Seattle Mariners Catcher Cal Raleigh Featured on Mookie Betts Podcast
The Seattle Mariners have 33 games left in the season. They're 4.5 games behind the Houston Astros for the top spot in the American League West and 6.5 games out of the third AL Wild Card spot.
There is a new manager in the dugout for the Mariners as the organization hired former catcher and team Hall of Famer Dan Wilson to replace nine-year skipper Scott Servais on Thursday. The M's won his debut, 6-5, on Friday night.
With all the attention paid to how the Mariners will perform with Wilson as the manager — one of Seattle's best players had a chance to chop it up with one of the games best players prior to the change being made.
Mariners catch Cal Raleigh was on former MVP and eight-time All Star Mookie Betts' "On Base" podcast that was released on Friday. The podcast was likely recorded in the three days prior as Raleigh and Seattle played Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers from Aug. 19-21.
Raleigh talked about several topics with Betts including whether he believes ghosts are real, crickets as a viable ballpark snack and more.
On Mookie Betts’ podcast, Seattle Mariners catcher, Cal Raleigh, said the house he was born in was haunted with friendly ghosts.
— EastCoastM’s🔱 (@EastCoastMs_) August 23, 2024
Mariners fans, do you believe in ghosts?👻 pic.twitter.com/JwiyBpvLkP
He also talked with Betts about breaking the 21-year playoff drought in 2022. Raleigh hit the walk off home run to send Seattle to the postseason.
"It was unbelievable," Raleigh said on the podcast. "Yeah, 20 years since Seattle has been to a playoff and we got down to the last week or so. It was looking pretty good and obviously (I) hit that clinch home run to put us in the playoffs. And that was probably the coolest moment of my life. I don't know if I'll ever top that. But it was amazing. You hear stories from former players, you talk to guys. (They tell you) 'Hey, there's no better feeling than being in the playoffs.'"
Betts and Raleigh also talked about a unique bond they both shared through Cal Raleigh's father, Todd Raleigh.
Todd Raleigh was the head baseball coach at Tennessee and recruited Betts to play for the Volunteers. Betts ended up signing with Boston Red Sox out of high school after being drafted by them.
Betts played a game in Seattle and saw Cal Raleigh's name on the lineup card and made the connection between the Mariners catcher and the coach that recruited him.
"I had no idea (if you) were his kid or not. We didn't really get to know each other that well, me and your dad," Betts said while talking to Cal Raleigh. " ... Then I think I asked you during the game. ... And then I remember going up before the game the next day, I was like 'Man, make sure you tell your day I said 'Hey'' before I stepped in the box. And I thought that was the coolest thing in the world his kid is here."
Betts and Cal Raleigh talked about a variety of other topics on the podcast. The full episode can be listened to here.
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