Meet at the Mitt: A Seattle Mariners podcast

With the grisliest work behind us, John, Kate, and Joe look into the cheerier tidings of more recent drafts, hoping to get a sense of what's gone wrong and right, and what we might expect from the Mariners in the 2020 Draft. We talk extensively about pitching development, and how Seattle's knack for it in recent years has been encouraging. Conversely, we address the way Seattle's drafts in recent years have directly led to the dearth of middle infield depth in the system, and how their preference for college talent in the top of the draft has become conspicuous. Kate claims the 2018 draft class is shaping up to be the defining one of Dipoto's tenure. We talk about 3B/2B Joe Rizzo, who has a magnifying glass on him for many of the reasons listed above. Plus, plenty of discussion on who Seattle might take with their options BEYOND the first pick. Colt Keith fans make some noise. Music: "Ken II" by Midnight Survivor / "CHANCES" by KAYTRANADA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-23:00: Emily Nemens, author of the recently-released book The Cactus League, graces the hallowed air waves of the Lookout Landing podcast. Emily grew up in Seattle as a Mariners fan, but also a fan of baseball in general, which led to the publication of this book! As book tours are illegal right now, we try to replicate that through the power of podcasting. Our conversation starts with a general conversation about the book and the characters involved before delving into some of the process behind it. She also shares a story of her real life experiences at Spring Training, featuring none other than George Steinbrenner. 23:05-34:35: Was there any moment in particular that made Emily want to write a baseball book? What sort of memory association will come with releasing a book during a global pandemic? What was the hardest part of writing The Cactus League? 34:40-56:50: Emily reads an excerpt from the book, which details an on-the-field moment between a pitcher and catcher. We end our conversation by talking about, what else, the Mariners. Like several past guests, Emily has left Seattle and had to adjust her fandom to the eastern time zone. How has the Mariners being bad re-shaped her brain, and does she think it affected the book at all? Music: “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone” by Unknown Mortal Orchestra // “All for You” by Janet Jackson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John, Kate, and Joe coalesce to discuss something far less appealing than the upcoming draft: Seattle Mariners drafts of the past. Specifically, looking at the waning years of the Jack Zduriencik regime, and what happened with the 2013, 2014, and 2015 drafts. Plenty went wrong, obviously, but many of the picks made sense at the time, and only with the benefit of hindsight can we piece together how truly awry things went. Together, we try to put ourselves in the mindset of those drafts, and draw connections between the decisions made then and what might lie ahead in the 2020 draft. A healthy discussion on player development, communication, and what we all want to see next from the Dipoto regime lies within. Music: "The Tune Up" - Stalley / "CHANCES" - KAYTRANADA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-7:25: Matthew drops a fire intro before teeing up his guest, Lookout Landing staffer Grant Bronsdon. The fellas are joined together, separately, to draft teams of Glue Guys. This is essentially the direct opposite of the last draft they did, in which they tried to create the best possible teams in Mariner history out of individual players’ seasons. For this one, the only players who are eligible are ones who were not very good. If you were worth 3.0 Wins Above Replacement, sorry, you’re disqualified. This draft was inspired by Matthew’s world-changing article from last week. 7:30-29:55: With the first pick, Matthew perhaps falls victim to recency bias. Grant responds by taking someone from the 2001 team, but probably not who you think! After Matthew makes his second pick, a quick Internet search reveals a hilarious story about him. After a defensive specialist and a superstar on the come up get picked, Grant grabs the first pitcher and Matthew takes a cartoonish slugger. 30:00-39:40: Grant responds with a glue guy slugger of his own, who is also one of the best players in franchise history, because Mariners. This leads to a world of discovery at the next pick, when a Mariner legend from the early days is snatched up, causing two people who were not born at the time of his playing career to find out that he was a…free spirit. Then, a wild relief pitcher appears! 39:45-59:20: Matthew intentionally makes things harder on Grant by drafting a guy at his second position so Grant can have him at his first. We also accidentally go out of order because neither of our brains work anymore. The next bullpen pick sparks a conversation about relievers who received MVP votes, and then. 59:25-1:14:50: Grant takes to the skies for his final pick while Matthew identifies the keys to the game. Then, we go over some honorable mentions and recap our selections before disappearing into our quarantine caves again. Music: “The Ballad of Me and My Brain” by The 1975 // “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” by Fiona Apple Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate and Joe are joined by MLB.com's Jim Callis to talk the MLB draft and the current state of the Mariners farm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe and John are thrilled to be joined by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and MLB Pipeline, who has covered prospects, the minor leagues, and the MLB Draft there since 1999. 0:00 - 14:00 - How does a prospects writer’s role change when suddenly the baseball has all disappeared? Mayo details how his work has changed (and how it hasn’t) during the COVID-19 shutdown. We also go into the ways that prospect coverage has changed since he began, dating back to the earliest drafts Mayo covered. Conference calls have given way to online drafts, and now a fully televised event that demands live coverage and analysis. Mayo also discusses how the growth of visibility for, and fan interest in, prospects has altered and impacted his work. 14:00 - 40:00 - The discussion turns to the Mariners in particular. What does the progression of prospects like Jarred Kelenic, Julio Rodriguez, Logan Gilbert, and Evan White look like for someone who has spent decades seeing top prospects come and go? Expanding on a series the MLB Pipeline team has been undertaking looking for the most hyped prospects at shortstop this century, and discussing whether some of the current top prospects could become their team’s best player at that position, John and Joe quiz Mayo on if the best player in franchise history at any position could be in Seattle’s farm right now. While we had to really rack our brains for the best players in CF and RF in organizational history, there was plenty of interest as to if Evan White or Cal Raleigh might clear the (rather low) bar ahead of them. Mayo also offers an evenhanded assessment as to why Mariners fans might reasonably be gun-shy of prospects, but still believe enough to buy in on the current crop of players and player development. 40:00 - End - We finish off with draft talk, as the biggest milestone for the game inches closer. While it’s unclear still if the draft will feature five or 10 rounds, Mayo outlines how teams and prospective draftees may be inclined to approach it. Leaning on MLB Pipeline’s newly released Top 150 draft prospect list, Mayo talks through some players he’s been particularly impressed by, including a few who Seattle could target at No. 6 overall. While the class is generally viewed as one of the stronger in recent memory, Mayo notes it leans college-heavy, and doesn’t have the same quality depth at every position. Last but not least, we put him on the clock: who is he taking first if he’s got Seattle’s draft card this summer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corey Brock, the Mariners’ beat writer for The Athletic, joins the podcast to talk about the team’s past, present, and future. 0:00-23:55: Before we start, Corey checks in with John to make sure he has stockpiled all of Cooperstown’s best beers while quarantined. Recently, Corey published a story on Mario Mendoza, leading us to wonder how many other pieces he’s got in the chamber. Another pertinent question: are the replays of old Mariner playoff games getting old? While we’re remembering great moments in Mariner history, Corey recalls the days when fans were given weapons upon entering the Kingdome. 24:00-40:00: Where was Corey on the day that baseball stopped? Has he talked to anyone in the organization about their thoughts on the situation, or their strategies for staying in shape? Who will be at the greatest disadvantage when baseball resumes? Will the Mariners ever get to unleash their swarm of quad-A utility guys? 41:00-46:50: Corey devoted many words to Mike Cameron this offseason. Cammy is also Matthew’s favorite player, so naturally we had to talk about that. 46:55-1:04:00: Listener questions! Corey describes his time around the Mariners’ facility in the Dominican Republic. What is it like to bask in Julio Rodriguez’s glow? Who are some free agents the Mariners could add when they’re ready to make a go at it? What does all of this mean for the Astros? (Please don’t let the Astros skate by un-booed.) Music: “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” by Al Green // “Yours & Mine” by Lucy Dacus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-9:40: Matthew is joined by film producers Aditya Sood and Chris Miller to reflect on the paths that brought them from the suburbs of Seattle to Hollywood and how the Mariners figure in that equation. Both guys left the Seattle area for college and, upon ending up in Southern California, found themselves with tickets for a Mariners-Angels game in Anaheim on September 11, 2001. 9:45-31:05: How did Chris, a Lake Stevens native, and Aditya, a Bellevue native, end up meeting each other back in 1982? Why were they so into the Mariners at a time when they were the American League’s doormat? Aditya holds a certain Leslie Nielsen movie as one of the culprits. Chris sees an opportunity to merge his movie prop knowledge with his dislike of the Angels, and he takes it. What was it like trying to make it in the entertainment industry while the Mariners were simultaneously becoming the most entertaining team in the league? 31:10-48:05: Why are the Mariners always so good at doing the opposite of what they’re supposed to do? Why is Little Big League the best baseball movie of the ‘90s? Chris shares a delightful story about Lookout Landing having a tangible effect on the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Aditya tells a tale of the Mariners and TiVo getting him in trouble with Warner Bros. What does a convertible and a Wal-Mart VCR have to do with Aditya and Chris’ fandom? 48:10-1:02:30: When did the devotion start to fade? Everyone takes a step back from their childhood obsessions eventually, but when was it for Aditya and Chris? For the finale, Chris remembers the time he threw a ceremonial first pitch to Rickie Weeks. Music: “Ain’t That Easy” by D’Angelo and The Vanguard // “Nearer My God” by Foxing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the top. Joe, John, and Kate convene at last at the summit of the system to rain critique and praise on Seattle’s best hopes for the future. The top five are all that remain, and we dive deep on the crème de la crème. Kate laments missing out on her planned summer project: following RHP George Kirby with the same hawkish eye she laid upon fellow top-fiver RHP Logan Gilbert a year ago. Joe notes that high floors needn’t come without strong ceilings, which epitomizes both pitchers, as well as 1B Evan White. Discussion of White spurs reminiscence of, and contrition for, draft day in 2017, when White’s selection drew more grumbles than cheers from all three of us. Can he break the Mariners’ lengthy first base curse? Next, Joe and Kate explain how OF Jarred Kelenic narrowly edged out OF Julio Rodríguez for the top spot on our list, and we all debate whether we would want to see either or both players signed to long-term extensions. We go into depth on just what makes these now-well-known names so exciting, and what could hold them back from reaching their star potential. Also, Kate refers to following prospects as “Road To The Show, but with real people”, if you wanted confirmation video games can rot even the sharpest of brains. All that and more in our top prospects finale! Music: On Top - Flume / CHANCES - KAYTRANADA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-16:50: Matthew and Kate, aka Quarantina Fey and Amy Loner, describe their typical quarantine outfits and encourage you to do whatever your heart desires and stay away from activities that are supposed to be fun but feel like work. They also debate if Seattle’s current run of nice weather is good or bad for quarantining? 16:55-37:30: Diving into our Twitter questions, which provides a natural jumping off point for Kate to talk about her first foray into video games. Matthew only knows about video games that are at least six years old. Which player did Kate take the most joy in striking out while playing The Show? After this spirited discussion, we answer one of the best Mariner questions we’ve ever received. 37:35-50:35: What are the actual Mariners up to? You can check out minor league sidearm pitcher Jack Anderson on Instagram for some woodworking content. Isn’t it wild how clocks don’t exist anymore and all we have is our stomachs telling us that it’s time to eat again? Which novelty toy that was popular in the ‘70s did Matthew miss out on because Bartellls ran out? We also come out as an anti-sourdough starter podcast. 50:40-1:03:00: Remember, you can always do nothing, as long as nothing means “listening to the Lookout Landing podcast”. Or watch the Casey Anthony documentary. Who cares, none of this will feel real a year from now, just like we’ll all laugh hysterically at this god-awful plan MLB devised to save the season. Music: “Where’d All the Time Go?” by Dr. Dog // “Soundtrack 2 My Life” by Kid Cudi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John and Joe are joined by Baseball America's lead MLB Draft writer and National Writer, Carlos Collazo. Collazo lends his depth of knowledge to discussion on how the vastly condensed five-round draft, with the potential of 10 rounds at most, will impact MLB and the Mariners in particular. Collazo and the hosts address the developmental merits against the big picture drawbacks of MLB's plans to contract MiLB affiliations, and how that plan seems all the more likely with a shortened draft and disrupted season already in place. Turning to cheerier topics, the three discuss opinions on a few of the players best suited for the Mariners when they pick at No. 6 this year, including LHP Reid Detmers, LHP Garrett Crochet, RHP Max Meyer, OF Zac Veen, and OF Garrett Mitchell. For those interested in the nuances of putting together scouting reports, there's also a discussion on the usefulness of player comps in translating scouting to a wider audience vs. the dangers of portraying something narrowly applicable or merely possible as a likely outcome. Music: South of the River - Tom Misch / CHANGES - KAYTRANADA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-17:40: Matthew is joined by Nick Stillman, his former colleague at both Lookout Landing and Short Relief. They begin by talking about how normal and not weird their lives have been during this global pandemic. Just kidding! Did I fool you? Do you still remember how humor works? Is society still there? Are you high right now? Do you ever get nervous? 17:45-26:25: How on Earth do we fill the void left by baseball’s absence? Which food is most like watching the Mariners? What happens if, after all of this, the Mariners are just super good? 26:30-47:35: Are we ready to watch old Mariner games again? Matthew already treated himself to this one. What makes for a good Mariner re-watch anyway? What did we think this season was going to look like before the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 ruined our lives? Nick had high hopes for this group at least being a fun team to hang out with. Where are we at now, in terms of optimism for having a season? Luckily, podcasts are an essential business. 47:40-1:06:00: Why is Nick Stillman a fan of the Seattle Mariners? There’s some real romantic stuff in here, folks. A good conclusion from this portion of the show: nerds are always right. Matthew also shares a story about the 2014 Marlins teaching him how much he loves baseball. Music: “Hurry on Home” by Sleater-Kinney // “i” by Kendrick Lamar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're into the big fish now. John, Joe, and Kate start things off with a discussion of the then-rumored, now fleshed out draft alterations, and how the dramatic changes are likely a sign of some permanent long-term alterations. Afterwards, they dive into the top-10. Joe and Kate debate which of Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn are more well-suited for the rotation and which might be the Mariners next high-leverage reliever/closer. Kate talks about her brief view of a Brandon Williamson bullpen before spring training was shuttered, and how Noelvi Marte has enticed folks already with his potential. John talks about how the shortened season may throw Kyle Lewis back into flux, but that his brief emergence was something Mariners fans hadn't had in years. Music: Sister Surround - The Soundtrack of Our Lives / CHANGES - KAYTRANADA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-17:00: Rony! Roni! Roné! That’s all there is going on right now. With the virus ruining all of our lives, we wonder aloud when we’ll see baseball again. We can look to other countries for guidance, I guess. Will baseball finally, at long last, decide to get weird? 17:10-25:55: As the season would have opened this week, we swap some favorite Opening Day memories, which as per yoojh, leads to a conversation about Matthew’s degenerate past. One of his favorite dirtbag memories is leaving school to watch this game. 26:00-42:20: Take a moment to relax if you can, y’all. Then get into these coronavirus-baseball questions with us. It doesn’t take long for us to talk about REGRETS. 42:25-51:00: Naturally, things shift toward cannibalism? The question is simple: what Mariner would you eat in a time of crisis? Kate also finds a way to talk about Dylan Moore, one of her many unmatched skills. If we agree not to eat baseball players, what is the best quarantine snack? Where does Pirates of the Caribbean land in the 2000s canon? 51:05-1:06:00: Let’s make a mecha-pitcher! Let’s also talk about good baseball players to follow on social media, and what highlight videos we’ve been watching to replace live sports. Here’s 33 minutes of the 2016 Mariners. Music: “Fresh Air” by Future // “Goodbye” by Best Coast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John, Joe, and Kate get back together to talk through players 20-11 on the Top-30 list. A few of the 2019 draftees break into the list, as well as the cream of the bullpen crop. Kate waxes poetic about the importance of Cal Raleigh, and we dive deep on what Seattle is doing differently this time to bring about a different result than they did with Mike Zunino's development. Distinctions are drawn on Joe Rizzo/Austin Shenton and Braden Bishop/Jake Fraley, and everyone flaunts the rules of every restriction John tries to put in place. Plus, everyone picks a favorite between three of the most enigmatic arms in the system - Isaiah Campbell, Juan Then, and Sam Carlson. Music: "CHANGES" by KAYTRANADA / "Wildfire" by Mandolin Orange Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lookout Landing's three main prospect writers assemble, as John Trupin hosts Kate Preusser and Joe Doyle to break down prospects 30-21 on the LL Top-50 list for 2020. The focus for this group is a set of several relievers among the best in the system, as well as a couple undersized starters and a trio of similarly small position players. Can Ljay Newsome and Devin Sweet stick in the rotation? Is the closer of the future in this group? Is there a path to the bigs for Joe Rizzo? What exactly makes Jonatan Clase so exciting? Are young relievers more valuable to MLB's decision makers than we are prone to give them credit for? Did Kate pick the wrong time to go to Spring Training? All those questions answered and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-21:55: Podcasting in the age of ‘roni. We’re talking to Michael Ajeto, newest hire at Lookout Landing, about his debut article for the site. Mikey wrote about Justus Sheffield, who was making some changes in Spring Training before they shut down the whole operation. Listen to Mikey break down why Sheffield’s fastball has struggled, what spin rate has to do with it, and how he’s trying to work around these issues. 22:00-42:15: Moving forward (whenever the heck that is), what will it take for Sheffield to be a legitimate MLB starting pitcher? With so much data at our fingertips now, what are good ways to actually evaluate pitchers? Who are some of our favorite pitchers to watch (hypothetically speaking, of course)? The boys reminisce over Mike Leake’s almost perfect game. 42:20-46:55: What stood out in the tiny amount of Spring Training action we saw? Matthew praises the concept of longform content, especially during a time when people are in desperate need of entertainment. 47:00-1:04:00 Mikey walks us through his journey as a Mariners fan. This 2001 game against the Giants gets its first shine on the podcast. When did we realize that nobody has any idea when sports are coming back? Stay strong and stay safe, everyone. Music: “Solo” by Frank Ocean // “Calm Down aka I Should Not Be Alone” by Ezra Furman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-16:55: This episode begins with two decidedly non-experts, Matthew and guest Joe Veyera, talking about the coronavirus and how it will affect the podcast universe. Matthew then asks Joe how his fandom has evolved with age, particularly as the team fades into national irrelevance. What does one look to when winning is removed from the equation? How can we reasonably measure success in 2020? Matthew reminds the class that it’s important to have fun, whatever that means for you. 17:00-28:20: Say it with us, folks: AT LEAST WE’RE NOT THE KNICKS! Joe brags about being a Seattle lifer and a gift he received in 1996. The podcast duo identifies the path toward redemption, and it goes through Kernkraft 400. This conversation between two children of the mid-90s moves to how weird it is to both see the Mariners play the villains in a movie, and not having any real memories of Griffey. Matthew ends this segment with one of his trademark cross-sport comparisons. 28:25-42:25: Getting real deep on the passage of time and how its coincidental relationship with baseball has impacted our lives. Love the imperfections in life, people. This portends a wonderful story about Joe sorta kinda befriending a former Mariner bullpen catcher. 42:30-48:00: A person’s Mariner fandom doesn’t become fully whole until they fall head-over-heels for a guy that wouldn’t crack a roster for half the teams in the league. This does not apply, however, to Dae-Ho Lee, who famously did nothing wrong. 48:05-1:01:30: Getting Joe’s thoughts on the creation of the Maple Grove. If you want to hear a longer conversation about that, check out our episode with Hilary Kirby, co-founder of the grove. We wrap it up with conversations of royalty, resurgence, rugrats, and re-builds. Music: “WHateva U Want” by ScHoolboy Q (featuring Candice Pillay) // “Fallingwater” by Maggie Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the debut of Lookout Landing's first ever prospects and minor leagues-focused podcast, host John Trupin and Managing Editor Kate Preusser kick things off talking about Lookout Landing's top prospects list. Episode one goes in depth on the 50-30 range, as well as some of the guys outside that group, detailing how the rankings came together, what players have the opportunity to make the greatest jump towards MLB impact, and why some guys have slipped. Music: CHANGES by KAYTRANADA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-14:45: A very rare in-person podcast recording! Matthew and Eric Sanford actually sit in the same room and talk to each other, eliminating the need for pesky computers and other audio trappings. Eric is about to embark for Spring Training and boy does he have some opinions. Listen up if you want to get educated before making a trip of your own, and also stick around for a glorious Dae-Ho Lee story which makes Eric sound like a Grade-A lurker! 14:50-24:55: The do’s and don’ts of seeking an autograph as an adult. If you want a more in-depth, written version of this, click here. How to manipulate your children into liking the same things as you. What sort of things should you do in Arizona when you’re not at a baseball field? If you like fusion restaurants where Guy Fieri has crushed a snickerdoodle, well, of course you like that. Eric will tell you where that place is. Also, if you’re interested in playing some Wiffle ball or just marveling at our stats, check out our league website. 25:00-35:10: What’s the strategy for actually going to a Spring Training game? Did the online community of Mariner fans actually force the team to abandon the trident hat? Finally, listeners, we have a request! If you have a good nickname for the Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez combo, let us know in the comments. 35:15-50:40: Getting into the reasons why Eric is a Mariner fan. Part of it involves watching pure domination as a six-year-old, but in an abbreviated fashion. The fellas then bond over having their respective dads pull them out of school to attend baseball games, and the 1997 Mariners, who Matthew doesn’t remember at all but can Google. 50:45-1:04:21: Ending with a story about Northwood Elementary School and a good ol’ fashioned chat about what the Seattle Mariners and Lookout Landing mean to us. Music: “Sock It 2 Me” by Missy Elliott & Da Brat // “Never Said” by Liz Phair Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-11:25: Spring Training has sprung! Surely we set a world record for quickest conversation about T-Pain and Yankee Doodle in the history of podcasts. Kate flexes about knowing Julio Rodriguez. What did seeing Julio and Jarred in Mariner uniforms do to our collective spirit? John gets existential about the concept of “mattering”. 11:30-32:45: Who is about to ether the Cactus League? Where will the rugrats open their respective seasons? Matthew remains admirably silent while the adults talk. Kate pulls the curtain back a little bit on Noelvi Marte. Who is the best Mariner friendship in this, our post-Marco & Wade universe? What reality show is responsible for last year’s Arkansas Travelers becoming even closer? Why is Julio so bad at Operation? 32:50-46:55: Who is the odd man out in Seattle’s great utility man battle? Now that the Mariners have an actually respected farm system with a decent player development system, which depth guys in the minors could make a jump soon? What parts of the farm will be most barren in 2020? In our most important story: where on earth is Connor Sadzeck? 47:00-1:02:24: What up with GAS CAMP? Finally, Matthew re-enters the chat to help the gang pitch some Mariner commercials. Highlights include Back to the Future, cooking shows, and Just Got Paid Marco. Of course, each of us take turns tomahawk wham-bam-slam dunking on the Houston Astros. Music: “I’m Sprung” by T-Pain // “New For You” by Hinds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-9:45: Welcoming local musician Tomo Nakayama to the show! This is a momentous occasion, as pitchers and catchers have finally reported to Spring Training and one of them is Mariner legend Taijuan Walker. While Tomo admittedly took 2019 off from a baseball fan perspective, him and Matthew are both ready to lower their expectations again and immerse themselves in 2020. Then, we talk about Tomo’s upbringing, which started in Japan and came to Bellevue in the late 1980s. The rest, as they say, is history, just like Edgar Martinez’s mustache. 9:50-36:05: Who were Tomo’s guys growing up? What are his memories of the ’95 season? Talking about the familial aspect of former players becoming broadcasters and talking heads. Is it fair to have real animosity for players who chose to leave Seattle? We don’t know, but it is fair for Tomo to share his hilarious story about meeting A-Rod in person. He then talks about watching Ichiro streak across the sky and sharing an elevator with Dave Niehaus. 36:10-45:25: Having sports figures as heroes, and how to explain that to people who have no idea what you’re talking about. What of baseball’s supposed demise? How much credence should we be giving that? For Matthew, an avenue toward greater enjoyment of the game comes from other teams’ broadcast luminaries. 45:30-59:45: Finding parallels between baseball and music, and the way that Tomo consumes them. In his mind, the starting lineup is a lot like a set list. Sadly, the ending veers into Jack Z territory before getting dreamy about finally having “our guys”. Music: “Get to Know You” by Tomo Nakayama // “No One’s Easy to Love” by Sharon Van Etten Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-17:15: First question, what goin on? Second question, how do we sneak John into the Mariners’ bullpen? This portends what is, no joke, probably the most in-depth discussion on the Mariners’ bullpen that anyone has had in months. Small steps, mankind, things of that nature…Read more about Yoshihisa Hirano from this titan of online reporting. 17:20-20:40: Please, Mariners, please, at the very least, give us some fun. Maybe that means Zac Grotz breakdancing on the mound. Goodbye to Reggie McClain. We hardly knew ye. Hello to Yoshihisa Hirano, who is wearing a single digit number. 20:45-35:35: What will the outfield look like as Mitch Haniger remains shelved? Do the Mariners have a third straight Opening Day upset in store? Matthew proposes a revolutionary approach to lineup management. John mentions one of the utility men that Seattle has run through the Dylan Moore-Shawn O’Malley car wash in hopes that some of their stuff seeps in. Allow us to introduce you to José “El Loco” Siri. What do we expect from Nick Margevicius? 35:40-48:55: Where does the Mariners’ shipwreck end up? A top-five draft pick would be nice, but so would having working eyesight by the end of the season, and those things are working directly against each other. Kate and John talk about getting mad online because of prospect rankings. Which young buck do we expect to get their antlers? 49:00-1:02:44: Do we get any fun comedy this season? Does the Mariners Quad-A squad make it out of Minute Maid alive? It’s not the Lookout Landing podcast without someone pulling up from 35 feet with a vocal impression. Kate talks a long, hard look at Scott Servais and we debate the morality of hacking other SB Nation team sites. Music: “Pretty Ugly” by Tierra Whack // “Your Dog” by Soccer Mommy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-15:00: 100 episodes, countless laughs, infinite bad takes, they’ve all led to this moment. Just please don’t actually go back and count, we’ve probably made several counting mistakes. For this very enormous episode, we’ve decided to not talk about baseball at all. Instead, we answer all of your random, non-sports questions from Twitter. First up: when is it too late to say Happy New Year? John and Matthew then wax poetic about their favorite high school teachers. 15:05-26:50: Matthew defends two dirtbag California bands. Which Adam Sandler vehicle gets John the most conflictedly excited? Kate espouses a certain fast food chain’s breakfast menu. 26:55-40:20: We talk pets! Good, bad, annoying, alive, and those no longer with us. Stick around to find out which avian creature John considers his favorite animal. 40:25-1:01:00: Which one of us is trying to leave Earth for a new life on Mars? Then, somehow, we get into Kate speaking Latin and some philosophical musings. What happens to Mariner fans when we start to have good, happy expectations seep in? How has the crushing weight of failure affected our approach to blogging? What would life be like if the Mariners had the Dodgers’ level of regular season success? Support us this season as the Mariners gear up for another bad time! We end by previewing some upcoming content, which we promise will be about baseball. Music: “Passing Out Pieces” by Mac DeMarco // “Glowed Up” by Kaytranada & Anderson .Paak Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-12:25: Jeva Lange, a culture critic for The Week, joins the show to discuss her Mariner journey! Jeva grew up on the Eastside but lives in New York City and, in her own words, is an avid Mariner fan but also a bit detached. This means, unfortunately, that a huge part of her Mariner experience is watching them at Yankee Stadium. Pro tip from a New Yorker: Citi Field > Yankee Stadium. What was her reaction to seeing James Paxton in pinstripes all over town? How does she cope with having a boyfriend that actively roots for the Oakland Athletics? 12:30-29:05: How to explain the Mariners to non-sports people. Claiming bragging rights on prolonged suffering. Matthew and Jeva discuss things that can take your mind off of sports and also the ways those can backfire. However, we will always have the luxury of falling asleep to Mariner games, especially those of us on the east coast. How do we feel Twitter has shaped our approach to baseball? What about keeping score? A brief chat on the art of doing things by yourself. 29:10-41:25: We’re talking uniforms, baby! Get ready to have someone say something you disagree with. Despite being a self-proclaimed superstitious person, Jeva is still a proud trident hat wearer. How does being a critic affect Jeva’s outlook on a 162-game season? Which current Mariner does Jeva have a truly insane story about? 41:30-47:47: How we feeling with another fresh season just months away? Find out who Jeva’s favorite player on the roster is and what baseball-related item she bought on her trip to Japan last year. If you’re planning a trip to see the Mariners in New York or Spring Training this year, look for Jeva! Music: “Bike Dream” by Rostam // “Us” by Regina Spektor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-12:00: Kate’s feeling ill right now, and she doesn’t mean ill like really cool and awesome she means like she’s coming down with a sickness. Luckily, Starbucks (not one of our sponsors…yet), is here to help. John sort of Kramers his way in here around the five-minute mark and we shoot the breeze about the Mariners' relatively boring offseason. If you wanted Kendall Graveman and Carl Edwards Jr. buzz, you came to the right place. Matthew then makes a shocking confession about furniture. 12:05-25:55: Will Kyle Seager be traded before the season? A Twitter user asks us what kind of midseason moves we could see from the Mariners this year. 26:00-44:50: The Astros, they cheated! This is no longer an industry secret! Let’s make fun of them! Making sure we’re on the same page about Mike Fiers being good and A.J. Hinch being a good guy in performative ways only. Asking former college baseball player John Trupin how much sign stealing actually helps. Appreciating Tom Lawless and wondering what could have been had the Mariners done better against the 2014 Astros. 44:55-1:05:15: How much blood will spill on the streets of Houston? Matthew opines that this entire scandal is actually good for baseball. John tries to go inside the mind of an Astros fan. Let’s hope Yordan Álvarez isn’t spending his offseason preparing for battle, because that man is quite large. Are these punishments actually going to do anything? Do we feel the Astros got what they deserved? 1:05:20: The world premiere of Before He Cheats (Houston Astros Remix). Music: “Protect Ya Neck” by Wu-Tang Clan // “Before He Cheats (Houston Astros Remix)” by Matthew Roberson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-18:15: Jordan Shusterman aka half of Cespedes Family BBQ aka Gringo Mr. Worldwide aka Yung Mariners Fan aka Mango White Claw joins the show! As the Astros keep pantsing themselves in public, we laugh at the fact that nobody has ever come close to embarrassing themselves quite like our Seattle Mariners. When unearthing Jordan’s fandom, we discover that he is maybe a bad decision-maker. Not in terms of how he got there, which was partially due to this beautiful publication, but because he went out of his way to support the M’s while growing up on the east coast. Shout out Jeff Sullivan and Trayvon Robinson. 18:20-33:55: Becoming true to the blue while also developing an online presence. Matthew references some of his best work from the teen posting days. Who is Jordan’s favorite bad Mariner? What was it like to meet James Jones in 2015? What about being at All-Star Media Day with Justin Smoak? How the Mariners mirror life in Seattle and also invoke Natasha Bedingfield. How is this crop of prospects different than the ones that let us down in the past? 34:00-48:25: How do we (try to) avoid the defeatist vibes? Is there a way to evaluate Jerry Dipoto without letting the failures of last regimes color your judgment? Justice for Robinson Canó, who should be remembered as a vision of hope and not a bastion of failure. Being a Mariners fan gets so wrapped up in what they don’t do that we must remember all the things that they did, can, and will do. 48:30-1:10:18: What will a Mariners postseason run do to our well-being? Matthew unleashes a bold take about his preferred outcome should they lose a playoff game in the near future. We then both decide that just making the playoffs will sate our sports needs. How do people that root for other teams manage actual expectations? Ending with expectations for the 2020 team and coming to grips with our uncertain, prospect-reliant future. Goodbye, Tommy and Wade. You were so, so good at being available. Jordan ends by previewing some of his upcoming Mariners content! Music: “Time to Pretend” by MGMT // “Little Trouble” by Better Oblivion Community Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-16:25: Welcoming Nat Baird to the show for his first appearance on the Lookout Landing podcast! Nat is the newest hire and also probably the coolest person on staff, as he gets to travel the world with his rock climbing school. As a teenager, Nat has also never inhabited the planet at the same time as a Mariner playoff game. He still managed to become a fan though, partially due to his own mishaps. 16:30-25:35: Surprise! We’re a rock climbing, Seahawks, and Utah Jazz podcast now. What “were” the Mariners when Nat first became aware of them in *gulp* the mid-2000s? Kate then explains what Seattle felt like as a baseball town, even though Nat wasn’t alive and Matthew could barely read at the time. 25:40-43:15: Why won’t Brodie van Wagenen add Matthew to his LinkedIn network? He’s been on TV after all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbzLEkRty1Q&feature=youtu.be Never sleep on the A’s and never talk about the Mariners as a sure thing. Is it a sure thing that they’ll be better than the Orioles? Who is Nat’s favorite prospect? 43:20-49:00: Let’s make some predictions. Nat, who has been the least beaten down by modern life, is the most optimistic of the bunch. In looking around the league, we wonder who is even on the Tigers and what are the Angels going to do with their pitching? 49:10-1:08:13: Questions from our staff, since none of you answered our plea on Twitter. What’s the worst thing we’ve eaten at the stadium, and which Mariner would we choose for a game of badminton? Nat ends by explaining why Jarred Kelenic would be a bad climber, and we wrap by guessing which Mariner is likeliest to drive a Tesla. Music: “The Jump Off” by Lil’ Kim // “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-11:00: Welcoming Hillary Kirby, one of the founders, OGs, and co-leads of the Maple Grove to the Lookout Landing podcast! Hillary grew up in Ferndale with a British family, which is not typically a recipe for baseball fandom. As she describes, an elementary school teacher provided the entry point. Less than eight minutes in, John Olerud’s outstanding invitation to come on the podcast gets rescinded. Both Hillary and Matthew commiserate over their childhood heroes being not-so-great people. Edgar Martinez, though, would never do a shirtless interview. Duh. 11:15-28:00: Chatting shit about cricket, the wonders of cinema, and Mike Cameron stories! Then, getting into the Maple Grove’s humble beginnings. How did it start? Who was involved? Surprisingly, part of the reason has to do with Canadians being mean. Matthew recalls his first Maple Grove experience, which came during a seminal James Paxton start. Hillary effuses her extremely distant relative George Kirby, talks about Nintendo characters, and laughs at vacuum salespeople. 28:30-44:55: Why James Paxton? What about him spawned such a passionate group of fans? What was it like to actually meet him before a game? How does the Mariners’ ineptitude affect the current players who have rarely seen a good team in Seattle? We also find out that Hillary hates John Halama. 45:00-1:01:38: Time for trauma, babyyyy! We’re re-living the James Paxton trade. But first, a Leonys Martín love fest. Other highlights include: an “Eh” card going to the Hall of Fame, Hillary & Co. doing a press circuit, and watching James Paxton pitch at T-Mobile Park as a Yankee. We end with the most important question: what do we think of beardless Pax? Music: “Water Baby” by Tom Misch (ft. Loyle Carner) // “Vossi Bop” by Stormzy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-13:45: Jeffrey discusses his upbringing on a Native American reservation, where baseball is competing for people’s interests with pro wrestling and Elvis, among other things. While he describes himself as a baseball fan (by way of the Bash Brothers) before a Mariners fan, Jeffrey came to love the M’s with a little help from his wife. Then, we move to baseball cards being a portal into the game. 13:50-24:10: A natural shift to young player talk and how that teaches patience. Full nostalgia comes next, with Jeffrey recalling his admiration for Mark Langston. The temptation of “What if?” rears its ugly head, but that’s nothing new around here. 24:15-32:15: Eat your heart out nerds, we’re talkin’ INTANGIBLES! Jeffrey mentions how much he likes a certain player that will not be named here. The one thing we agree, on though, is The King. Also, as Mariners fans, we’ve grown accustomed to seeing players leave Seattle and wind up in the playoffs. How do you approach that? 32:20-44:45: Where does Jeffrey’s excitement with the current Mariners lie? At what point do you start to question the Mariners and your allegiance to them? Jeffrey details the way his wife has helped his baseball fandom and knowledge grow. For instance, she patented the Justin Verlander-Tom Brady comparison. That spawns some lively banter about which team we hate the most. It’s worth noting that our back and forth about the Angels was recorded before they signed Anthony Rendon. 44:50-1:02:52: Looking to the future, or in other words…JULIOOOOOO! As per usual, the end of the podcast becomes a discussion on the discussion of fandom. Finally, Jeffrey remembers his darkest moment as a Mariner fan, which came in a game that didn’t even count. Music: “Don’t Sweat the Technique” by Eric B. & Rakim // “Mystery Man” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spike Friedman joins the podcast! It was great! Follow Spike on Twitter for a look into his brain, or on Instagram to see his dog Edgar Martinez Friedman. 0:00-11:45: Obviously, we start with some Kendall Graveman and Wally Joyner goss. As always, then we get into Spike’s entry point to Mariner fandom and reminisce about our favorite guys who weren’t actually very good. Then, somehow for the first time in this podcast series, we mourn the Ben Broussard trade. 11:50-25:15: A love letter to Bret Boone, one of the few people who was probably stoked to become a Mariner. Jerry Dipoto may not be as accomplished as John Schneider, but at least he’s not a movie quote frat bro. Spike shares the story of moving away from the Northwest in 1995, a year in which things happened. How the Mariners' rise mirrored that of grunge music. 25:20-34:40: The requisite Edgar Martinez appreciation chat. Spike’s highest volume of Mariner consumption did not coincide with wins. The same can sadly be said about or deposed king of pitching. We liken the final Félix game to the series finale of a beloved television show. 34:45-48:55: Going all in on…Bill Bavasi and falling victim to the quasi-gaslighting of the mid-2000s. If you’re playing a weird drinking game where you do a shot every time Jarrod Washburn is mentioned, pour up! Stupidly, we then talk about all of the Mariners’ draft failures. “This team ruined my life in many deep and profound ways […] horrible, darkness, tragedy.” 49:00-1:11:54: Carlos Triunfel, where you at? Matthew plugs his own Sporcle quiz, and Spike flexes his deep-rooted knowledge of Mariner shortcomings. To wrap things up, we talk about a Grantland article Spike wrote about Dustin Ackley in 2013, and put our hand longingly on the Cliff Lee window. Music: “Calabria 2007” by Enur // “Day I Die” by The National Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-14:00: How Kevin and Tristan began their lives as die-hard Mariner fans in Boulevard Park, all thanks to Rich Amaral and Russ Davis. They also explain the beauty of Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball. Would they have gravitated to baseball so hard if the Mariners were terrible in the 90s? 14:05-19:55: A reminder that Matthew’s birth saved the franchise. What do Tristan’s kids think of the current Mariners? Are children lacking an obvious entry point to baseball? 20:00-33:55: When did apathy kick in for Kevin and Tristan? Kevin mentions a gradual decline while Tristan praises baseball’s endless churn (sports, always better than no sports) before realizing he probably just doesn’t like baseball that much. 34:00-42:10: The spice levels elevate off the charts! Tristan starts by wielding a flamethrower toward all people that abandon their hometown squad for the Flavor of the Month team. Then, he goes off about 1995 and 2001 actually being the worst things that ever happened. Finally, Tristan spouts the unquestionably worst opinion to ever grace these, yours, and everyone’s ears. Podcasting is the most important artform on the planet. 42:15-55:20: What does Félix Hernández mean to these broken Mariner fans? In Tristan's mind, success and bettering yourself is bad, but also the Mariners are bad because they haven’t bettered themselves in years. He also devours the NFL all Sunday. This was exhausting. 55:25-1:05:13: The mental gymnastics required to be a Mariner fan. Finally, it wouldn’t be a Lookout Landing podcast if Matthew didn’t bring up his past as a troublemaking teen, and it wouldn’t be a Peltoncast without a couple more Mariner hot takes. Music: “Them Changes” by Thundercat // “Be the One” by Dua Lipa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-10:40: Matthew welcomes Brittney Bush Bollay to the spacious, opulent recording studio. Brittney is the first guest in our “Why I’m a Mariners Fan” series who did not grow up in Washington at all. Somehow, someway, Brittney’s path to baseball went through the Mets and she still decided “This is good.” Her introduction to the Mariners, specifically, came in 2013. Again, the perseverance and tolerance for treachery is unmatched. 10:45-24:00: How having a kid provides a different lens into fandom. The art of keeping score remains undefeated. Expressing genuine gratitude and appreciation for Twitter dot com. How Brittney formed an attachment to the Mariners without having an obvious everyday player to get behind. As a pioneer of the Maple Grove, Brittney was also able to merge baseball and the community together to create something beautiful. 24:05-32:10: When bad sports things cross over into real life, and how to explain that to a child. Has cancel culture seeped into our nation’s playgrounds? What of the concept of fairness, one of childhood’s guiding lights? Sports does not care for your child’s early-stage disposition, as it turns out. Brittney then drops a bomb about success actually being no good. 32:15-42:25: Favorite moments at Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park, and picking up the rubble from 2018. Matthew asks Brittney why she comes back every year, subjecting her child to this life, going to 60+ games per season. Her answer hits him like a train, but also sparks an interesting sartorial conversation. Finally, remembering that happiness doesn’t need to be a direct product of your sports teams. Brittney uses her platform to trick Jerry Dipoto into signing one of her favorite players. The grand finale: rolling out our plan for a new mascot. Music: "Little of Your Love" by HAIM // "Guns and Cigarettes" by Atmosphere Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you to Brian Floyd of Banner Society, Seattle fandom, WSU allegiance, and now parenthood, for joining us on the podcast! 0:00-10:55: Brian ignores his kid to provide some steaming hot content for us. We start by talking about the omnipresence of baseball in Seattle during the Griffey years, and how baseball is the perfect sport to come across accidentally. The fervor around the 90s Mariners feels like the current version of the Seahawks. Is rooting for the Mariners hipster now? It takes Brian less than ten minutes to start thinking about existential crises. 11:00-23:00: Mariner fandom and WSU fandom are cousins; we all accept this now. Matthew also relates the Canó-Cruz era to edging. Be good, be bad, but never be boring. Or if you’re the Mariners, be an iceberg. Making the minor leagues a major part of your fandom, or not. 23:10-36:45: Getting meta about covering the Mariners. The season ticket holders are the bravest people on this entire space rock. How do you find something to latch on to the same way you did as a child? When will the Mariners find the pure elation of dumb luck? Brian thinks we used it all up on the "Everybody Scores!" play in '95. 36:50-46:00: How do we feel about the Nats breaking out of their ineptitude? How long until we can have some of that? Is it completely reliant on the current minor leaguers? Do we actually trust the team to figure any of this out? 46:05-57:28: Matthew isn’t totally sure about Scott Servais, but as Brian counters, does that matter? How are the vibes, though? Finally, what keeps bringing us back every season, and a fun prediction by Brian! Music: "Junie" by Solange // "Missed the Boat" by Modest Mouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-12:25: Introducing outfield prospect Gunn Omosako, who is already an incredible podcaster despite recording this in his third language. Gunn is from Brazil, where baseball is not very popular, so how did he end up signing a contract with the Mariners? His early success terrifies Kate and Matthew, who were not excelling as teenagers. The secret is to have good friends like Arturo Guerrero and Noelvi Marte, among others. 12:30-18:05: Weird things that white people do. The joy of non-American players is actually a big part of what drew Gunn to the game. What is a regular day for a Mariners prospect in the Dominican facility? How would Gunn describe his style of play? What MLB players does he like to watch? 18:10-33:00: Gunn explains the injury that kept him out for all of 2019. His rehab process involved a lot of reading and going to the movies by himself. He also found light amid the darkness of American corporate food. 33:05-43:50: Getting into Gunn’s interests off the field. Shout out Kansas, CCR, Skynyrd, and Fleetwood Mac. Ya know, typical stuff for an 18-year-old to listen to. We mourn Gunn’s dreadlocks (which you can see in his Twitter profile picture) before asking him what he wants Seattle fans to know about him. The good news is that Gunn already loves the city. 43:55-53:16: Beatles or Stones? What is Gunn listening to now? Matthew offers a divisive recommendation for this young Zeppelin fan, who just got his driver’s license! Follow Gunn on Instagram @gunn_omosako. Music: “Basket Case” by Green Day // “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” by Michel Teló Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: We had some technical difficulties during this so the final version is three different recordings pieced together and uhhhh…you can definitely tell! Sorry about that. 0:00-13:10: Introducing our guest, the one and only Isabelle Minasian, whose name has been corrupted by thousands of incorrect pronunciations. Now that she’s taken a step back from Lookout Landing for the bright lights of Cooperstown, Isabelle gets a bunch of fun new titles. Moving across the country and taking a job with an unbiased baseball institution has slightly morphed her fandom, much to her mother’s chagrin. 13:15-33:40: Defeatism and pessimism, the Griffey and Edgar of Mariner fan emotions. Matthew turns a serious conversation into a method of shoehorning Love Island into the podcast. Then, the first guest in this podcast series who isn’t just “I was born in Seattle, so I like the Mariners” shares her fandom origin story. Ichiro the penguin, if you’re listening, come on the podcast and give us a health update. 33:45-45:15: How exploring the history of baseball can be a dark exercise for Mariner fans. Matthew and Isabelle flaunt their youthful privilege, mostly devoid of KingDome memories. At least we don’t have to go to Angel Stadium, where the best player you or I will ever see is hiding in plain sight. Isabelle dunks on a Yankees fan while opening up an interesting thought experiment into the validity of caring about your team. 45:20-55:30: What it was like for Isabelle to help induct Edgar Martinez into the Hall of Fame this summer? Apparently the scene at induction day is a lot like Pride Rock. 55:35-1:02:01: At the end of the day, what keeps bringing you back to the Seattle Mariners? Music: “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield // “BOP” by DaBaby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-17:20: John sneezed on the pod and the pod got sicker. Kate’s neighbors provide a nice drum fill and then we talk about baseball, sort of. This episode is dedicated to the Arizona Fall League, which both Kate and John attended this year! After a primer on what this league actually is, we get into the best team names and why scorpions are gross (apologies to all the scorpions). 17:25-33:25: The Mariners have a white man with cornrows pitching in their minor league system and he’s actually quite good! His name is Penn Murfee, he has a signature hat, and he shreds on the guitar. According to a wonderful firsthand story, Murfee had no desire to even attend the Fall League, and he ended up balling out. The 25-year-old may be a touch old for the league, but he left with a badass chain. 33:30-44:25: A question from Twitter! Always ask us questions on Twitter, even if you don’t have a Twitter. More stories from Kate and John being on the ground in Arizona, including Rick Rizzs meeting the prospects, and said prospect absolutely dusting John in a foot race. Noelvi Marte was there for high-performance camp but didn’t actually play in the games. He did, however, talk to some idiots from Lookout Landing. 44:30-1:03:59: Some insight on JULIOOOOO’s influence on his peers. Matthew also begs y’all to enjoy things that are objectively fun and good. John and Kate decide what the best parts of Arizona and its mysterious autumnal baseball league are. Phrases like “dope”, “much delicious”, and “meow” (from Kate’s cat) are thrown about. This hour of hard-hitting journalist ends with a blatant attempt to get Sprouts Farmers Market and the Arizona Office of Tourism to sponsor us. Music: “Higher” by Rihanna // “More Than This” by Roxy Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-12:15: Crown Hill (and then Capitol Hill’s) own Grant Bronsdon blesses the mic to talk about his Mariner fandom. He says it was born partly out of newspaper sports sections. Kids, newspapers are like acoustic Twitter. In a wonderful sliding doors scenario, Grant and last week’s guest were at the same formative game in 2001. A long overdue Woody Williams shout out somehow leads us down the football and soccer paths. Sports are intersectional, I think? 12:20-21:45: How does Grant remain a beacon of optimism despite ... [gestures vaguely at the Mariners]? The central tenet of Mariner fandom is definitely bonding over the badness, right? How has that evolved with age and cynicism? Are the mechanics of your viewing experience different? 21:50-34:55: Trying to figure out when our fandom began to shift toward logic and reason over emotion, which for Grant, unsurprisingly, came from being a boy genius that eventually went to Yale. Grant then describes his time interning in the Mariners’ baseball operations department. Talk of supply closets, people getting fired, and Hisashi Iwakuma punking the Orioles. Our gracious guest also shares some details on what an MLB draft day is like and what doing the Mariners as a job did for his enjoyment of the team. 35:00-1:02:47: Have any of you heard of this thing called “interests that aren’t sports”? Sounds made up. As we age, we appreciate and respect Rick Rizzs. This is the circle of life in these parts. Finally, say it with us, it’s okay to step away from the Mariners every now and then. Two dudes with zero combined children try their hand at parenting strategies. The episode ends with Matthew painting a beautiful picture of Grant’s living room and the obligatory question: what was your lowest point as an M’s fan? Music: “Sibling Rivalry” by PUP // “Hard to Believe” by Charly Bliss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-8:00: Introducing the concept for this new podcast series, which should result in some catharsis about this misery we share. After welcoming Zach Gottschalk (who loves Sublime and Bill Simmons), we launch into our conversation. Before the meat and potatoes, we have an appetizer of unicorns, Blink-182, and aliens. The first course is a heaping pile of playoff baseball, which we have to watch other people eat. 8:10-21:00: A power move by Zach within the first ten minutes, as he plugs something he wrote in 2018. While we settle in, the boys reminisce on their intros to the Mariners. Zach’s involves his father trying to sell him to Bobby Higginson at Safeco Field in 2001. In peak early-2000s Seattle moments, we bring up a story of John Olerud visiting an elementary school. How do our lives unfold if the Mariners hadn’t been a team of mercenary gods back then? 21:15-33:40: Realizing things are bad. Who introduced you to this pain we shoulder with every move, and can they pay for extensive therapy? When did you take stock of your life and begin to grasp how much control you gave to the Seattle Mariners? 33:45-43:00: Are you a Mariners fan first or a baseball fan first? When being so invested in baseball, do you ever find yourself in awe of those who don’t? Zach expertly slips in some takes about the Chargers. Matthew brags about saving the franchise, who was 32-30 at the time of his 1995 birth before going 47-36, making the playoffs, beating the Yankees, and sticking around for our blogging pleasure. 43:05-1:04:45: Trying to contextualize the 2001 season as people who were extremely young and stupid at the time. Zach brings up the Star Wars throw, the All-Star Game, and blowing a 14-2 lead in Cleveland. Matthew only remembers things because of the movie Sweet 116. Praise for steroids and schoolyard rumors. We are the beatniks, and podcasts are our open road. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-22:00: A history making episode, as the franchise we know and love sails to uncharted water. Praise be Dylan Moore, our dung beetle champion. We were thrilled to have a season of Moore rather than a season of Rumbelow. It wasn’t all bad, folks. What happens to the other star of the Dylan Moore game? Could he be joined in Houston by a certain Nordic prince? John wonders where Joe Maddon is headed, and Kate broaches the topic of quinoa enchiladas. 22:05-37:10: bUt WhAt AbOuT tHe MiNoRs? What would the Mariners pitching dev look like in other hands? Particularly, Matthew’s hands. There would be extensive hair care and Twitter two-a-days. A weekly show of gratitude for Brodie van Wagenen and a quick bop around the league. Do not fact check anything John says about Mookie Betts playing second base. If the Mariners pass, former San Diego resident Matthew Roberson will be the Padres’ pitching coordinator slash youth influencer. While you’re here, yell at Grant Bronsdon on the world wide web. 37:20-1:02:40: If any of the rugrats are getting traded, who will it be? The first hypothetical blockbuster of the winter gets batted around. Who’s currently expendable on the big-league and AAA rosters? Can any of them competently pitch, as in a baseball? Stay tuned for next season, though. Some Jay Bruce or Anthony Swarzak-type trades seem imminent. This offseason is being advertised as a quiet one, but we speak Jerry. Ay, y’all remember Mitch Haniger? 1:02:45-1:07:55: Wishing MLB rules were more like the NBA’s. The Kyle Seager predicament. 2020 draft eligible players who are most definitely real people. Cracking the Mariner Moose’s hard exterior. Goodbye. Music: “Love Me” by The 1975 // “Stay High” by Brittany Howard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-16:16: Put on your bedazzled loafers and revealing dresses because it’s time for celebration, baby. Before handing out various awards, we check in on Edgardo Alfonzo. First award goes to our favorite games of the 2019 season, which unfortunately were few and far between. Remember when Tim Beckham and David Freitas were on this team? And they walloped the Red Sox on national television? There was also apparently a fleeting moment of joy on Father’s Day. Kate urges you to remember the 2019 Mariners as Maybe Not Actually That Bad When You Consider the Circumstances and Also Remember the Orioles and Tigers are Whoopee Cushions. Bob Nightengale is also a Whoopee Cushion. 16:20-24:30: In the 2019 T-Mobile Park division, amid the shapeless goop, there were still moments of life poking their head above the surface. These are those moments [Law and Order noise]. 24:35-51:20: The three of us choose our most cherished Mariner from this names-out-of-a-hat roster. After a quick detour to ponder which Mariner minor leaguer is most likely to smoke hookah, we get into the sads. In a season of individual disappointments, Yusei Kikuchi’s perhaps looms the largest. Fear not, he is still young and was experiencing a serious mix of life events off the field. Kikuchi’s progression from his rookie to sophomore seasons stands to be a fascinating part of this re-build, particularly if he’s throwing to a new catcher in 2020. 51:35-1:16:25: Who had the non-Angels no-hitter against the 2019 Mariners? Two thirds of us (whose job it is to follow this team) forgot. This opens the door nicely for the conversation about a plainly named Mariner reliever unfairly going down with injury. The podcast ends with the Best New Enemy and Tyler Smith Award for Most Forgettable Mariner. Music: “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim // “Happy Idiot” by TV on the Radio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-15:25: A brief breakdown of our cowardice, hydration, and overall health levels, as determined by Kyle Lewis. 15:30-34:30: We love it when a plan comes together. As the Mariners’ farm starts to congeal into a big-league team, the Astros’ sheds some of its big names while still operating with maddening efficiency. The key to player development seems to be – and stick with us here – having a clear organizational philosophy and then acting upon said philosophy! Could be something to consider. George Kirby’s unwavering dedication to strikes falls beautifully into the Mariners’ vision of growth, which is giving us early returns on the franchise’s player development strategy. 34:35-43:30: Is Donnie Walton part of the bigger picture? How does Dylan Moore’s baby fawn body play baseball? Kate dubs Moore’s swing the “dish rag” because it wrings every micro-ounce of power out of its frame. Let’s also get corporate barista Austin Nola some reps behind the plate before the season ends. Matthew dares you to finally cancel him. 43:35-53:54: Before Kate gets whisked away to T-Mobile Park and the wonders of Ichiro Weekend, we talk about No. 51’s one of a kind career. Remember the inside the park homer in the All-Star game? Off Chris Young? That went over Griffey’s head? Have you seen the sauce he brought to a meeting with Michael Jordan? All hail Ichiro, all hail the Lookout Landing podcast. Send us suggestions for end-of-season Mariner awards, and please subscribe and leave a review on iTunes if you feel so inclined. Music: “Portions for Foxes” by Rilo Kiley // “Help Me” by Joni Mitchell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-8:00: Kate comes in hot with a Shane Victorino take? August is tough when your team isn’t good. After talking about other teams’ minor league systems for no reason at all, we get into the actual reasons that we record this podcast, which is for Matthew to declare himself the Sue Bird of Mariner podcast hosts. 8:05-26:20: The M's won a home series against the Blue Jays! This is a cause for celebration, but like lots of Mariner success, it comes with a caveat, as we realize that beating the Blue Jays hurts the Mariners’ tanking efforts. Praise for Matt Magill and the Mariners’ bizarre alchemy this season, which does not include plucking sons and brothers of other famous baseball players. 26:25-41:10: PROSPECT TIME! Julio Rodriguez is taking a flamethrower to the Cal League, and he was not born the last time Seattle made the playoffs. JULIOOOOO and Jarred will also be in the Arizona Fall League this October, which Kate encourages you to attend. With the season winding down and various prospects set to graduate, we project where the Mariners’ big-ticket trio will end up on year-end lists. 41:15-45:00: A brief rant about the bungled Players’ Weekend jerseys. 45:10-55:40: New York Guy is back, baby! He starts by bragging about a correct prediction on the last podcast. New York Guy’s wife is expecting a child, which leads her husband to explain the story of his birth. Kate stokes the flames a bit by asking New York Guy about the Yankees’ inactivity at the trade deadline. 55:45-1:05:00: A comprehensive breakdown of the Mariners’ offseason trades with the New York teams. There is also a theory about James Paxton and air conditioning juice? New York Guy ends by explaining the Aaron Boone Effect that has taken over New York. Music: “Kids Turned out Fine” by A$AP Rocky // “Glad Tidings” by Van Morrison Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-21:30: Matthew and Kate are joined by staff member Eric Sanford at Beveridge Place Pub for the most important hour of your entire life. Kate and Eric talk about their approach to Edgar Weekend, which they will both be attending in some capacity. A trenchant discussion on the actual value of winning, and what location is best for that. A dive into prep prospects reveals that baseball players are just recycling names. Eric brags about having children, a job, and cool hats. A motorcycles roars on, and so does the podcast. 21:35-30:00: Logan Gilbert vs. Yadier Molina, the winner may surprise you. We stan the beef boys no matter where they go. As we reach another August of bad Mariners, do you care about the rest of Major League Baseball? We love and support both Nelson Cruz and Mike Leake in their new endeavors. We make a shameless attempt to have HBO buy the rights to the Lookout Landing podcast. 31:00-41:00: September callups are nigh. They absolutely, positively, 100% have to include Ian Miller or we stage a coup. Again, Brodie Van Wagenen, accept Matthew’s LinkedIn request. The tremendous trio sings the praises of the collective attitude surrounding the Mariners’ minor league system. Fun is fun, y’all. Guess how many Mariners have hit 35 home runs in a season, and how close a certain lefty slugger is to getting there? 41:15-57:15: We devote a lot of brain power to Players’ Weekend. The opposite of a key to our heart is using your actual last name on your Players’ Weekend jersey. Does Kyle Seager have college football coach energy? Did J.P. Crawford have to go with Crawdaddy? Are the jerseys themselves bad? Let me go ahead and answer that for you….yes. 57:20-1:08:00: Questions from Twitter! If you submitted a question you are all of our best friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-5:00 – Explaining the premise of this draft, which is not nearly as complicated as it sounds in writing. Basically, we’re drafting Mariner players from a specific season with the hopes of constructing the best possible team to win one hypothetical game. 5:10-15:30 – Bongos begins the draft with an obvious first pick and also mixes in an unnecessary jab at the best player in franchise history. Matthew’s first pick comes from the same year as Grant’s first pick, which hilariously, is a year in which the team did not make the playoffs. The third overall pick is the first player taken from the 21st century. 15:35-31:45 – The first starting pitcher comes off the board. Just minutes later, Bongos wonders aloud if said pitcher was messing around with nefarious substances. Then, naturally, we discuss cleft palates, the troops, Macklemore, and the glaring lack of bobbleheads depicting podcasters. An appreciation for Bret Boone’s plug and his early-2000s hair. 32:00-39:30 – With the legends mostly gone, we wade into the second tier of Mariner greats. 39:45-57:35 – The first 80s guy is selected! Bongos pits two devilishly handsome men against each other before, unsurprisingly, taking the younger one. What year is the best Félix year? Rest assured, Matthew makes the correct decision. 57:45-1:14:00 – We stan anyone who secures the bag and then gets worse at their job. As the draft starts to wind down, Bongos bends the rules slightly. The last big decision comes when Matthew has to pick a non-Rodriguez shortstop. 1:14:10-1:24:00 – Recap! We go through each team and remind you of the picks while also constructing batting orders. Whose team is better? Who did we snub? How would you have handled the first few rounds? Feel free to share your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-6:00 – We introduce our guest, sportswriter Josh Horton of the Everett Herald. Josh covers the AquaSox during the summer, making him arguably the most qualified person on earth to do an episode about the Mariners’ affiliate in Everett. 6:00-16:00 – How do the AquaSox adjust to life in Everett? Which of the players have the most unique stories? Who plays the role of translator for the AquaSox’ Spanish-speaking players? Kate points out the Mariners’ promotion strategies when it comes to challenging their prospects. 16:15-25:00 – Austin Shenton talk! Josh has seen him play, in person! We run through some of the less-heralded players in Everett who have stood out in their first month of pro ball. What sort of skills should we look for in the low levels of the minor leagues? Also, son of Beef Dad is discussed. 25:10-33:20 – The AquaSox fired their manager, and that’s about all we know. As Josh tells us, there’s lots of secrecy around this team. He can also confirm that the Northwest League gets chippy, and the championship was once won on a walk-off balk. 33:30-44:00 – What is the best name on the AquaSox roster? There are legitimately too many to choose from. Damon Casetta-Stubbs is an interesting high-ceiling guy that many fans aren’t paying attention to. And at long last, some love for Trent Tingelstad and Carter Bins. What is the best between-innings game or promotion at Funko Field? 45:45-1:01:55 – Robinson Canó stories! Believe it or not, the Mets legend was once an Everett AquaSox. How creepy is Webbly the Frog? Is Webbly in cahoots with The Rainforest Café? Stop making the “When are they getting traded?” joke about all of our baseball children!!! Matthew ends with arguably his worst take yet, combining his loves for West Coast Conference Basketball and being wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-9:00: Tim Beckham don’t listen to this,,,you are not a trade chip. Do we root for wins or the sweet specter of a high 2020 draft pick? What kind of arc is the Mariners’ season following, how many times can Matthew flex in ten minutes, and a story about violence on the kickball field? 9:00-17:00: The Three Amigos of Seattle, who are surely not the people we thought they’d be prior to the season. Satan’s Frisbee vs. The Devil’s Toboggan. What to do with Austin Adams? 17:00-26:30: We bravely talk about Mariner player development. If we have to give the current regime credit in their player dev strategies, it’s in the pitching category. J.P. is intriguing, though. Praise the Crawford bloodline. 26:30-34:00: Pray for Mitch Haniger’s crotch. Why do baseball players dress like tenth graders? Scared money don’t make none. I promise this is a good podcast. 34:05-40:50: Brodie Van Wagenen, accept Matthew’s LinkedIn request, you coward. Noticing a lot of similarities between Vogelbach and a certain player in Anaheim. Kate points out the difference between baseball intelligence and real life intelligence. That noise you hear is not us pouring more drinks, nope, not us. We would never do that. 41:00-46:00: What emojis does Daniel Vogelbach use? Is Marco Gonzales the best intern of all time? 46:50-1:09:35: British Guy joins Kate and John to recap the London Series and compare the Red Sox to Manchester City while marveling at the Yankees’ muscle mass. According to British Guy, infielder D.J. “The French Lad” LeMahieu is surely the best player in the league. Before leaving, British Guy offers his takes on the Mariners and the most British names in baseball. Music: “Run Away With Me” by Carly Rae Jepsen // “God Save the Queen” by Sex Pistols Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew and John are off doing other things this week, so Kate sits down one-on-one with the voice of the Modesto Nuts, Keaton Gillogly. Modesto has quickly blossomed into one of the most interesting teams in the farm system with the promotion of top prospects Logan Gilbert and Jarred Kelenic, joining Cal Raleigh, Joe Rizzo, and strikeout king Ljay Newsome, among others. Keaton offers some scouting reports on the current Nuts roster, discusses the changes he’s seen since the Mariners organization took over Modesto as an affiliate, and offers some concrete advice for young broadcasters hoping to sit in his chair someday (hint: upgrade your Toyota Corolla for your grandparents’ minivan as soon as possible). Kate and Keaton talk MiLB life, the art of broadcasting, the Mariners development program, and some of the Top-100 prospects currently in Modesto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-6:20: We welcome Grant “Bongos” Bronsdon to the podcast, as we recorded this in his living room. The ‘cast begins with a rundown of the draft rules, which unfortunately have nothing to do with Dua Lipa. Also, Grant is a former magnet boy in an actual, real life MLB draft room. He explains some of the ins, outs, and what have yous of the draft, while Kate spins a brief history of former Seattle draft picks that are flourishing for other organizations. 6:20-17:30: In happier news, the Mariners are wearing teal in games that aren’t just on Fridays, and John’s family is smitten with Mac Williamson. Also, Braden Bishop has a busted spleen. 17:45-34:00: Actual draft talk! Matthew demonstrates a complete lack of understanding about farms. Kate gives an audio grade to every position group in the organization. She also drops a necessary reminder of the weakness of the 2019 draft class, and the eternal need for catchers. 34:15-43:00: Where will Mike Leake end up? Before the actual conversation, Matthew introduces a fun imagination game. The most important topic of the conversation though, is Grant a vampire? 43:00-51:15: We miss you, Jay Bruce. John discovers cigarettes. Matthew discovers Blaze Alexander. Grant discovers that nobody cares about The West Wing references in 2019. Kate discovers that Jerry Dipoto listens to our podcast. (He almost certainly does not). 52:00-58:55: Which Seattle celebrity is most likely to shove a player while sitting courtside at an NBA game? 59:00-1:01:15: BEEF DAD https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5dLZ8jaOX/ 1:01:20-1:07:00: Shouts to the Shenton Family, Daniel Vogelbach, and nobody else. Music: “Working Out” by Donny Benét, “Diane Young” by Vampire Weekend Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite the best efforts of the Mariners and Frontier Airlines, John, Kate, and Matthew have returned to deliver you the hard-hitting analysis you deserve. We join in the lovely Lower Queen Anne bar Solo, which played an amiable host to our record. 0:00 - 9:00 The Mariners have been hot trash on a tin roof! We discuss our various methods of (dis)engagement with the team and John outlines why you should never fly Frontier Airlines if you can avoid it. 9:00 - 16:05 Matthew goes out on a limb that Marco Gonzales is better than Albert Pujols. We dig in deep on how the defense and rotation could not be a worse pair. 16:05 - 25:10 Kate is thankful the Mariners are not the Rangers, and reminds us this is what rebuilds are. We go hard on our favorite non-Mariners to watch and put together a Home Run Derby for dads. Matthew re-ups his vendetta against Mark Canha and slaps a nickname on Josh Bell. 25:10 - 28:30 Matthew enters his first fugue state of the pod while John and Kate make their case for being a draft/prospects person. It's fun, we promise! 28:30 - 36:20 GAME TIME. Matthew hosts 'Draft Prospect or 90s Pop Star' and Kate wipes the floor with John, as she is trivia master. 36:20 - 53:40 Draft Talk! John and Kate nerd out on their faves (pitchers Daniel Espino and Matthew Allan, as well as OF Jordan Brewer in particular) and address a few rumors on Seattle's surprising possible shift towards prep shortstops in the first round. We are unimpressed by Volpe's T-Rex swing. 53:40 - END We address the ways covering the Mariners has changed our relationship with baseball/the Mariners! Kate also outlines the fine art of heckling and we come to some surprisingly positive airport takes. Music: 'Late Night People' by Goldfish ft. Soweto Kinch, 'Yaeji - Raingurl' by Leon Chang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices