Tag: Seattle Mariners

Seahawks fan Joel McHale to participate in MLB Celebrity All-Star game

Summer 2023 is the summer of baseball in Seattle.

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Summer 2023 is the summer of baseball in Seattle. For the first time since 2001, the MLB All-Star festivities are returning to the Emerald City. One event during this week will be the annual Celebrity Softball Game, and on the roster is Seattle’s own Joel McHale.

McHale was raised on Mercer Island and was even a member of the University of Washington’s 1992-93 Rose Bowl team. He is one of the more notable and popular celebrities from the Seattle area, and is a die hard Seahawks fan. He even raised the 12th Man Flag in a 2015 home game against the then-St. Louis Rams.

McHale joins former Mariners legends Felix Hernandez, Mike Cameron, and Bret Boone.

Curiously, these seem to be the only Seattle representation in the game. There are other notable Seattle “royalty” such as Sue Bird, Chris Pratt, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Rainn Wilson to name a few. Perhaps we’ll see more announced as we get closer to All-Star Week.

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Why did Gerrit Cole wag his finger at the Mariners? Video breaks down saga involving Jose Caballero and Scott Servais

Here’s the whole saga that led to the Gerrit Cole finger wag.

Why did Gerrit Cole wag his finger at the Seattle Mariners dugout on Monday night, you ask?

The answer is: It’s a whole saga.

The New York Yankees pitcher was seen pulling a Dikembe Mutombo at the Mariners on Tuesday night, and thanks to Jomboy, we have a breakdown of the sequence that led up to it.

It started with the Mariners’ Jose Caballero, who called time right as Cole was getting set to pitch in the fifth inning. That irked Cole, who threw heat during the at-bat. More antics, and Caballero got a lucky broken-bat hit off him.

Another at-bat in the seventh and Caballero took another time out. Cole overthrew a ball way over the hitter’s head. Eventually, he struck Caballero out … and wagged his finger.

Why? Turns out, as Cole explained, Mariners manager Servais was wagging his finger.

Here’s the full breakdown, but: WARNING: Some NSFW language is in here:

MLB fans had their hearts melted by a Rangers fan’s pride for his son catching an upper-deck HR

Precious moments like these are what baseball’s all about.

Sometimes, when we focus on the wins, losses, batting average, and general on-field product, we can forget the real magic of baseball. Because, in the end, it’s just a game, and it’s about sharing the said game with the ones you love more than anything.

One Texas Rangers fan embodied this sentiment perfectly with his son on Saturday night.

While Texas proceeded to pound the Seattle Mariners in a 16-6 win, Mitch Garver launched an absolute bomb into the upper deck at Arlington. For most people — you know, non-professional athletes — it’d probably be a very challenging catch to make.

But, in a video from Bally Sports Southwest, a sure-handed young man somehow one-handed the ball with his glove. His dad beside him was so proud that he immediately hugged his son and lifted him with joy. It’s one of those baseball moments that will have you asking if someone is cutting onions nearby:

Okay, no, but seriously: Is someone cutting onions? Has anyone dusted their furniture off recently? What a wonderful clip of what sports — let alone just baseball — are supposed to offer us.

Top 10 Notre Dame baseball players according to ChatGPT

How many of these players do you recognize?

So Notre Dame will not make the College World Series for a second straight season. In fact, it didn’t make the NCAA Tournament at all. So what are Irish fans left to do? Look into the past, of course.

Not long ago, we took the liberty of asking ChatGPT, the AI information bot that supposedly is threatening to put all of us writers out of work, its opinion on Notre Dame athletic history. Specifically, we asked it to rank what it believed were the top 10 Notre Dame football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball players. Now, we’re bringing it back to seek its opinion about Irish baseball players.

Keep in mind that ChatGPT gives this disclaimer:

“As an AI, I don’t have access to real-time information or the ability to provide subjective opinions. However, I can tell you about some notable baseball players who have had successful careers at the University of Notre Dame. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive and does not rank them in any particular order.”

There’s also this:

“Please note that this is not an exhaustive or ranked list, and there have been many other talented baseball players who have represented the University of Notre Dame.”

So with all of that said, let’s see who ChatGPT came up with. Please note that some of these have been edited to remove inaccurate or outdated information:

Kraken upset Avalanche, Seattle sports continues to dominate Denver

The Seattle/Denver rivalry is more than a little one-sided right now

On Sunday night one of the biggest upsets in the NHL happened in the Mile High City of Denver. The Seattle Kraken, in their second year of existence, knocked off the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche on their home ice. As heavy underdogs, the Kraken were widely expected to be dealt with in short order by Colorado. Instead, the Avalanche were pushed to 7 games and lost to Seattle.

This continues a recent trend in sports where the Emerald City continues to absolutely dominate Denver in all sports. Of course, the first and biggest example has to be the Seattle Seahawks’ complete annihilation of Peyton Manning’s record-setting Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. The greatest single season offense in NFL history was held to eight measly points after three full quarters in a 43-8 embarrassment.

Next up is the entirety of the Russell Wilson trade. Seattle traded their franchise quarterback to Denver and despite early positive buzz for the Broncos, it quickly unraveled into one of the most lopsided trades ever. The Seahawks upset Denver on Monday Night Football in Wilson’s return to Seattle 17-16, and it was all downhill from there. The Broncos had one of the most abysmal seasons in franchise history, while the Seahawks returned to the playoffs.

With the 2023 NFL draft complete, the final details of the Russell Wilson trade are finally wrapped up. When looking at the full list, Seattle got quite a haul.

Not to be outdone by the Seahawks and Kraken, the Mariners got in on the action as well. Earlier this season, the M’s swept the Colorado Rockies in a three game series in Seattle.

I think it’s safe to say the fans in Denver will be happy to have a few months without facing Seattle teams.

Travis Kelce whiffed a first pitch at a Guardians game, and Patrick Mahomes roasted him for it

Travis Kelce: a great football player, not an amazing pitcher.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce might want to stick to his day job.

The NFL star has plenty to offer on the gridiron. However, an errant first pitch at the Cleveland Guardians’ Friday afternoon tilt against the Seattle Mariners didn’t inspire much confidence in a baseball career.

Kelce hilariously skipped the ball wide left of the catcher as the announcer and crowd god a really good laugh out of Kelce’s first pitch.

Of course, very, very few people are ever good at first pitches, so Kelce certainly joins good company on his failed attempt to reach the catcher.

Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber was there to give Kelce a big hug after he threw the pitch from the plate.

The Westlake, Ohio, native may play professional football in Kansas City, but he clearly still has love for his home state. Ohio proudly claims Kelce, but they may not want him joining the Guardians anytime soon.

Kelce’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a former baseball standout, clearly enjoyed watching his pal whiff the pitch.

As for Kelce, he took the wayward first pitch in plenty of stride. After all, this is all just for fun.

Mariners fans tried to rattle the Guardians by loudly counting down the pitch clock

Another way the pitch clock is helping baseball.

We’re just a few days into the MLB season, and with the new rules, we’re going to see a totally different style of baseball for 2023 and beyond.

That could also bring a new element to the atmosphere at MLB ballparks. We at least heard that play out in Seattle on Saturday.

Obviously, the pitch clock is the huge change for this season. Gone are the days of pitchers taking a minute between pitches, and the actual clock in the stadiums gives fans something to focus on as a way of throwing an opposing pitcher off his rhythm — or at least trying to.

Guardians pitcher James Karinchak had a rough outing in Thursday’s Opening Day, and the crowd played a part in that. So, when the Guardians reliever was back for an appearance on Saturday, Mariners fans tried once again to rattle Karinchak.

They counted down the pitch clock in an attempt to shake Karinchak’s focus. It was baseball’s answer to Giannis Antetokounmpo at the free-throw line in an away game.

Now, it would have been especially great if the Mariners fans had a fake count going — like what you sometimes see in college basketball — but if the clock gets fans more engaged with the action, that’s just an added bonus to the new rules.

Fans on Twitter also had thoughts on the Mariners’ countdown.

Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch throws out first pitch at Mariners opener

Lynch was joined by Seattle royalty for opening day

It is an exciting time for Seattle sports fans. The Seahawks are making waves, the Kraken are firmly in the playoff picture, and of course… the Mariners are officially back. Following their first playoff appearance in 21 years, the Mariners are entering rare territory: a team with buzz and legitimate expectations.

The Emerald City has Mariners fever right now, and on Thursday night, the ballclub rolled out the T-Mobile pink carpet for some serious star power to treat the Seattle faithful on opening night.

To throw out the ceremonial first pitch, the Mariners had former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, but he wasn’t alone. Joining him was Gary Payton, Kasey Keller, Jewell Lloyd, and of course… the kid himself, Ken Griffey Jr.

Of course, in typical Lynch fashion, nothing is ever “by the books” with him. His pitch went a little wild, but fortunately All Star first baseman Ty France was there to take care of it.

France was there to bail out Lynch, and the Mariners themselves, as his three-run home run in the 8th was the difference in the game. Seattle won 3-0 and started the season off on the right foot.

Ball 4? No, foul tip! Umps totally missed an unreviewable call that led to Mariners win

Umps whiffed on this one.

It wasn’t a great Opening Day for James Karinchak and the Cleveland Guardians.

Let’s go to the eighth inning. It was a 0-0 game with the Seattle Mariners up to bat. Karinchak was on the mound and faced J.P. Crawford on a 3-2 count. Crawford appeared to take a pitch for ball four while checking his swing and was awarded first base.

But replay showed he actually foul-tipped it. It should have been right back to a 3-2 count and Crawford at the plate. Instead, he walked to first. Then, things unraveled: Kolten Wong got hit by a pitch … and Ty France blasted a home run. And apparently it wasn’t reviewable by replay.

What’s more: Karinchak committed a pitch-clock violation in the middle of Crawford’s at-bat. Not great!