Lookout Landing

John, Kate, & Matthew are in awe of the size of these leads. With a soon-to-be 10-2 ballclub and a Rainiers game in the background, we attempt to find words for what has been one of the most surprising starts in Mariners history. 0 - 6:00: In honor of the Mariners' bold decision to be the best team in baseball, Kate mixes up a famous Atlanta musical group with a tasty Latin breakfast dish, we discuss the film Free Solo, which Matthew recently enjoyed, and the naturally tall John deems horror content. 6:00 - 16:20: We marvel at... **gestures in all directions**. Seriously, y'all. Kate accepts the glory of dingers into her heart and we discuss the many changes we've seen in approaches that have helped the M's take the league by storm in the early going. Kate and Matthew generate the highly scientific Eeyore-to-Tigger scale to track Ryon Healy's offensive mindset. 16:20 - 24:00: So... are they for real? And is the word "playoffs" something we should consider? We chuckle at the mess that the rest of the American

Kate, John, and Matthew get together to talk about a surprising first week in Mariners baseball and award the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly to the season so far. 0 - 13:00: Because this is a Mariners podcast, we start with the Ugly, which, as John rather ominously intones, “comes out at night.” Dylan Moore’s adventures in the infield are gone over and judged to be significantly worse than the 1987 classic film Adventures in Babysitting. But this is not Dylan Moore’s Ugly to wear alone: in true esprit d’corps, the whole team has come together to record some truly eye-bleeding errors.  13:00 - 23:00: On to the Bad, which is pretty clearly the Bullpen of Terror, but not in the good way you want a bullpen to be terror. Kate proposes there’s a Quantum Leap/Freaky Friday scenario going on with Cory Gearrin. The crew ponders the question: “which reliever most terrifies you when their name comes up on the Dial-a-Reliever?” Kate and John debate the merits of Texas’s development system and if there’s maybe something to

0 - 7:00: Kate and John have a brief power struggle over who gets to intro the podcast. Matthew only cares about the G&G offered at the ballpark this year, which is gin and grape Kool-Aid, for those of you not familiar. Kate isn’t happy with the exhibition games at T-Mobile feeling like they short-circuited Opening Day, and Matthew proposes a new location for exhibition games. John comes up with a plan to lay turf on an aircraft carrier to make an exhibition game, which Kate sees as an opportunity to dispose of one of her least-favorite players. 7:00 - 14:00: Japan Series talk! The trio ponders how the Angels got to swipe left on having to go to Japan, and discuss how the team we saw in Japan might be emblematic of the Mariners team we watch this season. 14:00 - 20:00: Having recently returned from two disappointing exhibition games, Kate asks if there’s anything to be concerned about in the Mariners’ anemic offensive performance. Matthew puts on his scientist lab coat and points out the effects of jet lag,

2:00 – Ice cream, nachos, and St. Patrick’s Day: a devil’s playground. 5:00 – The weirdness of the Tokyo games seem fitting for this Mariners’ season. 9:20 – What are the logistics of watching a baseball game in the middle of the night? 11:25 – What can Major League Baseball learn from Japanese baseball? 23:30 – Pay the minor leaguers, please and thank you. 26:00 – Kate reports back from her time watching the Mariners at Spring Training. Tidbits include Dylan Moore’s slim waist, the best way to say Brandon Brennan’s name, David McKay’s lowered arm slot, Matt Festa and Braden Bishop’s newfound confidence, and the Julio & Jarred Show. 40:30 – John comps Shed Long to a certain bat-waggling slugger from the 90s. The podcast trio comes to an agreement about Long’s defensive plan. 44:00 – I can comfortably guarantee that this is the only Mariners’ podcast that also mentions Johnny Gaudreau and Nate Robinson. This body-positive episode continues with an appreciation for Noelvi Marte’s massive hands, and the w

1:30 – We discuss 2 Chainz’ new album and how rich people hate paying taxes. 4:40 – The Mariners’ commercials are here. Which one is the best? Which one is the worst? How long has Wade LeBlanc been hiding his comedic talents? Will Kyle Seager host SNL this year or next year? 16:40 – The overwhelming weirdness of the Mitch Haniger commercial, and a breakdown of its mechanics. 20:30 – Three guys with no television production experience try to punch up the Hanimal ad. 24:30 – Let. Dee. Cook. 31:05 – A natural pivot to a real conversation about baseball, which was ostensibly the point of this conversation in the first place. Jordan matches our excitement about the Mariners’ rugrats. 34:50 – Pleasant surprises from Cactus League action. Jordan reveals himself to be a Shed Long hipster. 43:00 – Remarking about the National League’s revival as an ex-Mariner circuit. 45:05 – Which Mariner on a new team will make you the saddest? 52:35 – Carl Pavano stans, please show yourself. 57:25 – The obligatory Julio R

1:55 – The podcast begins with some troubling news about Shed Long’s nutrition habits, some praises for Capri Sun and Sunny D, and John introduces us to the horrors of Buzz Ballz. For more information on Buzz Ballz, please click this link. 9:20 – Someone needs to teach Brandon Nimmo how to cook. Matthew hopes it’s Action Bronson. 12:00 – We get back on track by transitioning into the Mariners’ relief pitchers, who are the subject of this week’s episode. 17:30 – Can I interest you in a Cory Gearrin or a Zac Rosscup? 20:00 – Gerson (pronounced Hair-sen) Bautista could occupy either end of the reliever effectiveness spectrum. 25:20 – A riveting discussion of Dan Altavilla’s nutmeg slider and the origin of that term. 31:00 – Get well soon, Tui, and get here soon, prospects. 41:30 – Bullpens are very weird, as demonstrated by last year’s Houston Astros. Remember when Ken Giles punched himself in the face? We remember. 44:30 – Picking some possible entrance songs for the Mariners’ 2019 relief pitchers. 56:

2:00 – We start with a Manny Machado discussion, as the very rich infielder got even very-richer this week after signing with the Padres. 9:00 – A brief rundown of the National League, which is now rife with intrigue and fun players. 13:50 – We decide to actually talk about the Seattle Mariners! This week’s podcast is focused on the organization’s starting pitching. 15:35 – The Wade LeBlanc-Joe Ingles crossover content you didn’t know you needed. We also debate the utility of oatmeal and Kate accuses Matthew and John of gaslighting her. 18:50 – What to watch for in Marco Gonzales’ 2019 starts. 27:30 – What is Kikuchi’s ceiling in Major League Baseball? 30:05 – Matthew frames the Mariners as a wistful college student searching for their true identity. 37:00 – We eulogize Félix Hernández’s run as a dominant pitcher. What will this year bring from the King? 45:45 – What are we supposed to do with Mike Leake? John sees a fit in a certain coastal city. How much can Leake avoid human interaction this season

John, Kate, and Matthew preview the Mariners outfield, take listener questions, and deliver some opinions on snow you won't find anywhere else. 0:00 - 10:00: Y'all this snow, though. Kate debates which of her cats to eat for sustenance, Matthew describes a bad pond to sled by. 10:00 - 17:30: The gang discusses the outfielders that we used to know, lamenting the departures of Guillermo Heredia and Denard Span, who we did adore, and Ben Gamel, who did actually hit well. We also wax poetic on the numerous NL teams we're enthused about. 17:30 - 40:00: These outfielders! John outlines the future of Mitch Haniger. Domingo Santana earns heavy praise and enthusiasm for his gigantic arms and even bigger dingers. We wonder about the many center fielders in the system and targetedly do not discuss Jay Bruce. 40:00 - Finish: Questions! We attempt to matchmake new love and new fits for those who miss old players. Matthew roasts Taylor Motter and we can't finish with anything better than that Learn more about your ad c

0:45: We talk about surviving #Snowmageddon, and Kate brags about Philadelphia's snow protocol. 2:39: Matthew breaks down the concept of this podcast series, examining every position group on the Mariners. Matthew would like you to know that this idea was his. 4:15: A brief destruction of Howard Schultz's presidental run and a ringing endorsement for Gary Payton. 6:15: We begin our trip around the infield by examining the first base position, and then try to enter Jerry Dipoto's mind. 10:00: Everyone's rooting for you, RyOn. 13:00: Who do you trust more with a first-base glove, EE or Vogey? 20:11: Tim Beckham, utility guy? and the the value of positional versatility.  24:50: Kyle Seager: bounce back candidate? Kate says no, but mentions blast motion data. John bemoans Kyle's inability to beat shifts and the Mariners' third base prospects. 35:33: Kate drags the White Sox' dirty laundry across town. Matthew debuts a terrible Hawk Harrelson impression. 38:27: John questions the validity of salisbury ste

We are back, baby, after a long hiatus caused by the deadly trifecta of the holidays, Hall of Fame craziness, and Kate forgetting that it was her turn to edit the podcast. But Kate, John, and Matthew are back, with a Frankenstein pod stitched together from bits of the forgotten pod and this newer version [ummm the podcast was actually the doctor?]. 0 - 30:00: Intro and apologia and EDGAR MARTINEZ IS OFFICIALLY A HALL OF FAMER. We make some sounds! Kate waxes long (very long) about her love of Edgar Martinez and community service, and wonders why not all baseball players don’t follow Edgar’s advice to just hit the ball where it is. Matthew describes the creamy skin of Alex Rodriguez, for some reason. John’s mic makes a weird popping noise at one point, sorry about it. Also Kate accidentally refers to Albert Pujols’s career in the past tense, and she is very sorry about it. 30:00 - 50:00: Media Day rundown. Kate recaps the highlights and summarizes the major takeaways from the day, as observed by someone sitt

This week Kate and John are joined by staff writer Matthew Roberson, who—shameless plug alert!—tells jokes in a stand-up capacity, and will tell them in your general direction if you are so inclined. Just tweet him (@mroberson22) if you’re interested in hearing some jokes. 0:00 - 6:00: For some reason we spend a lot of time talking about the Utah Jazz, and invent a player named Arvin Harmonica, including giving him player characteristics and a nickname. Sweet cross-stitched croissants, we need pro basketball back in Seattle. We also talk some baseball because apparently this is a baseball podcast, starting with the Jean Segura trade. We remark upon the fact that the entire back end of the 2018 Mariners bullpen is exploded with fire, and try to make the best of it. John is looking forward to seeing promising young arm Joey Gerber rocket through the system; Kate is excited to see Matt Festa and his high socks throw a bunch of relief innings and crossing her fingers Art Warren doesn’t get snatched up in the Rul

John Trupin and Kate Preusser convene to discuss the many major deals going down in Mariners land. Of note, the rumored deal of Robinson Canó and Edwin Díaz to the New york Mets for OF Jarred Kelenic, RHP Justin Dunn, and RHP Gerson Bautista leads to hand-wringing over other people's checkbooks and prospect envy.   0:00 - 10:00: Kate and John outline the major news of the moment and compare Jerry Dipoto and Brodie Van Wagenen to a pair of Raki drinking competitors. How did we get here? Who is being traded? Why is this weird trade not going to change but somehow still has yet to happened? 10:00 - 49:00: We get into the implications of the deal, and go deep with the prospects returned in the proposed deal with the Mets. Kate chastises John for pronouncing Kelenic similarly to "colonic", John shoots back by insisting Waukesha cannot be pronounced "Wah-keesha" a la Keisha Phillips. Where do prospects like this put Seattle's system, and what does this mean exactly for 2019's roster? (It's gonna be rough, y'all)

After a long hiatus, we back baby! John is busy with other things this week so Kate is joined by staff writer Matthew Roberson to go over all the news...and boy, is there a lot of news. 0 - 13:00: After wasting as much time as possible talking about gyms, Kate and Matthew dive right into the major news of the Mariners’ off-season: Dr. Lorena Martin’s accusations of racism and sexism against the Mariners. Kate explores her feelings of betrayal and sadness regarding the situation, Matthew points out that no one will come out of this situation looking good, and both come down firmly on the side that the proper amount of racism to be in order to keep one’s job is “none.” 13:00 - 20:00: New stadium naming rights for the pending T-Mobile Park. Matthew pre-emptively cancels all “bad Servais” jokes and offers to workshop new ones, and converts Kate to accepting an all-magenta park might not be so bad. 20:00 - 44:00: Trades-a-palooza. Kate examines the wisdom of trading one of the best defensive catchers in baseball

Driveline Baseball’s founder Kyle Boddy has been described, kindly, as an industry disruptor, a visionary, an innovator; and less kindly, as abrasive, off-putting, egocentric and dickish. Appropriately, this week’s podcast jumps right into conversation with Boddy describing his setup at Driveline—no music or soft lead-in. Over the course of the conversation, and building off Levi Weaver’s excellent series of articles on Boddy in the Athletic, Boddy reveals himself as a polymath who’s been, in turns, a mathematician, philosopher, economist, classically trained pianist, scientist, entrepreneur, professional poker player, Magic the Gathering enthusiast, Little League coach, and Warped Tour bassist. He also presents himself as a more mellowed-out version of his earlier, swaggering online presence, an objective scientist who lets data win out over ego. More than anything, Boddy is a visionary who uses data in all its forms to create a holistic model for building a better baseball player. The conversation flows qu

With Kate on the DL (aka partying too hard), John Trupin calls on staff writers Grant Bronsdon and Zach Gottschalk for an all Garfield High School episode. Let's get angsty. 0-2:30 - Introductions, and the confession that we are all using #OneMic. 2:30-19:00 - A recap of the Mariners' recent escapades. Do we trust any relievers? Does a 6-4 road trip feel okay? It's the first off day after 20 straight games! Where should Canó play? Does Zach hate NUMBERS? 19:00-1:05:48 - Questions! How would a pitching staff of exclusively Edwin's Díaz fare? Which NBA player once pulled Grant's shirt over his head mid-crossover in a game of 3-on-3? Is Willy Wonka Bad? Does getting scowled at by a sitting Senator hinder John's political aspirations? Can any Mariners learn to walk?  Music: Youth - Glass Animals, Family (feat. Vic Mensa) [Blended Babies Remix] - Chance the Rapper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Kate and John are joined by staff writer Matthew Robeson to talk the current state of the team, the slumping offense, and a bunch of other nonsense because talking about the team isn’t super-fun right now. 0 - 12:00: Matthew and John offer a preview of their TED talk, How to Watch Mariners Baseball: a Primer. Matthew is outraged the team rosters both Nick Vincent and Zach Vincej, although for how much longer, who knows. The current state of the offense is discussed, and the word “brutal” is used a fair amount of times. Matthew is forced to revisit the long interview he just wrote up with prospect Bryson Brigman, traded for Cameron Maybin the day the article was set to publish. 12:00 - 24:00: Discussing Maybin and the trade deadline. Matthew invokes the name of Austin Jackson and some heavy magical thinking. John raises the question of what the Mariners’ best-ever trade deadline acquisition was, and Matthew makes a good argument that it might be Denard Span. Kate tries to delineate between loyalty

0 - 5:00: Whining about the heat because we are Seattle Wimps and some general weekend catching-up. Eric talks about a beer festival he was at over the weekend and gives Kate a severe case of FOMO. Is it FOMO? Suprisingly, this is not the first time our over-30 podcast duo will fail to nail a moment in the cultural zeitgeist. 5:00-15:00: Bemoaning the lack of offense against the White Sox and establishing which threat level we are at for the current state of the offense: higher or lower than the nation’s airports? Kate wonders who the hero will be who’s finally able to drive in Dee after he triples. Some general pooh-poohing of visiting fans flooding into Safeco is done because tickets for the Maple Grove are currently going for forty bucks, which is ridiculous. Kate tells a story about being annoyed by Giants Tech Startup Bro Fans at Spring Training this year, and Eric mentions Paul Konerko, because he’s apparently on some kind of rewards program. 15:00-22:00: Breaking down the offensive struggles a little

0 - 10:00: Apologia, the pain of moving, Kate provides a map to (Mariners) stars homes, and John gently reminds everyone this is a baseball podcast. 10:00-24:00: Winning the games you’re supposed to win, the run differential, and how the Mariners are good conservationists. Marveling over the Mariners and Competent Baseball. Kate invents a stat called RUET [“Are you even trying?”]. John casually obliterates the Astros. 24:00 - 50:00 Previewing the upcoming 12 game/2-team series. Are the Angels broken beyond repair? What’s wrong with Colorado’s offense, and will they give us Jon Gray if we ask really nicely? Also Kate and John play everyone’s favorite new game: Where in the World is Roenis Elías? 50:00 - end: Questions! Music: Good Vibrations (the Beach Boys); Rocky Mountain High (John Denver); Going Back to Cali (the Notorious B.I.G.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kate, John, and Isabelle convene this week to talk about the Mariners’ recent hot stretch, including a split against the Astros, a series win against the Rays, and a sweep of the Angels at home. They preview the upcoming road trip, and answer some listener questions, which involves Kate doing a bad trumpet impression. 0 - 12:00: General discussion of the recent winning streak and the streaky players who have made that streak possible. One run magic forever. John mistakingly believers “shindig” is synonymous with “skulduggery.” Isabelle rejoices over the team not falling on its face in a high-profile situation at home 12:00-20:00: Glorying in the sweep over the hated Angels. Isabelle introduces the idea of “player sequencing.” Hand-waving about team chemistry is indulged in by all. 20:00-33:00: Reviewing why winning the off-season isn’t everything and reflecting on the Mariners’ reluctance to commit to a starting pitcher this off-season. The gifts a strong bullpen can give. Erik Goeddel’s name is invoked wi

After weeks of complaints pertaining to audio quality, we've decided to lean into the struggle - John, Isabelle, and Zach G. take the show on the road and record the first ever in-house episode of the Lookout Landing Podcast live from Safeco Field. Discussed are... Marc Rzepczynski's need to depart the roster (which he now has), Félix Hernández's struggles and the hopes of salvation (not imminent), and the miracle that is Wade LeBlanc. Despite the best efforts of multiple Safeco Field ushers, we managed to handle a wonderful wave of questions, including Mariners' church choir bona fides, our biggest breakout surprises, how Dee Gordon is all that is right with baseball, and much more, if you can hear it over the in-house PA system of Safeco Field. Let us know if you'd like us to do this again on Twitter, or if you're interested in something like this. Alternatively, if the auditory experience was absolutely appalling, well, Kate should be back soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/