October 3, 2025 • 23 mins
Seattle Mariners Owner and CEO John Stanton joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about this 2025 team and the dynamics of it, Dan Wilson at Manager, trying to win a World Series for many deserving people, and the team’s strategy with the payroll.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Out back to Football Fridays sponsored by Tito's Handmade Vodka
on your home for the NFL Sports Radio ninety three
five three jr FL.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
All right, we are back here on a Friday afternoon
from Jimmy's on First, where again we thought game one
was today.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
We got here early, it was like, what nobody's in
the bar? We were like, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
We're just gonna go camp out outside the left field
gate and just get ready for tomorrow. I can honestly
say I've never camped out for a sporting event.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I might do it tonight and just stay here for tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Man, But we got Husky duties up at Tom's Watch
Bar eight thirty doors, twelve thirty kickoff, and then I
might jump on a line bike and just scoot right
down here for first pitch tomorrow around five o'clock. But
joining us on the radio program, the CEO of the
Seattle Mariners, John Stanton, is with us here from Jimmy's
on First.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
How are you doing doing great? What a wonderful time
in the city. And obviously I'm excited about all the
things going on with the Mariners. But it's Husky football season.
It's cracking, getting going. Obviously, the Seahawks are doing their thing.
It's a great time to be a sports fan.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Well, we'd like to remind you a conversation we had
about a year and a half ago. You might forget this, Adam,
I know will remember it from your PR staff that
you came on our show and you said, Okay, next
time we make the playoffs game one, you and get
diamond club seats.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So thank you very much for that.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Oh yeah, yeah, we're looking forward of that. John, This
is very nice, very generous of you to offer that.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
All I remember that conversation is you giving me advice
on what free agency?
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, well I think well, actually, you know you signed
none of them. To be honest with you, you didn't
get any of them, but you made some moves of
the deadline, which we'll talk about in a second. So
let's just backtrack for a second. So here we are
in the playoffs, first time since twenty two, second time
since two thousand and one, and we feel like we
got a shot to maybe do something that's never been
(01:52):
done in this city.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
What is this moment like for you?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
And we were kind of half joking off the air
that you've got opportunity here to really kind of influence
your legacy in Seattle right as the CEO of this team.
And also you're kind of responsible and directly it's kind
of a heavy burden for people's mental states and the
next maybe week and a half. So what does this
entire moment mean for you?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Man, I have to confess, I don't think I have
a legacy. I don't especially care about my legacy. I'm
all about winning for the fans. And you know, these
players are hungry, they're excited, they're frankly in many cases,
at the peak of their their playing ability, and and
(02:38):
I think it's a it's a time for us to
bring it all together. We've got eleven players that have
been All Stars in the last three years. You know,
I think that's more than any other team in baseball.
We have a group of guys that believe in each other,
the culture that Dan's created in the clubhouse, and along
with Manny and Bone and and and Would and you know,
(03:01):
the whole gang are doing just such a great job
of supporting the players. I mean, the legacy, if there
is one, is for the team, the players to see,
you know, cal Rawly, Julio Rodriguez, the starting pitchers, Mooney.
You know, all those guys achieved their dream since they
(03:25):
were playing Little League, of winning a World Series, and
that's what we're here to do.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
I saw you down there on the field after you
guys won the division title, and you were shaking hands
and you were hugging, and and I was wondering. I
was like, what's the emotion going through John right now?
I mean it was a relief, was it? Elation? Was
a little bit of vindication. I mean what was going
through your mind and your heart at that time?
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Well, I got a chance to thank a lot of
people that you know. As much as they're twenty six
guys who played between the lines, there are probably a
thousand people that were working that night, and I get
a chance to thank those folks as well as the
folks that you know work here every day and in
accounting and HR and all. We had a celebration out
(04:07):
in the pen. We were going back and forth, got
a lot of steps that day. We were in the
clubhouse on the field taking a photo. Uh, then out
in the pen, celebrating with the with the employees, with
the front office staff. And then the cool thing was
a bunch of the players came out. You know, wo
I think is the one who said, what's going on
(04:29):
out in the pen? And I said, well, that's where
the employees are, and he said, I want to go
out there. I'm sure that drove some people nuts, but
you know, the meaning security and all that. But a
bunch of the players went out and partied with the
staff because you know, they they live it every single day,
(04:50):
you know, and when we lose a game, you know,
they get a hard time from their friends and their family.
And when we win a game, they celebrate. And you
know it's where we have a wall up on the
fifth floor up in the offices that says, at the
top one Mariners imprinted language is the logo and then signatures.
(05:12):
You know, I've signed it. All the owners have signed it,
most of the players have signed it, and everyone in
the front office has signed it. And we're trying to
live up to that motto of one Mariners and be
one organization that succeeds.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
So we've been doing this for a long time.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
I think they can combine like sixty years in this business, right,
and I think it's important to Obviously there's room for
criticism and then there's room for compliments and praise, and
right now is the time where there's a lot of
good stuff going on, and you and the ball club
deserve some compliments and praise, there's no doubt. But when
that criticism comes, and you mentioned that, sometimes the guys
(05:48):
and the gals that work for you hear that and
they feel that. How much do you feel that? How
much do you live with it? And how much does
it bother you and drive you?
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Well, let's start with I'm old, right, you know, I
hat that all I've I've run a bunch of public companies.
I've started a bunch of businesses, some of which worked
and some of which didn't. And you know, I've gotten
criticized in what I do and maybe I've just you know,
got thicker skin now than I used to do. But
when someone gives one of our young people a hard
(06:18):
time for something they had nothing to do with, that
really pisses me off. And you know, that's the only
thing that bothers me. And when you know, I know
how hard those players are working. I know if somebody
strikes out three or four times, you know it's it's
not because they wanted to right it. You know it.
(06:39):
It's a it's a dynamic. I think that, you know,
this sport requires patience. You got us one hundred and
sixty two games in the regular season. You know, you've
got a month of playoffs, You've got you know, you
know that's after six weeks of spring training. I mean,
it's a long season, you know. I joke with my
(06:59):
friends at the seas and when we get to the
second week of September, we've got the equivalent of one
of their seasons left, right, we got another fifteen games,
And I think that that, you know, you have to
have patients. You have to have patients with the criticism too.
You know. The fact that we you know, got swept
by someone, you know, in the middle of the season
(07:22):
may have had to do with the pitching matchups. That
may have had to do with a flu bug going
through the clubhouse. It may just had to do with
a sequence of uh, you know, players not not having
their best games. But you know, when we conversely, when
we sweep a series, you know, the way we swept Detroit, Uh,
(07:44):
you know, it's an exciting time. You know, we had
some amazing times. I was with the team in Boston,
New York and Williamsport in Atlanta kind of three different
trips during the season, and I saw, you know, a
resilience and a and a commitment that they all had,
(08:04):
you know, and and a and a great attitude about
you know, what they're trying to accomplish. I mean, if
you remember, the Atlanta series came right after the UH
the Tampa series that they they got swept in Tampa,
they came back and that Saturday game, they came back
and won, scored a bunch of runs on the Saturday
and the Sunday games and and left that road trip.
(08:27):
You know that was still three and six. I think
UH with a with a lot of enthusiasm and a
lot of energy and came back and I think they
swept the home stand after that. So you know, it's
it's it's an up and down game.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
You use the word dynamic there, and this team has
got that dynamic and a lot of talented baseball teams don't.
Why do you think this one does? And where did
it come from?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Were whom did.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
It come from?
Speaker 4 (08:53):
I think it's been grown over time. I mean I
look at the UH, the players you know that that
have been with you know, I think JP has got
the longest tenure now. You know, I think they've built
it over time. I look at those pitchers and you know,
in addition to the time that that Logan and George
(09:13):
and Emerson have have spent and WU have spent in
the major leagues, they spent time together in the minor leagues.
I think that the you know, I've heard you guys
talk about it, the relationship that that cal built with
those guys moving from single A to long A to
double A, triple A and then eventually making it here.
(09:34):
And you think that that dynamic A lot of those
guys have been together almost ten years now, and you
know that I think creates a camaraderie and you know
it's you know, frankly, it's like the two of you, right,
I mean you finish each other's sentences in much the
same way well you mentioned sometimes rudely.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yeah, exactly how much of this show do you here?
Speaker 3 (09:54):
I mean, I gotta ask you how much of that
how much talk ready do you listen to? You have
a flip on kJ R when you're sitting in the car.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
I do flip on KG or some I have to
confess I probably listened to music more than I listened.
I have the ability to download and listen to the
things that are particularly interesting, Okay, and I do that
some and you know I even listened to your competitor.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Wow, there you go.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Well, I mean because we got passion, right, I mean,
this is something that we want very badly. And I've
mentioned on the ear John Stanton with us Marin or
chairman by the way from Jimmie's.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I've mentioned many times.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
That you know and you use the more patients there, right,
I think people Mariner fans have been just about his
patient as a fan base in sports waiting for a
world series. And there's people that have come and gone.
You know, Dick's dads in his nineties. My dad passed
away a couple of years ago. You know, he's not
going to get that chance. But there's people out there
that deserve that opportunity. How much do you feel like
(10:50):
you need to deliver.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
That for them?
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Oh? I absolutely. I think about a couple of three
people when I think about the history. And my mom
was passionate fan. My dad died you know, fifty years
ago now, and my mom was a widow for a
long time. She listened to it or watched every game,
and she was passionate and she she'd have questions after
(11:13):
every game. She wasn't a particularly knowledgeable fan, but she
she had opinions nonetheless like us, right, and then in
two political you know icons in this community that that
I had the good fortune to know for for four
or five decades, Slave Gorton and Dan Evans. I was
(11:33):
with Dan at the last Apple Cup. Sadly, the last
Apple Cup he saw was a year ago and he
passed a few days after that. Dan used to say
to me, now, you got to promise me we're going
to win a World Series. And I said, absolutely, Dan,
I can't tell you when, but we're going to win
a World Series. And unfortunately he won't be there for that,
at least not in person. I think I'd be looking
(11:54):
down on us and Slave Gorton every time I walk
into the lobby and see the display we've got with
the shovel from the first shovel of dirt for this ballpark,
and you know the photos from from his growing up period,
and you know, he was an enormous fan. Any saved
(12:14):
baseball in Seattle three different times that we wouldn't have
that stadium, we wouldn't have this team. You know, if
we had not, if it had not been for a
number of people and slights on on the mount rushmore
of that list. But folks like Gary Locke and and
Slade and excuse me, Dan and and other political leaders
(12:38):
you know, stepped up at a time. You know, it's
it's hard to appreciate that the political leaders came together,
you know, to make this happen. Wes Holman, you know,
and you know they wanted a team. They wanted the
team to stay here. They didn't want it to move
to Tampa in nineteen ninety. You know, all of those
(12:59):
folks came together, and most of them sadly are gone.
And but yeah, I guess I'm not particularly religious, but
I'm religious enough to think that they're probably looking down
on us and smiling.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Mariners Chairman John Stanton joining us. And you know, Softie
and I were at Believe it or Not, the U
District QFC when we got word that Dan Wilson was
going to be the manager of the Seattle Mariners, and
we thought, oh, that makes sense. Well, we just assumed
it was going to be an interim situation, right like
a trial basis, And then we found out a little
bit later that afternoon. This isn't an interim thing.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
He's the guy.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Why was he made the guy right away? And how
much of that was a John stand decision and how
much was a Jerry Depoter decision.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
It was a Jerry Depoto decision. But Jerry and I
talked about it long and hard, and I supported it.
And my office across the street is bookended by Kevin
Martinez on one side and Jerry Depoto on the other side,
and I'm talking to the three of the three of
(14:00):
us are talking along with Trevor and and Justin every
day and so. But ultimately it was Jerry's decision, and
I know it was an incredibly hard decision for him
to make. You know, he and Scott were very close,
and Scott, you know, did some tremendous things for this organization.
But ultimately, the question I asked Jerry is do you
(14:20):
believe we can win a world series with Scott as
the leader? And he said no, And he believed that,
and he still believes he believes today that we can
with Dan. And that's you know, you've got to be
guided by something. We have a mission at the Mariners.
We talk about all the time when our mission is
(14:42):
to win championships, create unforgettable experiences for our fans, and
serve our communities. And you know, the things that go
on the field on the field, you know, are primarily
related to championships, but they also create unforgettable experiences. How
many how many kids have posters of how of can
now hitting the break the streak home run in twenty two?
(15:05):
How many think about Julio and you know we're number
forty four when they're going out, when they're going to bed,
or they're going out to play in the in the yard.
And I think that, you know, serving the communities is
also very important to us. It's something that I was
taught by my parents and my predecessors, you know, John
(15:26):
Ellis and Howard Lincoln all committed as our entire ownership is,
you know, to doing things to try to make this
a better community. And I think, you know, right now
you can say the best thing we can do for
the community is to win that World Series. So there's
a virtual circle there. But you know, we've we've done
you know, our home Base program is designed to eliminate
(15:50):
reduce homelessness by eliminating evictions. Our hometown nine program where
we help kids that can't afford to play travel baseball
and travel softball. We make it possible for them and
we have mentors for them that you know, make a
difference in their lives.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Well, John Stanton as well as Mariner chairman from the
Jimmy's On first. And first of all, I love the
fact that you hear this radio show. That's awesome. And
then number two, if you've heard this show, then you've
probably heard me say on many many occasions, I think
the Mariners weren't in the World Series would be the
greatest sporting accomplishment this town has ever seen. You've you've
heard me say that maybe a couple of times over
the years, and I'm I mean that it'd be bigger
(16:32):
than the Super Bowl, bigger than anything that this team,
the town has ever done. And to me, I get tired,
as I know I think you do, of being on
a list that says never when it comes to the
World Series you So let me ask you real quick,
because Dick asked about this ball club. So why why
do you think that is that we haven't gotten there yet?
(16:53):
Why do you think this time feels different for this franchise?
Speaker 4 (16:59):
I want I want to address the predicate. At first,
you know, the it's a deep, dark secret. But you
and I know we grew up in the same neighborhood.
I know, did right, I knowd you know, maybe twenty
years apart, but neighborhood hasn't changed that much much. And
we played pickup ball and little league on Woodridge Elementary's
(17:22):
right fields and all that. And anyone who's been here,
you know, spent their life here, you know, particularly a
baseball fan. You know, you don't remember I do the
departure of the Pilots in sixty nine or its actually
in March of seventy. You know, this community deserves a championship.
I also remember June first, nineteen seventy nine, you know,
(17:45):
the championship with the Sonics won after losing in seventy eight.
You know, those are those are memories that are are
so vivid for me. You know, I can I can
practically tell you exactly what I was doing and drinking
at the same at that time. For us to win
(18:06):
a World Series, I think culminates, you know, if you
include the Pilots over sixty years of efforts to bring
a championship to this community in baseball, and baseball has
the ability to bring this community together in a way.
You know, it's an election year and you know, I'm
(18:27):
I'm not going to get into politics, but you know,
wouldn't it be nice if everybody was holding the hands
at a parade celebrating the Mariners winning the championship?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Yeah, whether they're like to hold your hand? Would you
hold my hand? Everyone? If we win? Will you hold
my handage brothers.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Yes, it may not last long. Exactly exactly, we'll do
the secret Woodridge handshake. But the dynamic for this community
is they deserve it.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
We deserve it.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
And you know, everyone who's been here their whole lives,
you know, I think you know has that. And you know,
the great thing about this community is we've also brought
you know, huge numbers of people who moved into Seattle
for to go to work for Microsoft or Costco or
Team Mobile or Starbucks or Amazon. You know those folks,
(19:17):
you know, have come here to this community and fall
in love with his team. You know, it's a fun time.
I can't go to Starbucks right now without someone saying,
go Mariners. The guys said it. Guy I've never seen
before said it to me in the elevator today. You know,
people are excited and it it has the ability to
have a long lasting effect.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
John, you had the fifteenth, twentieth, twenty third, twenty fifth,
and twenty eighth rank payroll make the playoffs this year,
so some could argue that doesn't matter that much. But
you also had six of the top eleven payrolls make
the playoffs this year, so some could argue that.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
It is that important.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
How tightly linked do you think payroll is to making
the playoffs and.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
Winning a championship? Well, you can't argue that that it's
not correlated. You know, your your numbers suggest that. I
think that the key is to have a coherent strategy
and to be in a position where you can execute
on that strategy to succeed. And you know, more power
(20:17):
to the to the folks that sign the huge contracts.
But at least one of those teams didn't make the
playoffs at all. And you know, the the dynamic is that,
you know, payroll alone will not make a difference. You've
had We've had plenty of evidence of that. We were
willing to step up. You know, the commitment we made
(20:39):
at the at the deadline UH to Geno and to
to Naylor. Uh, I think what and Ferguson, you know,
was an important statement by our ownership group that we
believe that this is the right time. You know, people
want us to win every year, and and we want
(21:00):
to win every year, but there's some years where you
see the opportunity and you can see the the path. Uh,
and I see the path. I know Jerry and Justin
see the path. And this is a year where we
believe we can make a difference, and so we made it.
We made a commitment, you know. Uh, it's like it's
like anyone's purchase of any goods, you know, kind of
(21:23):
the ouch factor. You know, it was it was a
it was an expensive commitment on our part, but it's
a commitment that we think will result, yeah, taking this
team all the way.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Well, you mentioned It'sarez and Naylor. You think those guys
are back next year.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
I think we'll look at those kinds of issues after
the seasons over, and you know, it's ultimately on Justin
and Jerry to to make those decisions. I would say
not not. In juxtaposition to your question, we have some
unbelievable talent, you know, I don't know if you saw,
you know, the the irony of Colt Emerson out there,
(21:59):
uh at second base yesterday, the scrimmage, at the scrimmage
and each hero in the outfield, you know, the uh
you know whatever that is thirty two years apart in age.
I think that we've got you know, I look at
Las Montees, who was our best hitter in the minors
this year. I think, you know, the the addition we
(22:21):
made with Anderson at the in the I mean, I
think we got the best player in the draft. I mean,
how in the world did we end up with a
number three pick? You know, I was there when it
happened and still can't believe it. And then you know,
the teams that had the number one and two pick
pass on what I think everyone believed was the best
(22:41):
player in the draft. I mean, the the opportunity for
us to actually have a tremendous left handed starter, you know,
for his his career, you know, I think is you know,
is phenomenal. And he comes out of LSU, where he's
got a comes from a winning tradition. I think the
future is very bright for us.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, well, let's start by getting to win tomorrow. How
was that?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yes, morn I love to hold your handring a parade,
by the way, let's make it happen. Thanks for coming over.
Out back to Football Fridays sponsored by Tito's Handmade Vodka
on your home for the NFL Sports Radio ninety three
five three jr FL.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
All right, we are back here on a Friday afternoon
from Jimmy's on First, where again we thought game one
was today.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
We got here early, it was like, what nobody's in
the bar? We were like, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
We're just gonna go camp out outside the left field
gate and just get ready for tomorrow. I can honestly
say I've never camped out for a sporting event.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I might do it tonight and just stay here for tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Man, But we got Husky duties up at Tom's Watch
Bar eight thirty doors, twelve thirty kickoff, and then I
might jump on a line bike and just scoot right
down here for first pitch tomorrow around five o'clock. But
joining us on the radio program, the CEO of the
Seattle Mariners, John Stanton, is with us here from Jimmy's
on First.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
How are you doing doing great? What a wonderful time
in the city. And obviously I'm excited about all the
things going on with the Mariners. But it's Husky football season.
It's cracking, getting going. Obviously, the Seahawks are doing their thing.
It's a great time to be a sports fan.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Well, we'd like to remind you a conversation we had
about a year and a half ago. You might forget this, Adam,
I know will remember it from your PR staff that
you came on our show and you said, Okay, next
time we make the playoffs game one, you and get
diamond club seats.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So thank you very much for that.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Oh yeah, yeah, we're looking forward of that. John, This
is very nice, very generous of you to offer that.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
All I remember that conversation is you giving me advice
on what free agency?
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, well I think well, actually, you know you signed
none of them. To be honest with you, you didn't
get any of them, but you made some moves of
the deadline, which we'll talk about in a second. So
let's just backtrack for a second. So here we are
in the playoffs, first time since twenty two, second time
since two thousand and one, and we feel like we
got a shot to maybe do something that's never been
(01:52):
done in this city.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
What is this moment like for you?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
And we were kind of half joking off the air
that you've got opportunity here to really kind of influence
your legacy in Seattle right as the CEO of this team.
And also you're kind of responsible and directly it's kind
of a heavy burden for people's mental states and the
next maybe week and a half. So what does this
entire moment mean for you?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Man, I have to confess, I don't think I have
a legacy. I don't especially care about my legacy. I'm
all about winning for the fans. And you know, these
players are hungry, they're excited, they're frankly in many cases,
at the peak of their their playing ability, and and
(02:38):
I think it's a it's a time for us to
bring it all together. We've got eleven players that have
been All Stars in the last three years. You know,
I think that's more than any other team in baseball.
We have a group of guys that believe in each other,
the culture that Dan's created in the clubhouse, and along
with Manny and Bone and and and Would and you know,
(03:01):
the whole gang are doing just such a great job
of supporting the players. I mean, the legacy, if there
is one, is for the team, the players to see,
you know, cal Rawly, Julio Rodriguez, the starting pitchers, Mooney.
You know, all those guys achieved their dream since they
(03:25):
were playing Little League, of winning a World Series, and
that's what we're here to do.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
I saw you down there on the field after you
guys won the division title, and you were shaking hands
and you were hugging, and and I was wondering. I
was like, what's the emotion going through John right now?
I mean it was a relief, was it? Elation? Was
a little bit of vindication. I mean what was going
through your mind and your heart at that time?
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Well, I got a chance to thank a lot of
people that you know. As much as they're twenty six
guys who played between the lines, there are probably a
thousand people that were working that night, and I get
a chance to thank those folks as well as the
folks that you know work here every day and in
accounting and HR and all. We had a celebration out
(04:07):
in the pen. We were going back and forth, got
a lot of steps that day. We were in the
clubhouse on the field taking a photo. Uh, then out
in the pen, celebrating with the with the employees, with
the front office staff. And then the cool thing was
a bunch of the players came out. You know, wo
I think is the one who said, what's going on
(04:29):
out in the pen? And I said, well, that's where
the employees are, and he said, I want to go
out there. I'm sure that drove some people nuts, but
you know, the meaning security and all that. But a
bunch of the players went out and partied with the
staff because you know, they they live it every single day,
(04:50):
you know, and when we lose a game, you know,
they get a hard time from their friends and their family.
And when we win a game, they celebrate. And you
know it's where we have a wall up on the
fifth floor up in the offices that says, at the
top one Mariners imprinted language is the logo and then signatures.
(05:12):
You know, I've signed it. All the owners have signed it,
most of the players have signed it, and everyone in
the front office has signed it. And we're trying to
live up to that motto of one Mariners and be
one organization that succeeds.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
So we've been doing this for a long time.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
I think they can combine like sixty years in this business, right,
and I think it's important to Obviously there's room for
criticism and then there's room for compliments and praise, and
right now is the time where there's a lot of
good stuff going on, and you and the ball club
deserve some compliments and praise, there's no doubt. But when
that criticism comes, and you mentioned that, sometimes the guys
(05:48):
and the gals that work for you hear that and
they feel that. How much do you feel that? How
much do you live with it? And how much does
it bother you and drive you?
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Well, let's start with I'm old, right, you know, I
hat that all I've I've run a bunch of public companies.
I've started a bunch of businesses, some of which worked
and some of which didn't. And you know, I've gotten
criticized in what I do and maybe I've just you know,
got thicker skin now than I used to do. But
when someone gives one of our young people a hard
(06:18):
time for something they had nothing to do with, that
really pisses me off. And you know, that's the only
thing that bothers me. And when you know, I know
how hard those players are working. I know if somebody
strikes out three or four times, you know it's it's
not because they wanted to right it. You know it.
(06:39):
It's a it's a dynamic. I think that, you know,
this sport requires patience. You got us one hundred and
sixty two games in the regular season. You know, you've
got a month of playoffs, You've got you know, you
know that's after six weeks of spring training. I mean,
it's a long season, you know. I joke with my
(06:59):
friends at the seas and when we get to the
second week of September, we've got the equivalent of one
of their seasons left, right, we got another fifteen games,
And I think that that, you know, you have to
have patients. You have to have patients with the criticism too.
You know. The fact that we you know, got swept
by someone, you know, in the middle of the season
(07:22):
may have had to do with the pitching matchups. That
may have had to do with a flu bug going
through the clubhouse. It may just had to do with
a sequence of uh, you know, players not not having
their best games. But you know, when we conversely, when
we sweep a series, you know, the way we swept Detroit, Uh,
(07:44):
you know, it's an exciting time. You know, we had
some amazing times. I was with the team in Boston,
New York and Williamsport in Atlanta kind of three different
trips during the season, and I saw, you know, a
resilience and a and a commitment that they all had,
(08:04):
you know, and and a and a great attitude about
you know, what they're trying to accomplish. I mean, if
you remember, the Atlanta series came right after the UH
the Tampa series that they they got swept in Tampa,
they came back and that Saturday game, they came back
and won, scored a bunch of runs on the Saturday
and the Sunday games and and left that road trip.
(08:27):
You know that was still three and six. I think
UH with a with a lot of enthusiasm and a
lot of energy and came back and I think they
swept the home stand after that. So you know, it's
it's it's an up and down game.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
You use the word dynamic there, and this team has
got that dynamic and a lot of talented baseball teams don't.
Why do you think this one does? And where did
it come from?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Were whom did.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
It come from?
Speaker 4 (08:53):
I think it's been grown over time. I mean I
look at the UH, the players you know that that
have been with you know, I think JP has got
the longest tenure now. You know, I think they've built
it over time. I look at those pitchers and you know,
in addition to the time that that Logan and George
(09:13):
and Emerson have have spent and WU have spent in
the major leagues, they spent time together in the minor leagues.
I think that the you know, I've heard you guys
talk about it, the relationship that that cal built with
those guys moving from single A to long A to
double A, triple A and then eventually making it here.
(09:34):
And you think that that dynamic A lot of those
guys have been together almost ten years now, and you
know that I think creates a camaraderie and you know
it's you know, frankly, it's like the two of you, right,
I mean you finish each other's sentences in much the
same way well you mentioned sometimes rudely.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yeah, exactly how much of this show do you here?
Speaker 3 (09:54):
I mean, I gotta ask you how much of that
how much talk ready do you listen to? You have
a flip on kJ R when you're sitting in the car.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
I do flip on KG or some I have to
confess I probably listened to music more than I listened.
I have the ability to download and listen to the
things that are particularly interesting, Okay, and I do that
some and you know I even listened to your competitor.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Wow, there you go.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Well, I mean because we got passion, right, I mean,
this is something that we want very badly. And I've
mentioned on the ear John Stanton with us Marin or
chairman by the way from Jimmie's.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I've mentioned many times.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
That you know and you use the more patients there, right,
I think people Mariner fans have been just about his
patient as a fan base in sports waiting for a
world series. And there's people that have come and gone.
You know, Dick's dads in his nineties. My dad passed
away a couple of years ago. You know, he's not
going to get that chance. But there's people out there
that deserve that opportunity. How much do you feel like
(10:50):
you need to deliver.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
That for them?
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Oh? I absolutely. I think about a couple of three
people when I think about the history. And my mom
was passionate fan. My dad died you know, fifty years
ago now, and my mom was a widow for a
long time. She listened to it or watched every game,
and she was passionate and she she'd have questions after
(11:13):
every game. She wasn't a particularly knowledgeable fan, but she
she had opinions nonetheless like us, right, and then in
two political you know icons in this community that that
I had the good fortune to know for for four
or five decades, Slave Gorton and Dan Evans. I was
(11:33):
with Dan at the last Apple Cup. Sadly, the last
Apple Cup he saw was a year ago and he
passed a few days after that. Dan used to say
to me, now, you got to promise me we're going
to win a World Series. And I said, absolutely, Dan,
I can't tell you when, but we're going to win
a World Series. And unfortunately he won't be there for that,
at least not in person. I think I'd be looking
(11:54):
down on us and Slave Gorton every time I walk
into the lobby and see the display we've got with
the shovel from the first shovel of dirt for this ballpark,
and you know the photos from from his growing up period,
and you know, he was an enormous fan. Any saved
(12:14):
baseball in Seattle three different times that we wouldn't have
that stadium, we wouldn't have this team. You know, if
we had not, if it had not been for a
number of people and slights on on the mount rushmore
of that list. But folks like Gary Locke and and
Slade and excuse me, Dan and and other political leaders
(12:38):
you know, stepped up at a time. You know, it's
it's hard to appreciate that the political leaders came together,
you know, to make this happen. Wes Holman, you know,
and you know they wanted a team. They wanted the
team to stay here. They didn't want it to move
to Tampa in nineteen ninety. You know, all of those
(12:59):
folks came together, and most of them sadly are gone.
And but yeah, I guess I'm not particularly religious, but
I'm religious enough to think that they're probably looking down
on us and smiling.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Mariners Chairman John Stanton joining us. And you know, Softie
and I were at Believe it or Not, the U
District QFC when we got word that Dan Wilson was
going to be the manager of the Seattle Mariners, and
we thought, oh, that makes sense. Well, we just assumed
it was going to be an interim situation, right like
a trial basis, And then we found out a little
bit later that afternoon. This isn't an interim thing.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
He's the guy.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Why was he made the guy right away? And how
much of that was a John stand decision and how
much was a Jerry Depoter decision.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
It was a Jerry Depoto decision. But Jerry and I
talked about it long and hard, and I supported it.
And my office across the street is bookended by Kevin
Martinez on one side and Jerry Depoto on the other side,
and I'm talking to the three of the three of
(14:00):
us are talking along with Trevor and and Justin every
day and so. But ultimately it was Jerry's decision, and
I know it was an incredibly hard decision for him
to make. You know, he and Scott were very close,
and Scott, you know, did some tremendous things for this organization.
But ultimately, the question I asked Jerry is do you
(14:20):
believe we can win a world series with Scott as
the leader? And he said no, And he believed that,
and he still believes he believes today that we can
with Dan. And that's you know, you've got to be
guided by something. We have a mission at the Mariners.
We talk about all the time when our mission is
(14:42):
to win championships, create unforgettable experiences for our fans, and
serve our communities. And you know, the things that go
on the field on the field, you know, are primarily
related to championships, but they also create unforgettable experiences. How
many how many kids have posters of how of can
now hitting the break the streak home run in twenty two?
(15:05):
How many think about Julio and you know we're number
forty four when they're going out, when they're going to bed,
or they're going out to play in the in the yard.
And I think that, you know, serving the communities is
also very important to us. It's something that I was
taught by my parents and my predecessors, you know, John
(15:26):
Ellis and Howard Lincoln all committed as our entire ownership is,
you know, to doing things to try to make this
a better community. And I think, you know, right now
you can say the best thing we can do for
the community is to win that World Series. So there's
a virtual circle there. But you know, we've we've done
you know, our home Base program is designed to eliminate
(15:50):
reduce homelessness by eliminating evictions. Our hometown nine program where
we help kids that can't afford to play travel baseball
and travel softball. We make it possible for them and
we have mentors for them that you know, make a
difference in their lives.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Well, John Stanton as well as Mariner chairman from the
Jimmy's On first. And first of all, I love the
fact that you hear this radio show. That's awesome. And
then number two, if you've heard this show, then you've
probably heard me say on many many occasions, I think
the Mariners weren't in the World Series would be the
greatest sporting accomplishment this town has ever seen. You've you've
heard me say that maybe a couple of times over
the years, and I'm I mean that it'd be bigger
(16:32):
than the Super Bowl, bigger than anything that this team,
the town has ever done. And to me, I get tired,
as I know I think you do, of being on
a list that says never when it comes to the
World Series you So let me ask you real quick,
because Dick asked about this ball club. So why why
do you think that is that we haven't gotten there yet?
(16:53):
Why do you think this time feels different for this franchise?
Speaker 4 (16:59):
I want I want to address the predicate. At first,
you know, the it's a deep, dark secret. But you
and I know we grew up in the same neighborhood.
I know, did right, I knowd you know, maybe twenty
years apart, but neighborhood hasn't changed that much much. And
we played pickup ball and little league on Woodridge Elementary's
(17:22):
right fields and all that. And anyone who's been here,
you know, spent their life here, you know, particularly a
baseball fan. You know, you don't remember I do the
departure of the Pilots in sixty nine or its actually
in March of seventy. You know, this community deserves a championship.
I also remember June first, nineteen seventy nine, you know,
(17:45):
the championship with the Sonics won after losing in seventy eight.
You know, those are those are memories that are are
so vivid for me. You know, I can I can
practically tell you exactly what I was doing and drinking
at the same at that time. For us to win
(18:06):
a World Series, I think culminates, you know, if you
include the Pilots over sixty years of efforts to bring
a championship to this community in baseball, and baseball has
the ability to bring this community together in a way.
You know, it's an election year and you know, I'm
(18:27):
I'm not going to get into politics, but you know,
wouldn't it be nice if everybody was holding the hands
at a parade celebrating the Mariners winning the championship?
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Yeah, whether they're like to hold your hand? Would you
hold my hand? Everyone? If we win? Will you hold
my handage brothers.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Yes, it may not last long. Exactly exactly, we'll do
the secret Woodridge handshake. But the dynamic for this community
is they deserve it.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
We deserve it.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
And you know, everyone who's been here their whole lives,
you know, I think you know has that. And you know,
the great thing about this community is we've also brought
you know, huge numbers of people who moved into Seattle
for to go to work for Microsoft or Costco or
Team Mobile or Starbucks or Amazon. You know those folks,
(19:17):
you know, have come here to this community and fall
in love with his team. You know, it's a fun time.
I can't go to Starbucks right now without someone saying,
go Mariners. The guys said it. Guy I've never seen
before said it to me in the elevator today. You know,
people are excited and it it has the ability to
have a long lasting effect.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
John, you had the fifteenth, twentieth, twenty third, twenty fifth,
and twenty eighth rank payroll make the playoffs this year,
so some could argue that doesn't matter that much. But
you also had six of the top eleven payrolls make
the playoffs this year, so some could argue that.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
It is that important.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
How tightly linked do you think payroll is to making
the playoffs and.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
Winning a championship? Well, you can't argue that that it's
not correlated. You know, your your numbers suggest that. I
think that the key is to have a coherent strategy
and to be in a position where you can execute
on that strategy to succeed. And you know, more power
(20:17):
to the to the folks that sign the huge contracts.
But at least one of those teams didn't make the
playoffs at all. And you know, the the dynamic is that,
you know, payroll alone will not make a difference. You've
had We've had plenty of evidence of that. We were
willing to step up. You know, the commitment we made
(20:39):
at the at the deadline UH to Geno and to
to Naylor. Uh, I think what and Ferguson, you know,
was an important statement by our ownership group that we
believe that this is the right time. You know, people
want us to win every year, and and we want
(21:00):
to win every year, but there's some years where you
see the opportunity and you can see the the path. Uh,
and I see the path. I know Jerry and Justin
see the path. And this is a year where we
believe we can make a difference, and so we made it.
We made a commitment, you know. Uh, it's like it's
like anyone's purchase of any goods, you know, kind of
(21:23):
the ouch factor. You know, it was it was a
it was an expensive commitment on our part, but it's
a commitment that we think will result, yeah, taking this
team all the way.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Well, you mentioned It'sarez and Naylor. You think those guys
are back next year.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
I think we'll look at those kinds of issues after
the seasons over, and you know, it's ultimately on Justin
and Jerry to to make those decisions. I would say
not not. In juxtaposition to your question, we have some
unbelievable talent, you know, I don't know if you saw,
you know, the the irony of Colt Emerson out there,
(21:59):
uh at second base yesterday, the scrimmage, at the scrimmage
and each hero in the outfield, you know, the uh
you know whatever that is thirty two years apart in age.
I think that we've got you know, I look at
Las Montees, who was our best hitter in the minors
this year. I think, you know, the the addition we
(22:21):
made with Anderson at the in the I mean, I
think we got the best player in the draft. I mean,
how in the world did we end up with a
number three pick? You know, I was there when it
happened and still can't believe it. And then you know,
the teams that had the number one and two pick
pass on what I think everyone believed was the best
(22:41):
player in the draft. I mean, the the opportunity for
us to actually have a tremendous left handed starter, you know,
for his his career, you know, I think is you know,
is phenomenal. And he comes out of LSU, where he's
got a comes from a winning tradition. I think the
future is very bright for us.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, well, let's start by getting to win tomorrow. How
was that?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yes, morn I love to hold your handring a parade,
by the way, let's make it happen. Thanks for coming over.
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