Citing a fading passion for the game, the veteran skipper, who has 191 wins since coming to the Mariners, told his team at an 11 a.m. meeting just before talking to the press.
The Mariners are playing their best baseball of the season, so much so that Hargrove, who has been the target of fan wrath the past two seasons, is no longer under fire.
But he's apparently choosing this time to leave when the club is on a good roll to step down.