Randy Arozarena Officially Has His Seattle Mariners Moment
SEATTLE — When the Seattle Mariners traded for former American League Championship Series MVP Randy Arozarena on July 26, many fans were looking forward to the trademark moments that made him such a fan-favorite with the Tampa Bay Rays.
This is the same player that had an entire section of the left field stands named "Randy Land" after him because of how much Rays fans loved him.
It took a month and a half, but Seattle fans finally have their Arozarena moment. Or maybe Arozarena has finally had his Mariners moment. No matter which lens one chooses to look at it through, it happened.
Arozarena hit a walk-off RBI single with the bases loaded to lead Seattle to a 5-4 win against the Texas Rangers on Saturday.
Randy said it's Aroza-over! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/YQx0E3oLUv
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 15, 2024
After Arozarena's game-winning single, Arozarena ran to face the crowd and hit his trademark arms-folded pose. The Mariners official "X" account tweeted out a video of Arozarena striking the pose with a caption stating simply and emphatically:
"Randy. Is. That. Dude."
Randy. Is. That. Dude. pic.twitter.com/nOhImynG3Y
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 15, 2024
It was Arozarena's fourth career walk-off, per Mariners PR. It was his first since another RBI single against Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 12, 2023.
Arozarena was fond of Tampa Bay and famously watched a game with fans in the "Randy Land" section at Tropicana Field before joining Seattle. He also reportedly had gone to the Rays' clubhouse when they visited T-Mobile Park from Aug. 26-28 to talk with his old teammates.
But Mariners fans, players and the organization as a whole have done their best to make Arozarena feel welcome and a part of the club since acquiring him — something that Arozarena talked about after Saturday's game.
"The team has done a really good job, especially the players and the coaches, as well, of making me feel comfortable," Arozarena said in a postgame interview via a translator on Saturday. "They're really setting the team for success and myself, as well. Hoping we (qualify) for the next step, as well. It's really just a big family environment with the clubhouse."
It's easy to assume that "the next step" Arozarena is talking about is the playoffs.
And if Seattle and Arozarena can continue to push through the final 13 games of the season, then there will be a chance October is in the Pacific Northwest ball club's future.
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