Lookout Landing: for Seattle Mariners fans

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Lookout Landing Podcast 88: "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Isabelle Minasian Nov 01, 2019

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 87: Notes from the Arizona Fall League Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 86: "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Grant Bronsdon Oct 23, 2019

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 85: "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Zach Gottschalk Oct 17, 2019

Show notes

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.

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Lookout Landing Podcast 84: What do we do now? Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 83: The 2019 Seattle Mariner Awards Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 82: Kyle Lewis looks very good Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 81: Mariners Beat the Blue Jays and New York Guy Part 2 Aug 26, 2019

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 80: Mariners’ MLB Bummers & MiLB Hope with Eric Sanford Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

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.

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Lookout Landing Podcast 79: Drafting the best possible Mariner teams Jul 25, 2019

Show notes

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.

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