SEATTLE — Mike Hargrove resigned as manager of the Seattle Mariners yesterday, saying his “passion has begun to fade” for baseball even though his team is the hottest club in the majors.

Hargrove, who managed yesterday’s game against Toronto, will be succeeded by John McLaren, his bench coach. McLaren’s first game will be today against Kansas City.

“There are no dark, sinister reasons for this decision. This has been my decision,” the 57-year-old Hargrove said about 90 minutes before his final game with Seattle.

“I’ve daily challenged my players to give me the best that they’ve got, 100% of what they’ve got that day — physically and mentally. And they’ve done that. Without fail, they’ve done that.

“I have never had to work at getting that level myself—ever—until recently. I’ve found that I’ve had to work harder in making that same commitment to my bosses, to my players, and to my coaches. And that’s not right,” Hargrove said, turning away and choking back tears.

“They deserve better. They are good people. There is a good thing going on here. And it’s time for me to leave.”

Hargrove’s voice often cracked. His eyes were moist and red, remnants of a meeting he called with stunned players moments earlier. He said he initially made his decision June 20, just after a six-game losing streak.

General manager Bill Bavasi said that on a scale of one to 10 on being caught off-guard, Hargrove’s departure was “an 11.” Hargrove agreed with Bavasi to delay leaving until the All-Starbreak, and Bavasi and McLaren tried to talk Hargrove into reversing his decision.

“We’ve won seven in a row and the feeling hasn’t changed. I never thought it would end like this. And I am grateful that it has,” he said, adding this is probably his last job.

His announcement came hours before the team tried to extend its longest winning streak in more than four years. And just before spring training, Hargrove said this was the most excited he was for any of his 16 seasons as a major league manager, which included five consecutive division titles and World Series appearances in Cleveland in 1995 and ‘97.

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CINCINNATI — Manager Jerry Narron was fired last night by the Cincinnati Reds, who raised their payroll and their expectations in the off-season only to find themselves with the worst record in the major leagues.

The Reds became the second team to change managers yesterday, after Seattle’s Mike Hargrove resigned earlier in the day.

Narron was the second big league manager to be fired this season. Baltimore’s Sam Perlozzo lost his job on June 18 after the last-place Orioles couldn’t shake another losing streak.

The Reds have been far worse, setting a pace for their first 100-loss season since 1982. With no improvement in sight and attendance starting to lag, the club decided to dump its low-key manager.

The move came a few hours after an 11–7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals that left the Reds at 31–51, the worst record in the majors.