Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's go across the street again. We're gonna bust in here.
Go across the street to T Mobile Park, and welcome
to a guy who for many, many, many, many many
many years and I still think today is mister Mariner.
Alvin Davis is joining us right now on the show
from T Mobile Park. Ad It's Softy and Dick fain
On kJ are here in Seattle. How are you? Man?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey guys, I'm doing great. How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
We are good. It's great to hear your voice and
as always, you are just positive. You're enthusiastic, you're excited
to be here. I can hear it in your voice.
Tell me about and tell the listeners what it means
to you to be on this top fifty list and
be in town for this event this weekend. Man.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, you know, so many of these, you know, recognitions
and awards and celebrations are just kind of pinched me
moments because you know, I go back forty years ago.
I mean I could have never envisioned this, and just
it's such an honor to be a part of this group,
a part of the organization, and the Mariners do it right.
(01:03):
I mean, we set the standard when it comes to
these types of celebrations, and so glad that you know,
we're building on the legacy that has been laid here
by the players that came through and did their best,
you know, to make this organization what it has become.
So it's an honor to be a part of it.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
You know, when you say, Alvin that you could never
envision this. I was thinking back about when you're playing
first base, and every time you played first base at home,
you looked up and saw a gray roof, and now
you look up and it's seventy five degrees. Can you imagine?
Did you ever once think, god, what it would be
like to play a home game outside at Seattle in
the summertime?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, you know, I mean obviously T Mobile safegu Field
and its origins is progress, and yeah, you know, with
the ability to close the roof. But I have to
be honest with you, the Kingdome was something that we
aspired to. It was the place that we wanted to
get to get to coming up through the minor league,
(02:03):
and it was a dream stadium because it was a
major league stadium. And so you know, as young players
coming up through the minor league system, we weren't picky
about where we play the Kingdome. We want to make
it to the Kingdom because that's where the Mariners play,
and so the Kingdom will always have a fond place
in my heart. You know. I wish that we could
(02:24):
have had more incredible moments, but we had our fair share,
you know. And there's there're no ballpark, None of the
modern ballparks fold as many fans as the Kingdome could
could hold. And I tell you what, when we packed
that thing out, there was no place like it. It
was so loud in their visiting teams couldn't even hear
(02:44):
themselves think. So I have fond memories of the Kingdome.
Would I have loved to play here tea Mobile, Absolutely,
But but yeah, I'll keep my dreams and my memories
close to my heart. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Well, Alvin Davis, mister Mariner, was with us on the
A and Ady Dick and I are old enough to
remember in nineteen ninety one when you guys finally broke
through right and finished over five hundred. Yeah, trying to
remember the exact quote, I think you said something like,
nobody can ever call me a loser ever again, because
you guys finished over five hundred and then for some
(03:17):
stupid reason, they fired Jim lefeverra I have no idea
why that was. But what did that, honestly in the
moment mean to you that year to be a member
of the first team to go over five hundred and
do you remember, I think you left and went to
the Angels the next season as well. Why did they
get rid of Jim Lefever after what he did that year?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Oh gosh, you know what. I was not in the
room where those those conversations happened, So yeah, I can't
even comment on that. I can comment on what it
felt like. You know, we were down in Texas and
you know, if you look back at the record, we
had a few seasons where we were seventy six seventy
seventy eight wins, which is close, right, it's close to,
(04:02):
you know, being at five hundred or over the five
hundred mark. And I don't know why, but back in
those days, it just felt like if you won more
games than you lost, even if it was eighty two
and eighty, you just felt relevant. You know, you felt
like you were a part of the discussion. And so
you know, we had gotten close, but we weren't able
to be you know, to finish the season strong enough
to have a winning record, and then in ninety one,
(04:25):
all of a sudden, we're there, like, man, we've won
eighty games. That's the first time in my career we
had won eighty games. And it's like we can do this.
This in middle of September, like it's going to happen.
And so, you know, I guess after fourteen seasons, right,
because we started in seventy seven, so ninety one would
have been our fourteenth or maybe fifteenth, I can't remember
(04:45):
the map, but that's a lot of years of either
being really bad or close, but no Cigar. And so
there was just this tremendous sense of release and a
unique type of accomplishment. No, we knew that we he
didn't win the American League West and going to the
American League Championship Series, but we just felt like, for
(05:06):
one thing, that that part of the narrative was over.
You know, the whole win of the Mariner is going
to figure it out and become a winning franchise. That
was over. That was history, and now it's like, Okay,
let's go on and do what we feel like we're
capable of doing. And that's being a challenger in the
American League webs.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Alvin Davis joining us a ad. You mentioned some of
the you remember great moments of your times both of
the kingdomen on the road for the Mariners. What are
something that stick that stick out to you that you
would like to share, Like, what are a moment or
two from your career here that you just remember really
really fondly.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, I mean, golly, I remember my good buddy Mark
Langston our rookie year together. You know, he was I
think he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting,
and you know he was the Rookie pitcher of the year,
you know in some of the polls and the publications
that were out then, and you know, seventeen and ten.
You know, this is my good buddy, right. We came
through the minor leagues together. We were roommates on the
(06:04):
road in eighty four and actually a few years after that.
So we're you know, we're more like brothers than teammates.
And so you know, to see him win seventeen games
as a rookie and lead the American League in strikeouts
with two hundred and five, that's just an amazing memory.
For me, it was something that I will always cherish.
And you know then, of course, you know, we talked
(06:25):
about the ninety one season, but you know, I think
it was nineteen ninety when Randy threw his first no
hitter at the Kingdome against the Detroit Tigers. You know,
that's an amazing memory, is the first first no hitter
that I was ever a part of. But you know
that no hitter fits into the broader narrative of a
legend's career. You know, I feel like that was just
(06:47):
another step that Randy took in his career to become
the dominant pitcher that we all remember, and you know,
it was all a part of his growth. So those
are fond memories as well. And you know, I got
to play that game that year, was a little bit
of a first ay D eight split in time with
Pete O'Brien, but I got to play defense that year
and be on the field, you know when Randy recorded
(07:09):
that twenty seventh out and got that no hitter. So yeah,
you know, I mean, then, you know, we guys, how
long do we have to talk about the Griffies? You know,
just you know Junior, you know, with him being in
town and getting to see him a good buddy, and
and you know, just seeing him come up and you know,
establish himself as the best player in the American League
and probably, you know, arguably the best player in all
(07:30):
of baseball. To see that be able to come to
life and have a front row seat to that development
and that maturity was just amazing. And then of course
again you know, nineteen ninety being able to you know,
to put on the same uniform as Senior and Junior
and just the goosebumps of you know, when Senior joined
us in made his debut at the Kingdome and and
(07:53):
you know, we go out. We used to take the
national anthem on the field those days, you remember that,
and so you know, we ran out to our positions
and you know, everyone stands up and they salute the flag,
and you know, the flag was on the wall against
left field, right, and so I'm looking out past left
center field and I see Griffy and Griffy and it
hits me like, you know, the historical moment just hits
(08:15):
me like this has never happened before in the history
of this game that's been played over one hundred years.
And it may not happen again in my lifetime. And
not only am I here to witnesses, I'm on the
lineup card, So you know, moments like that. I could
go on and on mind, but you know, when my
buddy Harold Reynolds led the league in stolen bases. I mean,
(08:36):
there's just so many iconic memories of my time here
in Seattle.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you what I remember. I remember
Dennis Secresy. I remember forty seven games in a row
getting on base, the start a career. You think Dennis
Secresy Ever sits at home and just has nightmares about
you ruining that day for him. What do you remember
about that, man, Rookie of the year. You're forty seven
(09:01):
games in a row on base, best rookie start ever
in the history of the game, free run bomb off
of Eck in your very first game as a major leaguer.
Tell me you still have your jersey, the bat, you
got the ball, something from that game.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Dude. Yeah, I don't know, because some of that stuff
ended up in Cooperstown. But you know, I just kind
of chuckled when you said that, because you know, when
Eck became a reliever and he was the most dominant
reliever in the American League with the Oakland As Eck
got his revenge. I don't think he's having nightmares about
that first game because he got the last left. You know,
(09:39):
he was some kind of closer, some kind of a competitor.
And yeah, you know, they're back in those days, there
weren't very many closers that had command, that could just
paint the edges, and so that's one of the things
that set Eck apart. He still had the stuff, right,
but but but he had the command of a starter,
you know. And so yeah, so he was a rough
at bat, but but you know, yeah, you know, the
(10:02):
story is what it is, and uh yeah, it's a
part of my legacy, and so I cherished that memory.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I think that's still a record. I don't think anybody's
being that record. By the way, forty seven straight games
to start a career.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Man.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
So hey, Ad, it's great to hear your voice. You
you sound exactly the same as you did forty years ago. Man,
So whatever you're doing, it's working, man, keep it up.
Congrats on the top fifty and we'll see you out
there at the park.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Man City appreciated, appreciated the good lunch taking chair of
you guys. Yeah, that's all. It's great to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
You got it. Alvin Davis with us on the radio
show for old guys like us. He was the first
true heron. He was the first true start Seeattle.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
We just talked to Harold Reynolds and Alvin Davis. That's right,
and that you and I are being taken back to
our twelve thirteen year old selves right.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Now, no question, man, We are showing you how old
we crew, we are, and we are damn old. Chuck
Powell is going to join next. You are three kh
a RFM