Lookout Landing: for Seattle Mariners fans

Latest Episodes:

13. They Might Be Mariners: Minor league cuts & the back of the draft Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

Among many other things, this was a grim few weeks for baseball in the United States. The Mariners cut 44 minor leaguers, including several players with longer tenures in the organization than anyone not named Seager. John, Joe, and Kate talk through a number of players whose careers in Seattle's affiliation came to an end this week, with a focus on the implications for the minor leagues going forward, what the Arizona Fall League may look like, and how independent baseball will be increasingly worth everyone's time.

At around the 35:00 minute mark, the discussion turns to the draft. Georgia RHP Emerson Hancock has been mocked to the Mariners a couple times now, representing a surprising shift for one of the premier arms in the pool. We go into what's precipitated that perceived slip and whether we'd be on board if he's still available at No. 6 (you can hear Kate screaming 'YES'!!!! without the headphones). Afterwards, we turn our focus beyond the first round and each talk through a few names at every pick - 43, 64, 78, 107, and 137, who could be available and would fit our desires and Seattle's needs, to provide some "ones to watch" for next week's draft.

If you have questions, next week's podcast will drop on Tuesday as a prep episode for the Wednesday and Thursday draft.

Music: "The Space Program" - A Tribe Called Quest / "CHANCES" - KAYTRANADA

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Lookout Landing Podcast 115: Bucky Jacobsen joins the show May 29, 2020

Show notes

0:00-28:10: Mourning a Memorial Day without baseball before welcoming Mariner legend Bucky Jacobsen to the show! Bucky breaks down the origins of his name and how he went from the smallest kid in his school to a hulking MLB slugger. Which earthly process does Bucky’s career most resemble, and how did it come out of eastern Oregon? He also shares a story about his athletic career in the aquatic world.

29:15-43:55: Let’s dig in to Bucky’s career, starting with the day he got called up in 2004. You might not remember which beloved Mariner got released to make room for big #33. You definitely don’t remember what happened in his first game, which was a disaster for the Mariners but memorable for Bucky, especially because of a pregame ritual that ticked off the second baseman.

44:00-55:55: What changes has Bucky noticed in baseball culture today compared to when he played? Which future Hall of Famer did Bucky describe as having a “dump truck ass” when they crossed paths in the Venezuelan winter ball? This leads to some talk about the Mariners’ current crop of prospects and how they might progress.

56:00-1:20:00: Time for trivia! We ask Bucky if he knows the only Mariner to hit more home runs than him in less than 180 plate appearances. Can he name every pitcher he homered off? Finally, we end with an Ichiro story.

Music: “What’s Golden” by Jurassic 5 // “Knuck If You Buck” by Crime Mob

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12. They Might Be Mariners: Taxi Squad Debate & Oakland's Shame May 27, 2020

Show notes

Kate, Joe, and John tackle MLB's most recent proposals for how teams might handle the shortened season, and how minor league baseball and prospects may be impacted. With a taxi squad proposal involving 30 active players and 20 taxi squad "reserves", teams will be digging into their prospect pools for big league action this year if games take place. What might that roster look like for the Mariners? And are there players who might be better or worse suited for such an arrangement?

We also discuss the news of the day, with the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim laying off and/or furloughing much of their scouting and player development groups. After this podcast was recording, the Athletics informed their minor leaguers they would cease paying them, but would not release them from their contracts, beginning June 1. We discuss how these circumstances may have lengthy ramifications for some teams, the AL West in particular, and how that will likely bleed into the MLB Draft as well.

Music: "Wrecking Ball" - Bruce Springsteen / "CHANCES" - KAYTRANADA

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Lookout Landing Podcast 114: "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Gabey Lucas May 21, 2020

Show notes

0:00-12:25: Gabey Lucas, a writer and editor for UW Dawg Pound and local comedian, joins the show to chat about the Mariners and all that surrounds this team. What has she been watching to fill the sports void? Korean baseball? Cornhole? Who’s been the biggest winner of quarantine? After exchanging pleasantries, Matthew and Gabey talk about SB Nation’s Dorktown documentary about the Mariners.

12:30-29:55: What are some of the similarities between the Mariners and UW football, or Seattle sports at large? It certainly doesn’t seem like a coincidence that a lot of the city’s sports history mirrors its dreary sensibility. As Mariner fans, the losing obviously hovers over a lot of our collective experience, but how often do you really think about the sustained failure? We also wonder how much sucking creates apathy in the players, as well as how Seattle’s personality as a city could be a turnoff for southern players.

30:00-45:35: Some Braden Bishop UW x Mariners crossover content! When will the Mariners have their next local kid make it with the big club? Why do we expect athletes to care about their job, and their employer, more than common folk?

45:40-1:08:00: How did Gabey get mixed up with the Mariners anyway? Which player’s name did Gabey utter as one of her first words? Who is her guy that wasn’t actually good at baseball? We end with a much-deserved appreciation of the changeup as a concept.

Music: “Solitude is Bliss” by Tame Impala // “Heart of Glass” by Blondie

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11. They Might Be Mariners: 2020 Mock Draft May 20, 2020

Show notes

It's mock draft day on TMBM, and we're so excited to bring you a heaping serving of 2020 prognostication. John, Kate, and Joe have divvied up all 30 teams and make their selections, serpentine style, to give a sense of who might go where, and who that might leave available for the Seattle Mariners at picks No. 6, 43, 64, and 78.

We go in order from No. 1 thru No. 43 on air, as well as including our selections at No. 64 and No. 78, but the full draft, with explanations, can be found in the episode article on Lookout Landing dot com. Whether you're a Mariners fan or not, let us know if you'd be happy with how things shake out!

Music: "Things Can Only Get Better" - Howard Jones / "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" - New Kids On The Block

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10. They Might Be Mariners: Reviewing Seattle's draft history - 2016-2019 May 12, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 113: Emily Nemens on her new book, The Cactus League May 07, 2020

Show notes

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

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9. They Might Be Mariners: Reviewing Seattle's draft history - 2013-2015 May 06, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 112: The Glue Guys Draft Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

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

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8. They Might Be Mariners: Jim Callis talks the MLB draft and the Mariners Farm Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

Kate and Joe are joined by MLB.com's Jim Callis to talk the MLB draft and the current state of the Mariners farm.

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