Lookout Landing: for Seattle Mariners fans

Latest Episodes:

2. They Might Be Mariners: 2020 Top Prospects - Part Two Mar 20, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Lookout Landing Podcast 106: Please welcome Michael Ajeto! Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 105: "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Joe Veyera Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

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

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1. They Might Be Mariners: 2020 Top Prospects - Part One Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 104: Spring Training Tips and "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Eric Sanford Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 103: Spring Training is really, finally, here Feb 20, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 102: "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Tomo Nakayama Feb 14, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 101: Who are these guys? Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 100: We're not talking about baseball! Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

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

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Lookout Landing Podcast 99: "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Jeva Lange Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

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

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