Gross
In the second grade my dad took me to my first Mariners game. It was in the Kingdome against the Blue Jays and I really had no interest in going. We got there after the game started and got to our seats to the right of the press box. At some point during the game a foul ball came up to us (hit by backup catcher Matt Sinatro). A guy near us caught it and handed me the ball. I was hooked.
That was my entry into sports. I loved the Mariners and couldn't get enough of them. Fast forward to today. Last season was a huge disappointment; blowing another lead to some historic A's team is old hat. Thankfully we are going on a plan to tear things down and rebuild in a way that might actually get us competitive in a few years (I'm all aboard this plan FWIW – it's the only way we're going to ever compete for a World Series).
But last week a story came out that is just gross. I feel gross in wanting to cheer them on to win it all.
For about a year, the Mariners employed Dr. Lorena Martin. She came to a new role with the team as a "high performance trainer". She was let go from the team last month and is now saying that GM Jerry Dipoto, Manager Scott Servais, and Farm Director Andy McKay demonstrated clear racist tendencies, especially against Latin players. I don't know if her claims are true or not; the Mariners have fervently denied all the claims.
A lot of the stories she recounts seem to be personal meetings without third parties to back them up. So we seem left in a he-said, she-said position with no real insight of what to think. If it's true, Dipoto, Servais, and McKay need to go. Full stop. I don't want them leading the Mariners, and I don't want to cheer for a team they lead. But if it's not true then Dr. Martin should say so immediately.
As a fan I don't know what to think. I just want the truth to come out. And to root on my Mariners. One day they will win the World Series and I want to feel good about cheering them on to it.
In the second grade my dad took me to my first Mariners game. It was in the Kingdome against the Blue Jays and I really had no interest in going. We got there after the game started and got to our seats to the right of the press box. At some point during the game a foul ball came up to us (hit by backup catcher Matt Sinatro). A guy near us caught it and handed me the ball. I was hooked.
That was my entry into sports. I loved the Mariners and couldn't get enough of them. Fast forward to today. Last season was a huge disappointment; blowing another lead to some historic A's team is old hat. Thankfully we are going on a plan to tear things down and rebuild in a way that might actually get us competitive in a few years (I'm all aboard this plan FWIW – it's the only way we're going to ever compete for a World Series).
But last week a story came out that is just gross. I feel gross in wanting to cheer them on to win it all.
For about a year, the Mariners employed Dr. Lorena Martin. She came to a new role with the team as a "high performance trainer". She was let go from the team last month and is now saying that GM Jerry Dipoto, Manager Scott Servais, and Farm Director Andy McKay demonstrated clear racist tendencies, especially against Latin players. I don't know if her claims are true or not; the Mariners have fervently denied all the claims.
A lot of the stories she recounts seem to be personal meetings without third parties to back them up. So we seem left in a he-said, she-said position with no real insight of what to think. If it's true, Dipoto, Servais, and McKay need to go. Full stop. I don't want them leading the Mariners, and I don't want to cheer for a team they lead. But if it's not true then Dr. Martin should say so immediately.
As a fan I don't know what to think. I just want the truth to come out. And to root on my Mariners. One day they will win the World Series and I want to feel good about cheering them on to it.