kevin Kennedy replaced him with Jamie Moyer. By the All-Star break, his 5.99 ERA was headed in the right direction. Sele’s second-half performance was a different story. Despite his 4–6 record, his control improved, striking out 65 while limiting his walks to 21. His ERA over his final 12 games was 4.46. With a 7–11 record, Sele was the sole Red Sox starter to win fewer than 10 games, and his 5.32 ERA was only slightly better than number four starter Tom Gordon’s 5.59. Boston finished third in the division, seven games behind New York and three behind Baltimore.

The 1997 season saw the Boston’s pitching rotation undergo significant free agency changes with the departure of staff ace Clemens to the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays and the arrival of former Braves starter Steve Avery. In late May, rookie hurler Jeff Suppan was elevated from Pawtucket, giving Boston’s new manager Jimy Williams a solid five-man rotation. Sele showed signs of improvement over the course of the first half of the season. In 18 starts, he pitched 100 innings with a 5.13 ERA. He won 10 games, lost six, and had only two no-decisions. However, Sele repeated his 1996 summer slump in his 15 second-half starts. Aside from his six no-decisions and six losses, he only won three, and his ERA jumped to 5.70. Boston finished in fourth place behind Baltimore, New York, and Detroit in the American League East. Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette’s patience with the 27-year-old pitcher was wearing thin.

After Avery exercised his option on November 3 for the remaining year of his contract,36 Sele, with two years remaining on his contract, became expendable as Boston sought to shore up its outfield defense and bench offense. The Red Sox dealt Sele, along with catcher Bill Haselman and relief pitcher Mark Brandenburg, to the Texas Rangers in exchange for center fielder Damon Buford and utilityman Jim Leyritz.37 “We have more depth than we did yesterday when it comes to pitching,” said Texas general manager Doug Melvin.38 Sele’s 4.11 walks per nine innings in 1997 tied him with Omar Olivares for second worst in the American League, and his 15 hit batsmen were second to knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Melvin was speculating that a fresh start in Texas would turn things around for Sele, “We think the change of scenery is going to do him good.”39

To Melvin’s credit, the change of scenery was exceptionally good for Sele as he fell one victory shy of a 20-win season. He started strong with a five-game winning streak, including two shutouts, and a plus-47 run differential as the Rangers outscored their opponents, 57–10. By the midseason break, Sele’s 12–5 record combined with a 4.04 ERA helped him to his first All-Star selection. In the second half, Sele won seven and dropped six with two no-decisions. Despite his 4.47 ERA, his second half was still respectable. For the season, his 19–11 record tied for fourth best in the American League. The Rangers captured the AL West division title, giving Sele his first opportunity to pitch in the postseason. After Texas dropped the first two games of the American League Division Series to the Yankees in New York, Aaron was sent to the hill to keep the Rangers’ postseason alive.

Facing the 114-win Yankees club that was firing on all cylinders posed a significant challenge for Sele as the Rangers’ offense had been silent in the first two games, producing only one run on 10 hits over 18 innings. In Game Three of the series, Sele and Yankees starting pitcher David Cone kept each offense relatively quiet through the first five innings. Aaron struck out three, allowing three singles and a double and walking one batter. In the sixth, Sele ran into trouble. Paul O’Neill hit a one-out solo home run to put New York on top, 1–0. After a Bernie Williams strikeout, Tino Martinez stroked a single past the shortstop. Tim Raines doubled to set up Shane Spencer with two runners in scoring position with two outs. With a 1–1 count, Spencer deposited a ball deep in the left-field stands, scoring three more runs for a 4–0 Yankee lead. Scott Brosius grounded out to end both the inning and Sele’s day. The Rangers’ relievers kept New York’s batters at bay for the final four innings. Unfortunately for the Rangers, Cone and the Yankee bullpen followed suit.

In Sele’s first 15 starts of the 1999 season, his performance was above average. He won seven games against five losses and had a 2:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. When the Rangers arrived in Seattle on June 27, Sele took the mound carrying a 5.44 ERA. The game was the finale for the Kingdome, the Mariners’ home since their inaugural season. The Rangers jumped out to a 2–0 lead in the first but that was short-lived. Brian Hunter led off for the Mariners in the bottom of the frame with a single and a steal. Álex Rodríguez walked on a full count, setting up Ken Griffey Jr. with two on and no outs. Ahead of Sele in the count, 3–1, Griffey homered to deep right field for his 27th of the season, putting the Mariners ahead for good, 3–2. Sele pitched through the seventh, trailing, 5–2, which proved to be the final score.

Sele’s 8–6 record and 5.51 ERA at the All-Star break was cause for concern considering his typical second-half fade of previous years, but he was in a contract year at the end of a century and a millennium. In his first six starts of the second half, the right-hander won four games, and the Rangers won his only no-decision. He ended the second half, winning 10 total games and losing three in 15 starts. In that stretch, Sele struck out an impressive 99 while walking only 25. His 18–9 record and 4.79 ERA garnered him attention in the Cy Young voting.

Capturing their second consecutive AL West flag, the Rangers were back in the postseason with an opportunity to exact revenge upon the Yankees in the 1999 ALDS. Sele started the opening game in New York. The Yankees struck first with a run in the bottom of the second and two more in the fifth. After walking the leadoff hitter in the sixth, Sele left the game. The Yankees added four more runs against the Rangers’ bullpen, and the offense was shutout, giving New York an 8–0 win. New York ultimately repeated their 1998 ALDS performance, outscoring Texas, 14–1, and sweeping the series.

As Seattle general manager Pat Gillick was seeking to bolster the starting rotation, Sele was an obvious target for the Mariners. At the time, Sele, now a free agent, for the 1998 and 1999 seasons, was tied with José Lima and Greg Maddux for second in the major leagues in wins with 37, trailing only Pedro Martinez’s 42. On January 19, 2000, Sele signed a $15-million, two-year deal with the Seattle Mariners. “I’m coming home,” said Sele.40 His first baseball idol was Mariners third baseman Jim Presley. “I remember we used to sneak down there and root for the other teams because the Mariners never were very good,” Sele said when he was first called up to the big leagues in 1993.41 But the right-hander was home and hoping to bring home a World Series championship to Seattle.

The Mariners reaped the rewards in 2000 as Sele led the team in wins (17) and innings pitched (211 2/3) and earned his second career All-Star selection, pitching a scoreless fourth inning in the midsummer classic. Sele’s 17 wins were fifth in the American League behind David Wells and Tim Hudson (20), Andy Pettitte (19), and Pedro Martinez (18). Sele’s record of 17 wins was the third best of his career.

Seattle finished the season 91–71, a half-game behind Oakland in the division, earning one of the two wild-card berths in the American League. After winning the first two games of the ALDS against Chicago, the Mariners hosted the White Sox for Game Three. Sele pitched masterfully, holding Chicago to three hits. He ran into trouble in the top of the second after Harold Baines led off with a double. Charles Johnson drove a fly ball deep to center, allowing Baines to move easily to third. Herbert Perry followed with a sac fly center, allowing Baines to score. The Mariners answered Chicago with a run in the fourth, knotting the score at 1–1. With one out and a runner on first in the eighth inning, Seattle manager Lou Piniella pulled Sele. The Mariners broke through with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to sweep Chicago in the series.

Following their series sweep of the White Sox, Seattle advanced to the American League Championship Series against New York. After splitting the first two games at Yankee Stadium, the Mariners were at home for Game Three. Sele was on the hill for his third postseason start against the Yankees with a 4–10 career record against New York including two consecutive ALDS losses. “I don’t think there’s anybody in particular that performs well against them,” said Sele ahead of the game. “I think they frustrated about everyone the last few years they pretty much cakewalked their way through to two titles.”42

Staked to a 1–0 lead after the first inning, Sele was reminded of his previous playoff games against New York as Williams and Martinez took him deep for back-to-back home runs in the second. The cakewalk was indeed in play for New York as Yankee batters added a single and a two-out David Justice RBI double to stretch their lead to 3–1 in the third. Sele settled, holding the Yankees scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings. The Mariners’ batters cut into New York’s lead with an RBI single by Mike Cameron following Rickey Henderson’s one-out double.

In the top of the sixth, a pair of one-out singles from Williams and Martinez and a fly-ball out by Jorge Posada set the table with runners at the corners. O’Neill stroked a 2–1 pitch through the right side of the infield, driving in Martinez to regain the two-run lead. Sele got the final out of the inning but trailed, 4–2. “Andy Pettitte made some great pitches when he was in trouble,” Sele said postgame, “and I gave up a run with two outs and that was the game.”43 The bullpen gave up four more runs in the final three innings, giving New York an 8–2 victory and a 2–1 edge in the ALCS. Sele was slated to pitch Game Seven in New York, but the eventual World Series champions won Game Six, ending the Mariners’ season.

Sele, the Mariners’ number three starter behind Freddy García and John Halama, entered the 2001 season as one of the best pitchers in the game since 1998. In that stretch, he was 54–30 with 490 strikeouts and 228 walks in 100 starts and seven complete games. At 30 years old, Sele was in the prime of his career and about to start the final season of his contract. Despite the addition of future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki to the roster and the team’s playoff run in the previous season, many hometown sportswriters picked the Mariners to finish behind the Oakland Athletics, outside of a playoff berth.44

Sele emerged from 2001 spring training on fire, winning eight out of his first 11 starts and posting 4–0 records in both April and May with a combined 2.65 ERA. At the All-Star break, Aaron had a 10–1 record with a 3.54 ERA and 51 strikeouts against 28 walks. Shockingly, there was no All-Star call. Sele won back-to-back games following the break including a complete game, 8–0, shutout of the Diamondbacks on July 15. However, as the summer weather heated up and the Mariners continued to steamroll their opponents, Sele’s performance faltered. From July 25 through September 5, Sele started nine games, winning one, dropping four, and having four no-decisions while his ERA during that span was 5.06.

On the night of September 11, Sele was scheduled to start in Anaheim—however, due to that day’s terrorist attacks, Major League Baseball was shut down for seven days. Responding to an inquiry about a pitching rotation for whenever the team would play again, Piniella responded that he had not planned one. “But I’m glad we’re not playing this weekend,” said Piniella. “What’s happened this week has taken the heart out of everyone, and it will take 4–5 days to get the adrenaline back.”45

Sele’s September 20 no-decision resulted in a Mariners loss that was the start of a four-game losing streak until Moyer ended it with his 19th win, the Mariners’ 107th. Sele was 2–0 in his final three starts of the regular season with a no-decision in the Mariners’ finale, closing out Seattle’s historic run with a 116–46 record. Sele finished with 15 wins and five losses and a 3.60 ERA, his best ERA in seven years.

The 2001 postseason would prove to be the last postseason appearance of Sele’s career. Starting the third ALDS game against Cleveland, Sele struggled out of the gate, giving up two runs in the bottom of the first on two singles and a double. In the second inning with the score in favor of Cleveland, 2–1, an error, single, and triple led to an unearned run, a 4–1 deficit, and an early exit for Sele. Seattle relievers fared no better, giving up 13 more runs on 14 hits in a laughable 17–2 drubbing. The Mariners’ memories were short, though, as Seattle rebounded to take Game Four and Five to advance to the ALCS.

Unfortunately for Sele, he was now appearing in his third consecutive postseason facing the Yankees. Starting Game One, Sele allowed New York to score in the second and mount a 3–1 lead by the time he was relieved after the sixth. The Yankees won the game, 4–2. For Game Five, trailing the Yankees three games to one, Aaron was back on the mound at Yankee Stadium as the Mariners pinned their hopes on Sele to bring the series back to Safeco Field. After two scoreless frames, the Yankees tagged him for four runs, capped off by Williams’ two-run bomb, closing the book on Sele with five runs (one earned) on four hits, two strikeouts, and a walk. The game proved to be disastrous for Seattle as the Yankees tacked on seven more runs for a 12–3 final score. The historic 116-win season was all for naught. “Today, [the 116 regular season wins] mean nothing, period. It doesn’t matter if you won 85 to get in the playoffs or 185 to get in the playoffs. It’s how you finish,” Sele stated after the game.46

Seattle and the now free agent veteran parted ways. Since he left Boston, Sele was 69–35 with a 4.27 ERA, making him one of the coveted pitchers on the market. The Angels signed him to a three-year, $24 million contract, giving third-year manager Mike Scioscia a formidable starting rotation. But 2002 proved to be a down year for the veteran Sele, who won only eight of his 26 starts and lost nine. Opposing batters hit .299 off him and his strikeouts (82) to walks (49) ratio was down to 1.67. His poor regular-season performance coupled with his abysmal playoff record left Scioscia little choice but to leave him off the ALDS roster against New York.47 Unfortunately for Sele, Scioscia made no roster changes throughout the postseason48 and Sele was left to watch and cheer for his team through to its first World Series championship.

Departing Anaheim at the end of his contract, Sele’s career was in its twilight. In three years with the Angels, his 24–24 record and 5.20 ERA diminished his marketability. He returned to Seattle in 2005, appearing in 21 games and posting a 6–12 record before being released on July 31. He spent a week on the Rangers’ roster in early August and was released without appearing in a game.

Pitching for the Dodgers in 2006 and the Mets in 2007, Sele appeared in 62 games, started 15, and posted an 11–8 record in 157 innings over his last two seasons. In his 15 major-league seasons, Sele’s 148–122 record was respectable despite the lack of postseason wins or accolades. Ultimately, it was enough to receive a lone vote in the 2012 Hall of Fame balloting. “I am surprised, and it also makes me feel that somebody out there respected the way I handled myself as a professional baseball player, that I had a lot of integrity,” Sele told USA Today. “Every player appreciates the acknowledgment, whether it was numbers, integrity, professionalism, however that connection was made.”49

In 2013, the two-time all-Pac-10 and 1990 All-America pitcher was inducted into the Washington State University Hall of Fame.

After retirement, Sele returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers to serve as a special assistant to the general manager of player development for nine years. In 2017, he began his scouting career with the Miami Marlins (2017–2019) with subsequent tenures with the Chicago Cubs (2019–2021) and the Kansas City Royals (2023–2025).50 Sele concluded his career in organized baseball in November 2025. “After 32 years,” he shared on his personal LinkedIn account, “I am taking my ball and going home…again.” Sele left the game behind stating that he was walking away to pursue other interests.51

Aaron Sele resides in Southern California and has four daughters: Katherine, Claire, Caroline, and Charlotte.

SOURCES

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org. For college statistics, he relied on The Baseball Cube (https://www.thebaseballcube.com).

NOTES

1 “Howe Sports Data Baseball Questionnaire,” Ancestry.com, accessed February 27, 2025.

2 Roger Underwood, “Aaron Sele: North Kitsap star is an ‘excellent role model’ for all seasons,” Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, Washington), June 9, 1984: 27.

3 Dan Shaughnessy, “Languid season gets a shot in the arm – Sele,” Boston Globe, June 23, 1993: 57.

4 “Poulsbo hosting Babe Ruth tourney,” Kitsap Sun, July 18, 1984: 27.

5 “NK season ends,” Kitsap Sun, November 11, 1987: 19

6 Roger Underwood, “Viks cap state baseball title run with a rout,” Kitsap Sun, May 30, 1988: 13.

7 “Roughriders rip NK to share OL title,” Kitsap Sun, November 6, 1987: 22.

8 Ed Frederick, “Raiders eliminate North boys,” Kitsap Sun, March 11, 1988: 22.

9 “Viks cap state baseball title run with a route,” Kitsap Sun, May 30, 1988: 13.

10 “Aaron Sele ponders WSU scholarship,” Kitsap Sun, June 13, 1988: 17.

11 “NK’s Sele accepts scholarship to WSU,” Kitsap Sun, June 25, 1988: 19.

12 “Eastern notches victory, but Long’s string halted,” Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington), March 17, 1989: C4.

13 “ABCA All-America Team,” USA Today, June 7, 1990: 2B.

14 Chuck Stark, “Sele using strength, noggin to succeed,” Kitsap Sun, March 12, 1991: 17.

15 “Sele makes team USA,” Kitsap Sun, June 20, 1990: C2.

16 “Cuba clobbers Team USA,” Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut), July 22, 1990: D3.

17 “NK’s Sele pitching well for Team USA,” Kitsap Sun, July 24, 1990: C5.

18 “NK’s Sele pitching well.”

19 Thomas Harding, “Sele keys U.S. past Cuba, 1-0,” Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee), July 24, 1990: D1.

20 Stark, “Sele using strength.”

21 John Lawrence, “U.S. Drops ball, 7-6, vs Japan,” News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), July 29, 1990: D1.

22 “Goodwill Games Results,” News Tribune, July 29, 1990: D6.

23 “Goodwill Games Results,” News Tribune, July 31, 1990: C5.

24 John Lawrence, “Sele seals bronze for U.S.,” News Tribune, August 1, 1990: C3.

25 Stark, “Sele using strength.”

26 Larry Whiteside and Nick Cafardo, “Red Sox are sold on Sele; righty is their top choice,” Boston Globe, June 4, 1991: 53.

27 Aaron Sele (2013), Washington State University Hall of Fame. https://wsucougars.com/honors/hall-of-fame/aaron-sele/21, accessed January 28, 2025.

28 Baseball player personal information form, Howe Sportsdata International, Inc., Ancestry.com, accessed February 2, 2025.

29 Roberto Gonzalez, “Sele’s strong start finishes Britsox’s sweep,” Hartford (Connecticut) Courant, July 27, 1992: B3.

30 Larry Whiteside, “Braves’ asking price nixes chance of deal,” Boston Globe, June 13, 1993: 66.

31 Jimmy Golen, “Clemens to have shoulder examined,” (Springfield, Massachusetts) Republican, April 22, 1995: 23.

32 Jimmy Golen, “Clemens sidelined till June,” Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts), April 23, 1995: 25.

33 “Sele ready to start again,” Boston Globe, August 15, 1995: 57.

34 “Sele ready to start again.”

35 Nick Cafardo, “Aguilera considering returning next year,” Boston Globe, August 23, 1995: 81.

36 Gordon Edes, “Avery opts to stay with Sox,” Boston Globe, November 4, 1997: C2.

37 Gordon Edes, “Sox deal Sele, get Buford, Leyritz,” Boston Globe, November 7, 1997: C1.

38 Johnny Paul, “Rangers acquire pitching,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 7, 1997: E1.

39 Paul, “Rangers acquire pitching.”

40 Larry LaRue, “Sele is happy to come home,” News Tribune, January 12, 2000: C1.

41 Shaughnessy, “Languid season gets a shot.”

42 Corey Brock, “Sele hoping history doesn’t repeat itself,” News Tribune, October 13, 2000: C4.

43 Larry LaRue, “Missed opportunities leave M’s in a 2-1 hole,” News Tribune, October 13, 2000: C1.

44 “News Tribune Predictions,” News Tribune, April 1, 2001: MA10

45 Larry LaRue, “Mariners finally make way back home,” Spokesman-Review, September 14, 2001; C6.

46 Hal Brock, “All those wins add up to nothing for Mariners,” Kitsap Sun, October 23, 2001: C1.

47 Diane Pucin, “Angels Can Tie One On,” Los Angeles Times, September 30, 2002: D12.

48 Joe Resnick, “Frustrated, Cook can only watch,” San Francisco Examiner, October 17, 2002: 58.

49 Jorge L. Ortiz, “Aaron Sele on Hall of Fame vote: ‘A nice tip of the cap,’” USA Today, January 11, 2013.

50 Aaron Sele, LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-sele-467521293/). accessed April 21, 2025.

51 Aaron Sele, LinkedIn, November 16, 2025.