Seattle, WA

Alarm sounds — in every sense — for Mariners

Published

3 years ago

June 19, 2022

Alarm sounds — in every sense — for Mariners

SEATTLE — In a metaphorically merciless second, an alarm started wailing all through T-Cellular Park throughout the sixth inning of the Mariners’ matinee on Sunday. Play halted for roughly 5 minutes because the followers available have been requested to stay of their seats.

A sprinkler in a concession stand triggered the commotion, but it was unimaginable to not acknowledge the parallel between the shrieking noise in the course of the Mariners’ newest defeat, a 4-0 loss to the Angels, and a symbolic alarm going off on Seattle’s spiraling season.

The sport, to that time, had been a rewind of the Mariners’ massively disappointing 3-8 homestand, that includes runners constantly stranded, a scoreless offense and a two-run deficit that appeared mountainous. So as to add insult to harm, Mike Trout was solely chargeable for the Angels’ lead through his fifth homer of the sequence, persevering with a person tormenting of the Mariners that has been going for greater than a decade.

Ultimately, the alarm and accompanying strobe lights subsided, play resumed and Ty France stepped again in with two outs and Justin Upton on third base. One pitch later, the alarm sounded once more however rapidly stopped, then France rolled into an inning-ending groundout — a microcosmic second on this making an attempt season. Even the Mariners’ greatest and most constant hitter couldn’t break by way of when a chance offered itself.

The Mariners didn’t attain third base the remainder of the sport, and as such, have been shut out for the fourth time on this 11-game homestand and tenth time this season, tied with the Tigers — the worst offense in baseball — for essentially the most within the Majors.

This newest defeat, their fourth in 5 video games to an Angels membership that entered the weekend having misplaced 18 of 20, dropped the Mariners to 29-39, eight video games again of the third and closing AL Wild Card spot, with 5 groups forward. They’re now 10 video games under .500 for the primary time since Aug. 21, 2020, once they have been 9-19 within the pandemic-shortened season.

The alarm, because the ballpark symbolically prompt, is sounding.

“We’ve obtained 94 video games left. We’ve obtained to make a run,” France mentioned. “There are nonetheless a variety of ballgames left, however the window is closing quick. It’s time to go.”

Mariners gamers have preached the significance of staying optimistic, flushing away powerful days and never getting forward of themselves in brighter spots. However as Seattle’s tumble turns into extra dramatic, its offensive limitations change into extra pronounced, the schedule shrinks to some extent the place profitable sequence will now not be a possible technique to climb out of this gap, and seemingly no reinforcements are coming to avoid wasting the day, the “good vibes solely” have gotten fewer and farther between.

“This isn’t enjoyable,” France mentioned. “This isn’t what we anticipated coming into this 12 months, and we have to flip issues round quick.”

A group assembly was held early Sunday morning for gamers and coaches to type out any points, get issues off their chests and assess the place they’re at competitively. It was a optimistic dialog, but it surely didn’t yield fast on-field outcomes.

“It was simply, ‘Hey, what is going on on?’” France mentioned. “That is the place we’re at and that is what must be performed if we need to achieve success and go additional into the season.”

This homestand was all the time going to be an enormous take a look at for the Mariners, an 11-game gauntlet in 10 days, that includes opponents surrounding them within the Wild Card hunt and an opportunity to considerably chip into that deficit. Their highway slate had been brutal, however they received every sequence over a three-city weave and seemingly have been on the up — particularly after an enormous week at their home of horrors in Houston.

However that momentum was quashed over the previous week by the identical components that has left the fanbase pissed off: one other stable beginning pitching efficiency with little, and typically zero, run assist. Sunday was a first-rate instance, with Logan Gilbert twirling six sturdy innings and paying mightily for the one mistake he made in opposition to Trout.

Aside from that, Gilbert was nails, surrendering simply three different hits and nil walks. After his outing, Seattle’s beginning pitchers have a mixed 2.69 ERA since Could 25, the third greatest within the Majors. The offense, in the meantime, has a .679 OPS in that very same stretch, eighth worst. They haven’t scored in 20 innings.

After a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, Servais prompt gamers must make changes, particularly for a greater all-field method with runners in scoring place. Then, the group went 0-for-5 in such conditions and stranded one other 5. France mentioned that the group is urgent in these moments.

“All of us sort of have a plan and method going into the sport, and I feel we’re doing job of being cussed with it,” France mentioned. “However we’re simply not getting the job performed, plain and easy.”

France, the offense’s greatest contributor, spoke with heightened urgency for the primary time all season, underscoring the place Seattle sits in a season that’s slipping away. The Mariners now head again on the highway, the place they’re 14-21 this season, preaching a necessity to show issues — and rapidly.

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

10 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Re: “Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable” (Jan. 7, Opinion): Gov. Jay Inslee, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and The Seattle Times editorial board are asking the wrong question: diesel or hybrid ferries? Inslee and the majority of Democrats support…

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

18 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity

Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

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