A World Series in Seattle
Well, here we are once again—the start of a new Major League Baseball season. Forty-eight years ago, in 1977, our Seattle Mariners played their first game ever at the now blown away Kingdome. Born out of a lawsuit stemming from the rip off of the old Seattle Pilots following their one season in Seattle back in 1969, the Mariners had 15 seasons of futility before recording their first winning season in 1991. With the arrival of Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Lou Piniella and the rest our fortunes began to turn, and for a few seasons we could look forward to a summer of thrilling play and tight pennant races; even the prospect of a World Series right here in Seattle. Those seasons in the mid 1990s at the old Kingdome are what saved baseball in Seattle, and ultimately brought us the magnificent Safeco Field we enjoy today.
An ironic footnote to those years is that Lou Piniella actually started his playing career when he was with the Pilots briefly at the start of that ’69 season. The Pilots traded him to Kansas City that spring, where Lou went on to become the American League Rookie of the Year in 1969. Sound familiar? You can add Lou’s name to the long list of bad Seattle trades; a tradition you more recent M’s fans can now see was continued by the Mariners, but not started by them.
Speaking of Lou Piniella, I really miss that guy. You want to know why? It’s simple: Lou wanted to win—and I don’t just mean win games or a pennant. Lou wanted it all. He wanted to get to the World Series and he wanted to win it. He wore his passion on his sleeve, as many umpires found out while dodging spittle and infield dirt during one of his legendary protests at their errant calls. There was never any doubt with Lou; you knew where he stood. To date, of the five Mariners teams to make the playoffs, the first four were teams managed by him. He took Seattle to the American League Championship Series in 1995, 2000 and 2001, and the playoffs in 1997. He goaded that 2001 team to an astounding and record breaking 116 win season and the ALCS despite losing all three Mariners superstars (Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez) between 1998 and 2000!
Lou left the Mariners following the 2002 season, after which the team once again descended to sub-mediocre status. Attendance, even at the beautiful new ball park, fell to half of what it was during the glory days of the mid ‘90s through 2001. Since then we fans have endured nearly two decades, for the most part, of bad to mediocre front office and team performance. This finally began to change in 2021 when the M’s, though still not making the playoffs, won 90 games. In 2022 they won 90 games again, making the playoffs for the first time since 2001, before fading to 88 and 85 wins (and no playoffs) across the last two campaigns, which cost manager Scott Servais his job.
Please understand, I know that getting to and winning a World Series is not easy to do. But doing so starts by every player, coach, manager and front office personnel realizing why this team is here and why the game is played. It starts by realizing what the goal and purpose of the Seattle Mariners should be. For Lou Piniella that was an easy one. It is for me too: I want to see a World Series in Seattle and I want us to win it!
I love good baseball. I will turn off my TV in disgust at bad baseball. I want winning baseball, a great team, and a World Series—nothing less will suffice for me. With the Jerry Dipoto front office era now entering its 10th year, we have a rebuilt minor league system with good, young players already arriving in the "Bigs" and on the horizon. We have "Randy Johnson-like" aces in Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Luis Castillo and a manager who shows some of that "Lou-like" passion in Dan Wilson. We have a team now stocked with talented Big League hitters like Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Victor Robles and Randy Arozarena. I know many would argue, but I see no reason why this team cannot go out this season and make a serious run at it. I really don’t. They have the talent; they just need to rally around the goal and take us all on a ride this summer we will never forget.
OK! You Seattle Mariners players and fans now know where I stand at the start of this new season. And to the Mariners team I can only add one last thing:
GO AND GET US THAT WORLD SERIES!
Mark Arnold
March 5, 2025