The Mariners fired manager Don Wakamatsu, tweets Brock & Salk of ESPN 710. They add that pitching coach Rick Adair, bench coach Ty Van Burkleo, and performance coach Steve Hecht were also let go. The Mariners confirmed the moves in a press release, stating that Daren Brown will step up from Triple A to manage the club and Carl Willis will take over as pitching coach. A key quote from GM Jack Zduriencik:
"I no longer have confidence that Don, Ty and Rick are the right long-term fit for our organization. New leadership is needed and it is needed now."
Wakamatsu took over as Mariners manager before the '09 season. His team posted a 85-77 mark in '09 but stands at 42-70 this year. Zduriencik had voiced his support for Wakamatsu six days ago.
