May 4, 2026 • 9 mins
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock joins Softy and Dick Fain to discuss his 14 strikeout game against the Royals on Saturday, the changes from 2025 to 2026 including the sweeper and growth in other roles, the Randy Johnson event on Saturday, and facing the Atlanta Braves this week, who he grew up rooting for in Cairo, Georgia.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now back to Softy and Dick gone your home for
the Huskies cracking and the twelfth Man Sports Radio ninety
three point three kJ R F Hancocks two two.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
He just throwed a pair of handcuffs, Emberton Handcock, strikeout
number fourteen.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
Brack come up, surprise, surprise, another sweeper right here at
seventy six miles an hour.
Speaker 5 (00:25):
All right, we are back here live from Jimmy's on
First across the street from T Mobile Park. And you
heard the call right there courtesy a Mariner's TV MLB.
You know what, you strike out fourteen hitters in a game,
there's a clause in your contract that says you get
to come on the.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Radio show, So talk about it with us. That's this
guy's prize. Hell of a prize, raight be. He's thrilled
after striking out fourteen.
Speaker 5 (00:47):
Emerson Hancock joins us right now across the street at
T Mobile Park.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Emerson, how are you, man?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Hey, guys just going on? Thanks for having me on?
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Yeah, not much man.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
First of all, congrats on a hell of a start
on Saturday night. I know you trade it all for
a win against those pesky Royals on Saturday, but Damn
did you look good?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Man?
Speaker 5 (01:07):
How did that feel? How'd you feel going through that
lineup on Saturday?
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Pal?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah, I mean I think Saturday was special, you know,
just with you know, retiring Randy's number. For me, it
was a completely a whole new experience because you know,
I'm trying to get ready for the game, but you know,
as it's going on, like you kind of want to
enjoy of everything that's going on. You see all the
messages with people sending in and congratulating Randy, so I mean,
(01:33):
obviously congrats to him. That was awesome, and then you know,
just trying to be locked in and get ready to
go out there and execute, and you know, it's just
kind of part of it. The overall pretty special night.
Like you said, would love to get the win, but
that's baseball.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Yeah, let's talk about Emerson Hancock as a pitcher. Difference
between twenty twenty five and twenty twenty six. Obviously, even
idiots like me can see the sweeper that we didn't
see last year. But what else besides that new pitch
has taken you to the next level?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I think just more strikes. You know, the walks are down,
you know, commanding the ball in the strike gone, just
trusting your stuff a little bit more. And you know,
if you're eliminating free bases and you make some treeing
together a couple of hits, it's a lot harder on
opposing lineup.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
No question about it. But the transformation from a guy
that this team was using as a reliever, remember that
those days at times last year and where you are now.
I mean, just talk about this journey and kind of
what you felt that you had to show these guys
to earn this spot that you have now.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Yeah, I mean I think you got to go out
and you got to earn it, you know, week by week.
I think last year was you know, a growing experience
in a lot of different ways as a starter, but
also learning you know, how to be a bullpen piece.
And for me, you know, extremely grateful for that experience,
just the things that you learned about preparation, you know,
a different mental approach to it, and you know, I
(02:53):
knew I needed to make some adjustments.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Going to this season.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
I knew that I needed to pitch to a higher
standard because you know, that's that's the level that we
want to pitch at here. And you're able to make
some adjustments. I went into camp and you know, everything,
it just seemed like, you know, it had improved on it,
and I just kind of wanted to keep going at it.
And there's still always stuff to work on and improve,
and I just kind of want to try to keep
doing that week by week.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Well, I don't think you're ever going to forget that
start on Saturday night, no question about it, not just
because of the fourteen strikeouts, because it was also Randy
Johnson Knight. How much did that kind of juice you up,
inspire you? And then also how did you have to
adjust because I mean, you guys didn't start for fifteen
to twenty minutes past when you thought you were going
to start pitching in that game.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Well, I mean, you know going into it that the
schedule might be a little bit off, but I mean
that's just part of it. But I mean that's also
kind of you know, what it's like being a reliever
in a way, like there's no certain routine. It's just
getting the bullpen, get loose, and you know when it's
time for first pitch, just go out there and compete.
And again, like like you said, you always remember a
night like like that and you know, you're trying to
(03:57):
enjoy it as much as you can because it's a
special moment for for anyone that that happens. You get
your jersey retired, all the stuff that went into like
the career that he had, the competitor that he was, like,
you want to appreciate that as much as you can
as a player, and just to be able to start
on it, you know, was a was an honor.
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Yeah, did you Emerson Hancock with us? Did you honestly
try to convince the skipper or even think about, all right,
I'm at one hundred and three pitches, it's a career high.
I've struck out fourteen. I really don't want to leave
this game. Did you try and convince Dan to let
you keep going? At least to come out for the
eighth for one more hitter.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
I mean, as competitor, you you always want to go
in there. But at the same time, you know, I
just go until they take the ball away from me.
You know, I just want to do my job. I
want to do the best that I can. And you know,
when Dan said it was, you know, the end of
the night. You know, that's that's part of it. He
turned over the bullpen and the you know, the rest
of the game just kind of goes that way. But
(04:57):
you never want to come out. But at the same time,
you know when just kind of you do everything you
can down there to I just whatever Dan says, it's
all right, I see for we got you.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, Everson. I'm looking at your game log and.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
It's ridiculously consistent. I mean, the worst game you've pitched
this year is five innings, three runs, and yet when
you look at the results, you only have three decisions.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
You're two and one.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
The team's three and four when you pitch.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
So is that does it get a little you know,
you get a little legs as you're like, man, I
really want to help this I'm doing everything I can
to help this team win, but it's not always happening
on the win loss Ledger, I.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Think that's just baseball like that. That's how this game
is going to go, and that's how the season's going
to go. And you know that just goes for all
of us.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
We got there.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
We compete as hard as we can. You know, you
trust your stuff and at the end of the day,
the results are what they are. You just want to
go out there and do everything we can to try
to get wins.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, well, talk about this Brave Steam real quick.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
I'm assuming a kid from Cairo, Georgia may have grown
up an Atlanta Brave fan.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Do I have that right?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yeah, you got that right for sure.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
Okay, what's the like for I mean, what's it like
facing these guys? I mean, you've been around the majors
long enough now where the whole novelty's probably worn off
a little bit for you. Maybe it would have been
a different question when you were a rookie a few
years back, But what do you think about maybe just
you know, seeing these guys across the way, and and
you know, having your team go up against your childhood
(06:24):
you know team in some ways.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Yeah, absolutely, I remember pitching against I think back in
twenty four and that was one of the more experiences
where you're, okay, like this is really cool. And I
think now it's gotten to the point where you know,
you're you're looking at their lineup, you're looking at their team,
and you know I won't get a pitch this series,
but you're still thinking about like, all right, how would
I go against these guys? How would I want to
match up to them? And you kind of want to
you see how the game goes. They got a great team,
(06:49):
great lineup, just all around really good group. So it's
gonna be a great series, great challenge for us.
Speaker 5 (06:53):
Yeah, Everson Hancock, listen man, great stuff. Did you one
more for you? We'll let you go. Did you save
anything from that game on Saturday? Any memorabilia? Like are
you a collector?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Are you? Are you even into that kind of stuff?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Not too much. I mean, obviously, you know you get
a ball obviously with the career high strikeout, that's something
that I'll keep forever. And it actually got you know,
like they did the logo with Randy Johnson on it,
which I was like, all right, that's really really cool
and that's something that I know I'll keep forever. Yeah,
I thought, what a what a cool way, especially with
the stuff that we have in our hats and our jerseys.
(07:29):
I mean just they did a great job with that
on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Night, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Hey, listen man, great job Saturday. Go get him next
time around and we'll talk down the road.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Buddy.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Thanks everything, awesome, guys, Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, appreciate it. Man.
Speaker 5 (07:43):
I was just looking at some quick numbers that in
his last twenty three starts, because remember Dick last year
he had one, two, three, four, five, six games, seven
games sorry where he came out of the bullpen. Right,
So I've got his last twenty three starts going back
to last year, and then the seven starts this year.
(08:05):
He's allowed three runs or less in nineteen of the
twenty three, nineteen of the twenty three going back to
last year. This guy's good for three or less. I mean,
there's this no team in baseball that would turn that
down from their number six starter.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Mean, and he's not your number six guy anymore.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
By the way, I'm frustrated looking at his last four
starts because it were so awesome six and two, six
and two, five and three, seven and one, and the
Mariners lost.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Three of the four games.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Right, I mean, he is doing everything out there to
give the Mariners the best chance to win. And whether
it's the bullpen ruin it for him, whether it's the
offense not coming through, I mean he's kind of getting
Felix right now.
Speaker 5 (08:40):
Well, they're fifteen and fourteen in his last nineteen games
he's pitched in. That doesn't that includes relief appearances by
the way, so I gotta filter it out. But yeah,
I mean we've seen that before. Man, this is what
happens sometimes to these guys. I mean, look a look
at all these dudes. Go back and look a couple
years ago, what the record was with Kirby, Gilbert and
Castillo on the mound. They were barely above five hundred.
And you mentioned Felix Hernandez. I mean absolutely, it's happening
(09:02):
to him in a lot of ways. But the talent
is obvious. The talent is so good with this guy.
And the conversation again about whether or not this guy
is gonna be in the rotation, it's over. I would
just add, you know three possibilities, and Krueger mentioned one
of them. Either A Bryce Miller comes back and takes
Castillo's spot. B Bryce Miller stays at Triple A and
(09:22):
Castillo stays here, or B Bryce Miller goes to the bullpen.
None of the conversations now involved moving Emerson Hancock.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I one think the most intriguing option is the one
that Bill presented today with especially with the injuries that
you have. I mean, you know, Munnos's rickety spire is out.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I mean you need help there.
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Well, it seems kind of ridiculous to not use an
arm like that when your bullpen needs help. We're gonna
break our belvy Rare Coins Golden Moment from the weekend
Now back to Softy and Dick gone your home for
the Huskies cracking and the twelfth Man Sports Radio ninety
three point three kJ R F Hancocks two two.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
He just throwed a pair of handcuffs, Emberton Handcock, strikeout
number fourteen.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
Brack come up, surprise, surprise, another sweeper right here at
seventy six miles an hour.
Speaker 5 (00:25):
All right, we are back here live from Jimmy's on
First across the street from T Mobile Park. And you
heard the call right there courtesy a Mariner's TV MLB.
You know what, you strike out fourteen hitters in a game,
there's a clause in your contract that says you get
to come on the.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Radio show, So talk about it with us. That's this
guy's prize. Hell of a prize, raight be. He's thrilled
after striking out fourteen.
Speaker 5 (00:47):
Emerson Hancock joins us right now across the street at
T Mobile Park.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Emerson, how are you, man?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Hey, guys just going on? Thanks for having me on?
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Yeah, not much man.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
First of all, congrats on a hell of a start
on Saturday night. I know you trade it all for
a win against those pesky Royals on Saturday, but Damn
did you look good?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Man?
Speaker 5 (01:07):
How did that feel? How'd you feel going through that
lineup on Saturday?
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Pal?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah, I mean I think Saturday was special, you know,
just with you know, retiring Randy's number. For me, it
was a completely a whole new experience because you know,
I'm trying to get ready for the game, but you know,
as it's going on, like you kind of want to
enjoy of everything that's going on. You see all the
messages with people sending in and congratulating Randy, so I mean,
(01:33):
obviously congrats to him. That was awesome, and then you know,
just trying to be locked in and get ready to
go out there and execute, and you know, it's just
kind of part of it. The overall pretty special night.
Like you said, would love to get the win, but
that's baseball.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Yeah, let's talk about Emerson Hancock as a pitcher. Difference
between twenty twenty five and twenty twenty six. Obviously, even
idiots like me can see the sweeper that we didn't
see last year. But what else besides that new pitch
has taken you to the next level?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I think just more strikes. You know, the walks are down,
you know, commanding the ball in the strike gone, just
trusting your stuff a little bit more. And you know,
if you're eliminating free bases and you make some treeing
together a couple of hits, it's a lot harder on
opposing lineup.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
No question about it. But the transformation from a guy
that this team was using as a reliever, remember that
those days at times last year and where you are now.
I mean, just talk about this journey and kind of
what you felt that you had to show these guys
to earn this spot that you have now.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Yeah, I mean I think you got to go out
and you got to earn it, you know, week by week.
I think last year was you know, a growing experience
in a lot of different ways as a starter, but
also learning you know, how to be a bullpen piece.
And for me, you know, extremely grateful for that experience,
just the things that you learned about preparation, you know,
a different mental approach to it, and you know, I
(02:53):
knew I needed to make some adjustments.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Going to this season.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
I knew that I needed to pitch to a higher
standard because you know, that's that's the level that we
want to pitch at here. And you're able to make
some adjustments. I went into camp and you know, everything,
it just seemed like, you know, it had improved on it,
and I just kind of wanted to keep going at it.
And there's still always stuff to work on and improve,
and I just kind of want to try to keep
doing that week by week.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Well, I don't think you're ever going to forget that
start on Saturday night, no question about it, not just
because of the fourteen strikeouts, because it was also Randy
Johnson Knight. How much did that kind of juice you up,
inspire you? And then also how did you have to
adjust because I mean, you guys didn't start for fifteen
to twenty minutes past when you thought you were going
to start pitching in that game.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Well, I mean, you know going into it that the
schedule might be a little bit off, but I mean
that's just part of it. But I mean that's also
kind of you know, what it's like being a reliever
in a way, like there's no certain routine. It's just
getting the bullpen, get loose, and you know when it's
time for first pitch, just go out there and compete.
And again, like like you said, you always remember a
night like like that and you know, you're trying to
(03:57):
enjoy it as much as you can because it's a
special moment for for anyone that that happens. You get
your jersey retired, all the stuff that went into like
the career that he had, the competitor that he was, like,
you want to appreciate that as much as you can
as a player, and just to be able to start
on it, you know, was a was an honor.
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Yeah, did you Emerson Hancock with us? Did you honestly
try to convince the skipper or even think about, all right,
I'm at one hundred and three pitches, it's a career high.
I've struck out fourteen. I really don't want to leave
this game. Did you try and convince Dan to let
you keep going? At least to come out for the
eighth for one more hitter.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
I mean, as competitor, you you always want to go
in there. But at the same time, you know, I
just go until they take the ball away from me.
You know, I just want to do my job. I
want to do the best that I can. And you know,
when Dan said it was, you know, the end of
the night. You know, that's that's part of it. He
turned over the bullpen and the you know, the rest
of the game just kind of goes that way. But
(04:57):
you never want to come out. But at the same time,
you know when just kind of you do everything you
can down there to I just whatever Dan says, it's
all right, I see for we got you.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, Everson. I'm looking at your game log and.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
It's ridiculously consistent. I mean, the worst game you've pitched
this year is five innings, three runs, and yet when
you look at the results, you only have three decisions.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
You're two and one.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
The team's three and four when you pitch.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
So is that does it get a little you know,
you get a little legs as you're like, man, I
really want to help this I'm doing everything I can
to help this team win, but it's not always happening
on the win loss Ledger, I.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Think that's just baseball like that. That's how this game
is going to go, and that's how the season's going
to go. And you know that just goes for all
of us.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
We got there.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
We compete as hard as we can. You know, you
trust your stuff and at the end of the day,
the results are what they are. You just want to
go out there and do everything we can to try
to get wins.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, well, talk about this Brave Steam real quick.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
I'm assuming a kid from Cairo, Georgia may have grown
up an Atlanta Brave fan.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Do I have that right?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yeah, you got that right for sure.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
Okay, what's the like for I mean, what's it like
facing these guys? I mean, you've been around the majors
long enough now where the whole novelty's probably worn off
a little bit for you. Maybe it would have been
a different question when you were a rookie a few
years back, But what do you think about maybe just
you know, seeing these guys across the way, and and
you know, having your team go up against your childhood
(06:24):
you know team in some ways.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Yeah, absolutely, I remember pitching against I think back in
twenty four and that was one of the more experiences
where you're, okay, like this is really cool. And I
think now it's gotten to the point where you know,
you're you're looking at their lineup, you're looking at their team,
and you know I won't get a pitch this series,
but you're still thinking about like, all right, how would
I go against these guys? How would I want to
match up to them? And you kind of want to
you see how the game goes. They got a great team,
(06:49):
great lineup, just all around really good group. So it's
gonna be a great series, great challenge for us.
Speaker 5 (06:53):
Yeah, Everson Hancock, listen man, great stuff. Did you one
more for you? We'll let you go. Did you save
anything from that game on Saturday? Any memorabilia? Like are
you a collector?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Are you? Are you even into that kind of stuff?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Not too much. I mean, obviously, you know you get
a ball obviously with the career high strikeout, that's something
that I'll keep forever. And it actually got you know,
like they did the logo with Randy Johnson on it,
which I was like, all right, that's really really cool
and that's something that I know I'll keep forever. Yeah,
I thought, what a what a cool way, especially with
the stuff that we have in our hats and our jerseys.
(07:29):
I mean just they did a great job with that
on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Night, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Hey, listen man, great job Saturday. Go get him next
time around and we'll talk down the road.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Buddy.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Thanks everything, awesome, guys, Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, appreciate it. Man.
Speaker 5 (07:43):
I was just looking at some quick numbers that in
his last twenty three starts, because remember Dick last year
he had one, two, three, four, five, six games, seven
games sorry where he came out of the bullpen. Right,
So I've got his last twenty three starts going back
to last year, and then the seven starts this year.
(08:05):
He's allowed three runs or less in nineteen of the
twenty three, nineteen of the twenty three going back to
last year. This guy's good for three or less. I mean,
there's this no team in baseball that would turn that
down from their number six starter.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Mean, and he's not your number six guy anymore.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
By the way, I'm frustrated looking at his last four
starts because it were so awesome six and two, six
and two, five and three, seven and one, and the
Mariners lost.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Three of the four games.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Right, I mean, he is doing everything out there to
give the Mariners the best chance to win. And whether
it's the bullpen ruin it for him, whether it's the
offense not coming through, I mean he's kind of getting
Felix right now.
Speaker 5 (08:40):
Well, they're fifteen and fourteen in his last nineteen games
he's pitched in. That doesn't that includes relief appearances by
the way, so I gotta filter it out. But yeah,
I mean we've seen that before. Man, this is what
happens sometimes to these guys. I mean, look a look
at all these dudes. Go back and look a couple
years ago, what the record was with Kirby, Gilbert and
Castillo on the mound. They were barely above five hundred.
And you mentioned Felix Hernandez. I mean absolutely, it's happening
(09:02):
to him in a lot of ways. But the talent
is obvious. The talent is so good with this guy.
And the conversation again about whether or not this guy
is gonna be in the rotation, it's over. I would
just add, you know three possibilities, and Krueger mentioned one
of them. Either A Bryce Miller comes back and takes
Castillo's spot. B Bryce Miller stays at Triple A and
(09:22):
Castillo stays here, or B Bryce Miller goes to the bullpen.
None of the conversations now involved moving Emerson Hancock.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I one think the most intriguing option is the one
that Bill presented today with especially with the injuries that
you have. I mean, you know, Munnos's rickety spire is out.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I mean you need help there.
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Well, it seems kind of ridiculous to not use an
arm like that when your bullpen needs help. We're gonna
break our belvy Rare Coins Golden Moment from the weekend
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