This morning, P-I columnist Jim Moore put in words the thoughts of many Mariners fans: Should the struggling team deal its superstar outfielder before the July 31 trade deadline?

I am reflexively opposed to the idea, as Ichiro is not only a remarkable baseball player, but the face of the organization since arriving from Japan in 2001. How can you trade the only player that most non-diehards would be able to name?

However, looking back on similar dilemmas in recent Mariners history, it would seem that dealing marquee players (with their bank-breaking contracts) has been a successful strategy.

I remember being devastated when the Mariners' superstars who I grew up with began to depart a few years after the riveting 1995 campaign. First it was the Big Unit in 1998, then Griffey after the 1999 season, and finally A-Rod in 2000. It seemed that the wind had been knocked out of the M's at the end of the '90s and they were simply cutting back on costs by dispensing their most expensive players.

Just when I felt the team was headed back to its longtime position as AL West doormat, low and behold the 2001 Mariners turned in one of the most impressive campaigns of the modern era. With Ichiro at the helm and the big names all departed, the M's won an amazing 116 games.

Could history repeat itself? Would trading their one star and his $100 million contract pull the Mariners out of their current tailspin? Moore apparently thinks so and within the next two weeks, we'll find out if the team agrees.