Seattle, WA

Drayer’s Seattle Mariners Notebook: Talks play role in needed win

Published

1 year ago

September 19, 2023

Drayer’s Seattle Mariners Notebook: Talks play role in needed win

After losing 11 of their past 16 games and getting swept by the Dodgers in a weekend series at T-Mobile Park, the Seattle Mariners got a much-needed 5-0 win Monday night in Oakland. And while they would gladly take any variety of win, how they won the series opener – with bench players and struggling starters making key contributions – has to be encouraging as they make the final push for a postseason spot.

Woo leads Mariners in 5-0 win over A’s to gain ground in AL race

Rookie second baseman José Caballero, whose playing time has greatly diminished in the last month, broke out of a 0-for-19 stretch Monday with a 437-foot home run in his second at-bat. As he started his trot around the bases, he pointed at the dugout (see photo above) which turned out to be not an acknowledgment to the team, rather to one specific person.

“I was talking to ‘Skip’ before the game and he told me to take my A-swing instead of just chasing a hit and just go have fun,” Caballero said, referring to Mariners manager Scott Servais. “When I hit the ball, I just wanted to thank him. When I hit the ball, I just looked at the dugout.”

That sound 🥵 pic.twitter.com/CMri45ngLu
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 19, 2023

As it turns out, “Skip” was busy before the game. Servais also had conversations with Teoscar Hernández and Eugenio Suárez, two hitters that have cooled off considerably of late.

“I think both (Suárez) and Teo take a lot of responsibility,” Servais said. “Middle of the order guys, they know they need to produce, but at the end of the day you can’t get too big up there. You can’t be trying to hit every pitch. You can only do so much, you can only control your at-bat. That’s the big thing. When those guys are swinging at the right pitches, they are really tough to get out. They really need to get back in that mode because that is when they are at their best.”

Division standings | Wild card standings

Suárez reached base four times in the win with two walks and two well-hit singles to left. In his walkoff interview on the Seattle Sports radio broadcast, he noted his focus was on getting the right pitch to hit.

“That is really good for me, that means I stayed on a good pitch to be able to swing,” he said of the walks. “It’s in my mind to have good at bats and put the ball in play more.”

Geno coming through for your insurance needs. pic.twitter.com/vOG1pqKM0M
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 19, 2023

In addition to Suárez and Caballero, Servais pointed to the contribution from a different bottom of the order – Dylan Moore, Sam Haggerty, Caballero and Luis Torrens – as important not just for Monday night in Oakland but moving forward, as well.

“The right-handed hitters that don’t get to play a ton, you are hoping they contribute tonight and they did,” he said. “It’s critical for us on this road trip and the remainder of the season. We need contributions from everybody. I am really happy for those guys. Those guys grinded. They don’t get many opportunities, but when they do they have got to be ready and they were ready tonight.”

Notes

• The Mariners at 82-68 have an identical record to where they were through 150 games last year.

• Starting pitcher Bryan Woo and relievers Tayler Saucedo, Justin Topa, Trent Thornton and Isaiah Campbell combined to shut out the A’s. It was the 16th shutout by the Mariners this season, a new club record.

• Thanks to the work of the pitchers above, high-leverage relievers Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz did not have to pitch, though Brash did have to get up in the bullpen at point. Good to see with just one off day remaining on the regular season schedule.

• When Mariners field coordinator Carson Vitale took down the lineup card in the dugout at the end of the night, he pointed out to Servais a rarity for the Mariners: not a single lineup substitution had been made. No word when the last time that happened was, but Vitale, who handles the lineups, cannot remember when.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• How concerning is Mariners’ series loss to Dodgers with two weeks left? Not very
• Rowland-Smith: What stands out with Mariners’ Cal Raleigh
• Notebook: Kirby ready to put past comments behind him; Gonzales update
• MVP? Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez making case with ‘unbelievable’ second half
• Dipoto dives deep into how Luis Castillo has been Seattle Mariners’ ace

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

2 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

11 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

19 hours 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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