Seattle Mariners Manager Talks About the Impact of Sunday Night Baseball in Seattle
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners were already heavily anticipating their ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game against the New York Mets.
The game became a lot more interesting a few hours before first pitch when it was announced that franchise star Julio Rodriguez would be activated off the injured list and slotted in the lineup as a designated hitter.
Many Mariners fans were already looking forward to the game before the Rodriguez news was announced. After all — it's been rare for the Sunday Night Baseball crew to roll through Seattle.
The last time the Mariners hosted Sunday Night Baseball was June 6, 2004. Seattle won a dramatic game against the Chicago White Sox with a ninth-inning rally.
Mariners manager Scott Servais spoke in a pregame interview Sunday about the meaning and potential impact of hosting Sunday Night Baseball.
"I think it's great," Servais said. "Obviously you need to do well and be in a good position — which we are. We've had a good year. But we have a lot of big games ahead of us. We're a team, I think, that's fun to watch. And not many people outside the Pacific Northwest get to see us much but we've got some star power. We got an awesome pitching staff, it's a great ballpark with a really solid fanbase. It should be here more often — it shouldn't 20-something years since they've been back, but you got to earn it. The best teams play on Sunday Night Baseball."
T-Mobile Park and Seattle as a whole has seen a lot of national attention in the last couple years.
The Mariners broke their 21-year playoff drought in 2022 and have been in the thick of the playoff race for at least most of the season since 2021. T-Mobile Park hosted the All-Star Game in 2023 and the 2024 NHL Winter Classic.
More and more fans and organizations are starting to recognize Seattle as nationally relevant — both as a franchise as a city.
Servais said it best — the best teams play on Sunday Night Baseball. And the more the Mariners perform, the more likely fans will see the ESPN come through the PNW in the future.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
MARINERS WIN SERIES AGAINST METS: The Seattle Mariners shut out the New York Mets with a 4-0 win on Saturday and secured a series win in the process. CLICK HERE
RODRIGUEZ ACTIVATED FROM INJURED LIST: The Seattle Mariners activated outfielder Julio Rodriguez and optioned infielder Ryan Bliss to Triple-A Tacoma in a a corresponding move ahead of their Sunday Night Baseball clash against the New York Mets on Sunday. CLICK HERE
THROWBACK TO LAST TIME SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL WAS IN SEATTLE: The Seattle Mariners put together a dramatic ninth-inning rally against the Chicago White Sox the last time T-Mobile Park (Then Safeco Field) hosted Sunday Night Baseball. CLICK HERE
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