Game Thread: Let The Games Begin.....

[SeattleCoug]

I had a feeling, Thanks for sharing

 

[Duders]

Seems like ownership just keeps kicking the can down the road. Odds of the M's breaking out and being at the top of the pack, with the current ownership's attitude and commitment,---- are slim to zippo. What a slam for Seattle fans. Year after year fans have been hanging in with this team, and year after year they take it bending over. Seattle as a City is falling off the cliff anyway, so why should we expect their MLB team to do any better. Just an ongoing sad story all the way around IMO.

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[wazzu31]

I dont appreciate the way he presents things, almost as if the fans are idiots.

At the same time though, and take a step back and wonder how much ownership is preventing him from doing more.

Regardless the Servais aspect I can't really defend him for. Its no secret that you can do better there and personal relationships really shouldnt be a factor.

If ownership is putting a limit on spending then it makes Jerry’s remarks even more irritating.

Good call on Servais though, something I had forgotten about. It is really confusing because let’s just say the Mariners still suck but they show promise at the end of the season, are they really going to bring him back? It sucks but I can see why Stanton and Co. are giving Jerry a couple of more season because that is his vision. What is on Servais’ resume for him to see through an 8 year rebuild?

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]

4.5 years ago:

“I care deeply and passionately about the game of baseball and about baseball fans in Seattle and the Northwest,” Stanton said in a statement. “Mariners fans have been so positive, so patient with the team, and we want to reward them with playoff and World Series baseball here at Safeco Field.

“I want express my deepest appreciation to Howard Lincoln for his 17 years of leadership and a smooth transition in the last four months. The future of Mariners baseball is bright. The right management team is in place and focused on winning. It is an honor to lead this franchise, and I am ready to get started and excited for the challenges ahead.”

 

[NWinAZ]

A nice read about the history of the Mariners. I actually found some things in the article I never knew before. Worth your time while waiting for the M's to sign another marque player...

Seattle Mariners team ownership history – Society for American Baseball Research

sabr.org

 

[Duders]

Interesting read no doubt. The history of the M's from the old Pilot days. I guess what I took from this was the ongoing struggle to get fans in the seats. More energy has been put into the "gimics" to get fans into the stadium. My take away is that ownership and management put more towards making profits over having winning teams, which makes sense from the business/investor point of view. However, I believe you can have a winning team and make the profits simultaneously. It goes without saying...... if you want to win big, you've got to bet big. Moral of the story? Put the bucks into getting the players that win the games and you'll have fans that put the money in your pockets. "Build it and they will come"

 

[NWinAZ]

Interesting read no doubt. The history of the M's from the old Pilot days. I guess what I took from this was the ongoing struggle to get fans in the seats. More energy has been put into the "gimics" to get fans into the stadium. My take away is that ownership and management put more towards making profits over having winning teams, which makes sense from the business/investor point of view. However, I believe you can have a winning team and make the profits simultaneously. It goes without saying...... if you want to win big, you've got to bet big. Moral of the story? Put the bucks into getting the players that win the games and you'll have fans that put the money in your pockets. "Build it and they will come"

Ya kind of a Barnum and Bailey approach.

I did like the part (I believe it was this article) that mentioned how Nintendo of America wanted to invest the money to keep baseball in Seattle to thank the area for its success. I actually never realized for whatever reason that Nintendo had no say in the Mariners decision making. They owned the majority but could only sit back and watch the idiots run the asylum. And now T-Mobile boy sits back and tells those running it to not spend money because he still appreciates the fans and feels their pain...???

 

[Duders]

Ya kind of a Barnum and Bailey approach.

I did like the part (I believe it was this article) that mentioned how Nintendo of America wanted to invest the money to keep baseball in Seattle to thank the area for its success. I actually never realized for whatever reason that Nintendo had no say in the Mariners decision making. They owned the majority but could only sit back and watch the idiots run the asylum. And now T-Mobile boy sits back and tells those running it to not spend money because he still appreciates the fans and feels their pain...???

I did not know that either. I kind of think Nintendo wasn't really in it for the money, but maybe was more of a "political" move on their part and a decent tax write off for them???? Ichiro may have been part of that also. I don't really know what makes things "tick" with the M's anyway. All I know is that I've been damn disappointe with the organization for a number of years.

I wasn't aware T mobile had any ownership, I thought Stanton and his group of investors were calling the shots?? I guess I just figured T Mob was paying bucks to the organization for their own advertising gig.

List of Seattle Mariners owners and executives - Wikipedia

Nintendo of America sells the majority of its interest in the Seattle Mariners to the current ownership group, First Avenue Entertainment LLLP, retaining a 10% stake in the team. CEO Howard Lincoln retires from day-to-day operations, with John Stanton replacing him as the Chairman and CEO, and the designated Major League Baseball Control Person.

 

[NWinAZ]

I wasn't aware T mobile had any ownership, I thought Stanton and his group of investors were calling the shots?? I guess I just figured T Mob was paying bucks to the organization for their own advertising gig.

No, Stanton made his billion on cell phone companies and his last company was turned into TMobile after he sold it. So that was my off mark hit on them...lol.

I did not know that either. I kind of think Nintendo wasn't really in it for the money, but maybe was more of a "political" move on their part and a decent tax write off for them???? Ichiro may have been part of that also. I don't really know what makes things "tick" with the M's anyway. All I know is that I've been damn disappointe with the organization for a number of years.

I always thought they bought it for profit, but seems they had some good deed intentions on it then made a great profit in the end. Good for them. Ichiro was 9 years after they bought it so he didn't play into it, but they did play into Mariners signing him which was a great move obviously.

And I have many more years of disappointment in this team than you so I win.

 

[NWinAZ]

Pirates signed C Joe Hudson to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.​

Hudson became a free agent in October after spending the 2020 season with the Mariners. The 29-year-old is 5-for-30 (.167) over just 18 career games in the majors and will give the Pirates some depth behind the plate heading into camp.

 

[NWinAZ]

Red Sox acquired RHPs Adam Ottavino and Frank German and cash considerations from the Yankees for a player to be named later or cash considerations.​

It's a pure cash-dump for the Yankees, who are looking to stay under the $210 luxury tax threshold while adding some other pieces. Brett Gardner is one possibility. Ottavino is still owed $8 million this season and a $3 million signing bonus which is deferred to 2022, but Boston will cover most of that. According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Yankees are paying just $850,00 as part of the trade. As for the Red Sox, they managed to buy a prospect as well as a pitcher who is capable of a rebound. Ottavino could very well be saving games for Boston this season. And if he bounces back, he could be an interesting trade chip in the final year of his deal.

 

[NWinAZ]

We could have had him for $10M and he could have not rejected it.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Nationals have signed Brad Hand to a one-year, $10.5 million contract.​

As Passan points out in his report, he gets more than the $10 million option that Cleveland declined at the end of the 2020 season. Jesse Daugherty notes that the deal is pending a physical, and does not contain any options or incentives. The left-hander will serve as the stopper for the Nationals after leading MLB in saves in 2020 with 16, and he posted an excellent 2.05 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 29/4 K/BB ratio in his 22 innings over the truncated campaign. He'll be a strong fantasy option in 2021, and the most reliable closer that Washington has had in a while, with all due respect to the other options they've had.

 

[NWinAZ]

To win now and later, the Mariners should spend this winter

We take a look at the many ways in which the Mariners would be wise to open up their checkbooks.

www.lookoutlanding.com

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]