Lookout Landing: for Seattle Mariners fans

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Lookout Landing Podcast 154: Mariners Opening Day 2021, let's have some fun Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

0:00 - 6:30: As we get settled in for the podcast and also the outset of the MLB season, we note a few fun facts that home in front of Matthew, Kate, and John. New Red Sox UTIL man Enrique Hernández is a surprisingly popular jersey, Matthew loves a flowy baseball pant for the summer season, and John manages to successfully quiet and calm a woebegone Corgi before diving into the questions.

6:30 - 31:00: Questions!!! Some of the topics include... what's the outfield going to look like in the early days with Kyle Lewis OFFICIALLY on the 10-day IL to start the year? We remain mildly flabbergasted by José Marmolejos sidling his way onto the roster once more. John considers getting his Jeff Feagles on for Matthew's cheerful suggestion of a Mitch Haniger trade return, and Kate and John spar over Haniger's relative value to the Mariners versus another club. Where might Haniger be shopped to if Seattle is in fact in such a flush position midseason when their young outfield is potentially runneth over? Also, Kate uncorks a secret tip of the trade for teachers everywhere.

34:00 - 1:05:41 (END): Further email questions dig into the pitching staff and third base position. Yusei Kikuchi is a hot topic, particularly wondering about how his 2021 could lead to the Mariners choosing to take his 4-year, $66 million team option after 2021. Kate creates a new type of guy, John makes a comp for Kikuchi that his cohosts do NOT accept gladly. Not much love is cast Ty France's way defensively, but the group is split on how Kyle Seager might be replaced (or not replaced) after 2021. Matthew learns a little French in attempting to locate Shed Long Jr. and we conclude by discussing what a successful/unsuccessful 2021 looks like, along with some predictions.

Music: "Send The Fishermen" - Caamp / "Honest Mistake" - The Bravery

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Lookout Landing Podcast 153: Mariners’ Spring Training is nearly over. What have we learned? Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

0:00-21:15: Before anything even remotely resembling a baseball conversation, Matthew learns about some new snacks. Kate directs her anger toward the concept of electricity, particularly the part how it can just stop. The team bravely decides that they’re going to drink beer this summer but debates where that will be. The noise you hear around the 16th minute is the presses stopping for vital Matt Magill and Gerson Bautista news.

21:20-45:05: How does one effectively follow Spring Training when the games are nowhere near a working television camera? Listening to the opposing teams’ broadcast is always fun, but it’s also Spring Training and everyone’s phoning it in with basic information. Everyone, that is, but our boy John Trupin, who wrote the best headline of camp after the Mariners went off on Trevor Bauer. You know what will eventually be great entertainment? Bauer facing Jarred Kelenic.

46:05-1:17:00 The people who submit listener questions to the Lookout Landing podcast are the most intelligent, powerful, and respected group on Earth. Everyone knows this and nods agreeably when told it. The first question gives us a chance to talk about Ty France. One day we’ll get to stop talking about the Mariners’ eternal left field issue, but today is not that day. The last heated discussion of the episode centers on a potential trade of a former All-Star.

Music: “Hello Operator” by The White Stripes // “Check the Rhime” by A Tribe Called Quest

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Lookout Landing Podcast 152: Shannon Drayer on Mariners’ Spring Training, Kyle Seager, and the kiddos Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

0:00-15:20: Longtime beat reporter Shannon Drayer was kind enough to call in and give us the low down on Spring Training. What’s it like to be one of the few people who’s actually on the ground watching this stuff happen? How do the players seem to feel about it? Shannon tells us that with so few people in the stadium, managers on the field can hear writers in the press box talking about them. She also acknowledged that even though last season was only 60 games, there was an unquestioned element of fatigue when it was over.

15:25-35:55: A firsthand story of what it was like to be at Spring Training last year when the initial shutdown happened. Some gabbing about Kyle Seager’s pandemic looks open us up for a larger conversation. Shannon shares her thoughts on the Kevin Mather situation, and how much it’s still lingering over camp. Kate asks straight up if Marco Gonzales is boring.

36:55-51:15: Let’s talk about some of the personalities on the Mariners that we haven’t been able to see yet. There’s a relief pitcher who, according to Shannon, threw himself into the leadership van’s driver’s seat. We get some fascinating insight as well into the young players and how they gather like moths around certain veteran lights. One thing about Lookout Landing dot com, Julio Rodríguez gonna come up.

51:20-1:07:45: Shannon helps us figure out these final roster spots! Dunn or Margevicius? Who goes to the bullpen? What does the back end of the bullpen look like, both in terms of usage and in terms of stuff? How close is Logan Gilbert, who we’ve already seen punch Mike Trout out? We all have our own opinions about the rugrats and when they should make their big-league debuts. What does the actual organization that makes those decisions think, though?

1:07:50-1:15:00: We get some very heartening news when Shannon Drayer, queen of the Mariners’ beat, admits that even she struggles to recognize some of these guys. One guy who is always recognizable, though, is Ichiro. What’s it like watching him transition from legendary player to legendary quasi coach?

Music: “Somthing’s Missing” by The Internet // “Miles From Nowhere” by Cat Stevens

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24. They Might Be Mariners: Talking changeups and TJ recovery with RHP prospect Levi Stoudt Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

Kate, Joe, and John are joined by Mariners 2019 3rd round pick, RHP Levi Stoudt out of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The one time 97th overall pick has shot up some scouting lists over the winter, including ranking 12th in the organization according to Baseball America. Stoudt has yet to pitch in an official professional game due to Tommy John surgery he underwent shortly after draft day in 2019 and the cancellation of the MiLB seasons in 2020, but he turned plenty of heads in the fall instructional league Seattle was able to put on with a few other clubs. We asked him about what it's like to be entering his third year as a pro, with plenty of momentum and enthusiasm, but not having technically debuted. His mid-90s heat and Vulcan changeup work alongside a sweeping slider, and we ask him about how he developed each pitch. The Eastern Pennsylvania native also shared his opinions on several of the state's finest fare, and potentially making a case for water ice to finally sweep the West Coast, with Kate's enthusiastic backing. We also hear Stoudt's draft day story, his intense on field face-off against one of the top starters in his draft class, and what exactly someone does in Peoria, Arizona when they've spent over two years almost exclusively rehabbing and adding strength without games to play in.

Music: "Them Changes" - Thundercat / "I CAN'T WAIT" - DROELOE

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Lookout Landing 151: “Why I’m a Mariners Fan” with Brent Flyberg Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

0:00-24:25: Matthew praises the long sleeve T-shirt and introduces his new beef with a cookie company, as well as Brent Flyberg, a very funny comedian who is this week’s guest. Brent played some college baseball in the northwest, which is a natural jumping off point for our conversation. Several C and D-list MLB players get name dropped.

24:30-40:55: Why is the pivot from jock to artist so tough to nail? As we discuss, it’s a famously tricky leap accomplished by very few people. Brent then shares a story about doing comedy for Randy Johnson. Once the Mariner juices start flowing, memories of the early days inevitably come flooding back. If you, like us, have been watching old Mariner games and Premier League highlights, drop some links to your favorites in the comments below.

41:00-50:00: Sadness, how’s that been for you? Excessive? Oddly charming? Self-affirming? You just might be a Mariners fan, my friend. Naturally, disgraced team president Kevin Mather catches a few strays. Listen in to this part for a new theory on the whole Rotary Club debacle.

50:05-1:13:00: Do we have any regrets about our relationship with the Mariners? Brent bemoans the fact that he never made fandom physically permanent and gets in one last reminder that he was a dominant athlete at one point. The boys tee up an opportunity to make fun of the Angels and then things come to their natural conclusion after a way too long dissection of bat flips.

Music: “World Domination” by Joey Bada$$ // “Freak Scene” by Dinosaur Jr.

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Lookout Landing Podcast 150: Ryan Divish on Kevin Mather, Jarred Kelenic, and the Mariners' eventful week Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

0:00-30:00: Dear Mariners, give us one reason to stay here, and we’ll turn right back around. To unpack all of the terrible, no good Mariner news of the past week, we got Ryan Divish. The Seattle Times’ beat reporter and self-admitted Lookout Landing reader takes us through his experience with the infamous Kevin Mather self-immolation and his disappointment to find out that Jarred Kelenic’s public comments went to USA Today. Within the first 20 minutes, Ryan drops his favorite Jarred story, which is from the same day as “Smell you later”.

30:05-58:35: The Mariners have a cataclysmic mess to clean up. Matthew wonders how that process will unfold and asks Ryan if the things he’s seen within the organization point to any particular crisis management strategies. Where do the players – who have taken an increased percentage of the team’s overall power – fit into this equation? Ryan also dives into the age-old question, “What does a manager actually…do?”

59:40-1:22:25: We can all admit that several parts of this debacle are very funny. Let’s have a roast. We also find out that Ryan was moonlighting as a substitute teacher and get his account of watching the Mather video for the first time. He turns the tables on us with a question of his own about our comfort level with returning to T-Mobile Park in 2021.

1:22:30-2:06:00: Do the Mariners’ coaches and executives keep their jobs or is a major shakeup coming? Ryan then placates John by pointing out how perfect a Kolten Wong signing would have been. Some of y’all will be delighted to hear your Lookout Landing usernames mentioned on wax. This wide-ranging conversation ends with us debating who the next face of the Mariners is.

Music: “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman // “Boomer” by Bartees Strange

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Lookout Landing Podcast 149: Kevin Mather sinks the Mariners Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

We called an emergency podcast to discuss the breaking news of Sunday, disgraced Seattle Mariners Team President & CEO Kevin Mather's comments to the Bellevue Rotary Breakfast Club. John and Kate are joined by recently returned staff writer Isabelle Minasian to, honestly, rage. The well-publicized comments run the gamut of unforced errors by the highest ranking official in the organization below club Chairman John Stanton, and Mather is hardly without previous marks against him. Thank you to all who sent in questions, including on what the long term implications of Mather's statements might be on the Mariners, and if there is anything the club can do to begin getting back in the good graces of their fans, players, and player development group. No music today, let the frustration, disappointment, anger, and hopefully a few drops of catharsis flow through you. Intro, as always, by OF Julio Rodríguez himself.

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23. They Might Be Mariners: LL's 2021 Top 30 Prospects Feb 20, 2021

Show notes

We’re back! Kate, Joe, and John emerge from a healthy winter break to take a look at the Lookout Landing 2021 Preseason Top Prospects List. Who just missed? Who were we relatively high or low on? And what does each prospect need in 2021 to take a big step? We also touch on the new minor league baseball alignment as it has become formalized and of course take listener questions throughout.

We recognize this is a Big ‘Ol Pod, and future episodes should hew closer to an hour or so, but we... had a lot to talk about! Grab a few cups of coffee.

0:00 - 13:45 - We start things off with discussion of the minor league realignment’s certification. The Mariners come out with a good deal of convenience, large (geographical) regions of the country are left in the cold. It’s a sad day for the West Virginia Power and many other communities around the country. For baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest, however, there will be full season baseball all across the state of Washington, Western Oregon, and Vancouver B.C.

13:45 - 1:28:00 - Let’s get into the list! We each talk about our favorite honorable mentions, with a few listener questions on guys like LHP Adam Macko and RHP Michael Limoncelli, as well as some love for recent LL podcast guest RHP Jarod Bayless. We take a pick ‘em approach to the list, highlighting a few players in each tier who really could show something. How much of the time is spent marveling that the back of the system is full of players who’d have been in the top 15 a couple years ago? Plenty, y’all. Plenty.

Joe takes us down the Max Povse memory lane and joins Kate in some discussion of the variance on lists for how the organization’s system is perceived. John quibbles about depth issues in the system. At the 44-minute mark we take a quick deviation into discussing top international amateur prospect SS Felnin Celestin and how and when he might be eligible to sign with the Mariners as rumored.

We have some lengthy discussions on a few players, including the Cal Raleigh (Rollie) timeline, what Sam Carlson’s Ivan Drago physique could translate to in games, and who we’re more enamored with between Logan Gilbert and Emerson Hancock.

1:28:00 - End - We take ten minutes at the end to hit a few more questions we didn’t get to, on some of the top prospects in particular. Who do we expect will debut this year among this list? Have the Mariners damaged their relationship with the Jarred Kelenic camp too severely by keeping him in the minors instead of calling him up and attempting to generate an extension as soon as possible. What should the Mariners be focused on developing and acquiring right now?

Music: “Top of the Pops” - Art Brut / “Top of the World” - Alex Wiley

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Lookout Landing Podcast 148: What to make of Ken Giles and James Paxton Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

0:00-14:30: Matthew and Kate brave a John-less podcast. Things get simmering with a conversation about the Ooples and Boonoonoos song. This quickly leads to us wondering if we’re annoying.

14:35-33:50: What to make of Ken Giles and his Astro past. Even if it doesn’t work out, the Mariners really won’t be any worse for it. The reason for that? A good farm system, and depth! This is still kind of tough to get used to, but the Mariners do have a good farm system, and it is definitively better than any other team’s in the AL West. We also marvel at how thoroughly Giles dominated the M’s while playing for Houston. Matthew gets in a “Go Mets baby love da Mets” and remembers the time Chasen Bradford acknowledged us online.

33:55-49:30: Matthew gets surprised by the recent news linking Taijuan Walker to our best friends. Then, we talk about the big guy. If you missed it, the Mariners are bringing back James Paxton on a one-year deal. This is brain-tingly exciting. The only real, legitimate knock on Pax is injuries, so if he stays healthy and earns himself another lucrative deal, we’re all in. Kate then talks about cysts and the dreaded Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Finally, importantly, shout out to the Maple Grove forever and always.

49:35-1:17:15: Listener questions! If you asked us a question on Twitter, congratulations. You are now, by law, eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Is there such a thing as too many lefties in the same rotation? The last question before some good ol’ fashion riffing: which quad-A player breaks out this year?

Music: “E.V.P.” by Blood Orange // “Oldie” by Odd Future

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Lookout Landing Podcast 147: Taylor Trammell Feb 11, 2021

Show notes

0:00-15:25: A top 100 prospect joins a top one podcast. Taylor Trammell calls in from Atlanta, meaning we had to record at nine in the morning on the west coast. What physical activity caused Taylor to wake up early and without warning? Taylor also recently got engaged, and he shares that story with us. When the conversation shifts to baseball, Taylor tells us about the things he’s been focusing on this offseason.

15:30-33:40: After getting traded to Seattle, which Mariner prospects impressed Taylor the most? Kate makes Taylor re-live his experiences facing the Arkansas Travelers and drops yet another new pronunciation of Margevicius. This is the part where we learn that Taylor has an incredible baseball memory, which helps him remember the rare occasions when he’s lost his cool on the field.

33:45-47:25: What’s it like to be traded, and how did getting traded from Cincinnati to San Diego prepare him for later being traded from San Diego to Seattle? How did Yasiel Puig complicate things? Taylor peels the curtain back on the aesthetic issues that come with being traded, then reveals which Mariner jersey – which he calls “very impressive” – he’s most excited to wear. Is there any friendly competition within the team for the title of Best Dressed?

47:30-1:04:55: Griffey story! Find out which other giant of the game, besides Griffey, left Taylor starstruck. Our next question [Marc Maron voice], who are your guys? As a Black man, Taylor lists a lot of Black players as influences and mentors. Since he’s started making his way through the ranks, what has Taylor seen improve in terms of broadening MLB’s reach? What are some things that still need to be addressed? The importance of providing resources and education are the top things on the list.

1:05:00-1:21:00: Being from Atlanta, Taylor has some hard opinions on hip-hop. Matthew ends with the most hard-hitting questions of our time: Young Thug or Future? Outkast or Migos? Some prime early-2000s reminiscing sparks up before we sign off.

Music: “U Played” by Moneybagg Yo (feat. Lil Baby) // “Slick Talk” by JID

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