"Junior, Mario Mendoza called: He wants his batting average back" - Greg Howard was quoted in the Seattle PI after Griffey started the 2000 season poorly. Who is Mario Mendoza? What is significant about his batting average? This story, although fairly young, has become part of baseball lore.

First, who is Mario Mendoza? Born in Chihuahua, Mexico in 1950, Mario impressed scouts with his superior range, fluid motion and a strong arm. He signed as a 19-year old free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates and quickly showed his defensive proficiency, as he led Carolina League shortstops with 79 double plays for Salem in 1972.

He joined the Pirates early in the 1974 season and hit .221 for them in 91 games. The Pirates of '74 won the NL East and faced the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), losing 3-games-to-1. In his only post-season action, Mario Mendoza made it into three games and had one RBI single in five at bats. In a strange twist of fate, his lifetime post-season batting average is .200. Right on the Mendoza Line.

Mario Mendoza played with Pittsburgh through the 1978 season, mainly as a reserve to Frank Taveras.

In 1979 he was traded to the Seattle Mariners and found himself as the starting shortstop for the young M's. He appeared in 148 games and batted .198 that year. This ties him with Steve Jeltz for most games played in a season while batting below .200. In 1980, while his nemesis, George Brett, made one of the closest charges to the Holy Grail of .400, Mario was on a quest of his own -- to break .250. That year, Mendoza became something of an offensive force, dinging opposing pitchers for 2 home runs and a .245 average -- both career highs. It's ironic that George Brett stated how Mario staved off Brett's chance for baseball immortality:

"I remember going into a series in Seattle, think I went 2-for-12 with two home runs, but hit the ball on the nose like 10 times. It was one of those streaks. I remember Mario Mendoza, the shortstop for the Mariners, making two or three diving stabs up the middle. When that starts happening, you think, 'Geez, I wonder if it's in the stars.' You're hitting line drives right at someone and guys are diving for balls and catching them. You're like, "What is going on here? A month ago that was a hit." Now all of a sudden I can't buy a hit. Then you start trying a little too hard."

Mario finished out his career with the Texas Rangers from 1981 to '82.