On July 1, 2007, Hargrove resigned his position as manager of the Mariners, saying in a prepared statement that his "passion has begun to fade" and it would not be "fair to myself or the team" to continue. The departure was unusual, since the Mariners had been playing quite well at the time. Hargrove became the first big league manager since at least 1900 to depart while on a winning streak of more than seven games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Sources indicated that differences between Hargrove and Mariners superstar Ichiro Suzuki were the actual reason for the departure. Despite officially having resigned, Hargrove was paid for the remainder of his contract, and Ichiro signed a contract extension only weeks after Hargrove left.