What do some of the most successful teams in any professional sport have in common? Their owners are actively involved and can be seen. For the Seattle Mariners, that is not the case. For whatever reason, Hiroshi Yamauchi has decided not to be involved with the MLB team he owns and instead employs two men to represent him (Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong). At what point of buying a professional franchise you just decide that you are not going to be involved?
If I had enough money lying around in a bank account to buy a big league team, I wouldn't just say, “eh”, and have someone else take over it. I would be out there everyday drinking beers with the fans who are giving me more money, and I would be taking batting practice with the team. Hiroshi totally reminds me of that one kid we all knew growing up who had every toy possible and when you went over, he was lame and boring because he didn't really want to play with any of them.
If I could choose someone to be the new owner of the Seattle Mariners, I would want someone like Mark Cuban. Even though he can come off as a pompous jerk, I love his passion for the team he owns. Sitting court side, yelling at bad calls, drinking beers, hanging with the pros, he has my dream job. I mean do I want to choose the Charlie Sheen of owners … maybe, but do I really want the Mariners offense of years past, (Nonexistent) owner? No way.
The ownership group has successfully created the ultimate illusion. You're going to Safeco Field for baseball right? To sit for nine innings and watch America’s pastime with friends and family? No. You are going for the unique cuisine and the garlic fries and to stand in the Pen and drink some beers to wash out the memories that you spent $60 to watch the M's get 8 hits strand 11 and score 1.
I am not saying that it’s all the owners’ fault that the Mariners have been on a twelve year playoff drought, or can’t hit with runners in scoring position. But when you are caring more about what is on the menu than on the field, or not even going to a game in the 21 years you have owned it, I think it is time to put the for sale sign, get a nice check, and let someone who is passionate about the game come in and try to turn around this franchise around.
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