Seattle, WA

Tarik Skubal’s amazing, heartfelt trip home to Seattle U revealed a lot about who he is

Published

9 months ago

April 2, 2025

Press Room

Tarik Skubal’s amazing, heartfelt trip home to Seattle U revealed a lot about who he is

SEATTLE – If you want to truly understand somebody.

If you want to see a different side.

All you have to do is follow them home.

So on Tuesday morning, I followed Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal to the place where his life completely changed.

Past the city limits of Seattle. Across a floating bridge. Over Lake Washington and into Bellevue, the affluent city where Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.

To Bannerwood Stadium, a small baseball field with an artificial turf infield but the outfield grass can get so wet and soggy that a fly ball has been known to shoot into the muck, get buried and disappear. It is the home field of Seattle University – the place where Skubal pitched in college and his life transformed.

The sky was grey, the air nippy when Skubal appeared in the dugout. He bro-hugged Donny Harrel, his old baseball coach at Seattle.

“My favorite part when he walks in here is that big cheesy smile,” Harrel said of Skubal. “Where he’s just home for a little bit.”

Skubal was scheduled to pitch for the Detroit Tigers against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, so he got permission to spend time with his old college team on Tuesday. Just hanging out.

“Can we cover some stuff with the pitchers?” Harrel asked.

“Yeah,” Skubal said.

Skubal – the reigning American League Cy Young award winner – stood on the side and watched a college pitcher finish a bullpen and then gave a relaxed talk to the pitchers. Skubal talked about everything: how he approaches a bullpen – stressing process over results – to how important it is for teammates to hold each other accountable, to how he conditions and prepares.

“The day before is an important day,” he said.

He didn’t always take it seriously and “I’d almost always come out sluggish,” he said.

But now he does. “The day before, I eat a lot,” he said. “Nutrition is such an undervalued thing. I have a PB&J an hour before every game. It’s something that sits well in my stomach and won’t make me nauseous. The day before, I eat a lot. My dinner is usually pretty big, some sort of steak, some sort of potato. I don’t care for vegetables.”

A few players smiled and laughed.

The Cy Young award winner doesn’t like veggies!

“He just seems human,” Ryan Morrison, a Seattle pitcher, said. “We look at these people like they’re bigger and better, which you know he is, but he’s just a dude. He’s got to eat like us, sleep like us, and that was kind of the biggest takeaway for me. Just seeing that he still has to go through the same sort of stuff that college guys have to go through.”

Skubal walked onto the field and stood on the mound for a picture. “Turf mound baby,” Skubal said.

And he invited the Redhawks to Wednesday’s game. “If Donnie bangs practice,” Skubal said, “I’ll get you guys tickets.”

Yes, Skubal kinda set up his coach.

Then, Skubal went behind home plate for more pictures – to a spot that is incredibly important to his story, back when he was struggling with the pressure.

“One day, I took him behind home plate, and I said, ‘Hey, what are you doing this for, really?’” Harrel remembered. “And he goes, ‘well, you know, I want to take care of my family; and I’ve always wanted to be a big leaguer; and people expect me now that I’ve had some attention to make it; and so that’s what I want to do it for.’”

Harrel spotted a problem.

“How about if you do it just for you,” Harrel told Skubal. “And there was like a cleansing to an extent. We shared some emotion and stuff, and it was wonderful. It just kind of released the pressures and the expectations. As soon as he did that, he went on a run the rest of the year.”

And now?

There’s a giant Skubal banner that hangs above the concession stand at the stadium.

A banner that’s even bigger than the one for the coach. “He’s won bigger awards,” Harrel quipped.

Skubal is beloved by the university, not to mention the baseball program, because he’s so generous with his time and support.

Seattle has a pitcher expected to be drafted, and he was having a hard time dealing with the attention. So a few weeks ago, Skubal got on the phone with him and gave him advice.

“He never says no,” Harrel said.

A few years ago, when the program had several pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery, Skubal gave them advice on how to cope with it.

“He just told those guys, ‘OK, here’s, what’s going to happen. There’s going to be a time when there’s a fear for you to really cut it loose, because I had that, too,” Harrel said.

A wave of nostalgia

A few hours later, Skubal was in the clubhouse at T-Mobile Park and he sounded nostalgic about his trip back to his old ballpark.

“I spent a lot of time at that stadium,” he said. “Fall practices were six hours long, seven hours long. And then seasons – a lot of trips out there. It’s off campus, so you’re vanning over there every day, or jumping in guy’s cars, whoever’s leaving. It was fun though, I enjoyed those days.”

And he feels indebted to Seattle University.

“I go back because I owe that program a lot,” Skubal said.

A night of honor and respect

Before the Tigers played the Mariners on Tuesday night, Seattle University held a private event on the third deck at T-Mobile Park, overlooking the field. About 80 athletic administrators, alumni and friends of the program gathered to celebrate Skubal.

Then, something happened that was so cool. Skubal left the clubhouse with a Tigers security guy and went up an elevator with normal fans, wearing his uniform pants and Tigers sweatshirt and cap.

At first, the looks on Seattle fans seemed to say: OK, man, the superfan outfit is a bit much.

And then as Skubal walked it registered to some: hey, that’s Skubal!

When Skubal spotted seven of his former teammates at the gathering, there were huge smiles and bro hugs.

“He’s still the same guy,” one former teammate gushed.

Skubal signed autographs and posed for pictures, and Seattle vice president of athletics Shaney Fink presented him with a framed proclamation from the school’s board of trustees. The school is only about a 15-minute walk from T-Mobile Park – but the incredible trip from that place to this moment could be seen in all their faces.

There was a wash of pride everywhere you looked. They are just so proud of what Skubal has accomplished, and he is so proud to have come from this school.

“Our board of trustees put together this resolution just to show our appreciation and respect and appreciation for everything Tarik has done and who he is, not just being a Cy Young winner and all of his success on the field, but just who he is as a Redhawk,” Fink said. “We are so proud and so grateful for all that you’ve done and who you are. So thank you.”

She presented a proclamation to Skubal.

“Thank you for everyone that showed up,” Skubal said, genuinely touched.

He looked at his former teammates. “It means a lot to me that relationships that we built, the support doesn’t go unnoticed,” he said.

“Seattle holds a special place in my heart, he said. “Thank you so much. I can’t say thank you enough.”

It’s impossible to describe how important he is to Seattle University, not just for what he’s accomplished but for how he’s supports the institution. For being so humble and genuine.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” Skubal said.

He was back home. Back with friends and teammates.

Back where it all started.

And he couldn’t stop smiling.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.

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Seattle, WA

Rick Steves steps in to save Seattle-area hygiene center serving homeless residents

Published

32 minutes ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Rick Steves taking a selfie with community members outside the Lynnwood Hygiene Center near Seattle. He says his purchase of the property secures the future of the center, which provides hot meals and hot showers.

Rick Steves

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Rick Steves

An anonymous donor stepped in last month to save a Seattle-area community center that was slated to close.

Last week, community members learned that the new owner was travel writer and TV host Rick Steves, who pledged to keep it open and free for people needing hot showers and hot meals.

“I vividly remember what it’s like as a kid backpacking around the world to need a shower, to need a place to wash your clothes,” Steves told a crowd who gathered on Wednesday to celebrate the purchase over cake and with words fait accompli written in red icing.

Many homeless people had come to depend on the Lynnwood Hygiene Center, which had operated rent-free on the property since 2020.

But the center said in November that it would close after the property was sold to a developer.

Steves said he learned about the hygiene center’s impending closure by reading about it in a local online newspaper — just weeks before it was set to shut down.

Despite living nearby, he said he hadn’t even known the center existed.

In fact, Steves told NPR he didn’t even know what a hygiene center was until he read about the closure — a place where people can shower, wash clothes, grab a hot meal and spend a few hours indoors.

“I realized, oh my goodness, there’s an invisible community with an invisible center helping invisible people. And it’s not right. It needs to be kept alive,” Steves said.

In a series of posts on Bluesky, Steves said was struck by how difficult it would be to replace.

Steves said he bought the property for $2.25 million.

Members of the community pitched in another $400,000 in donations, which the center says will go toward renovations and expanding services.

“It’s huge,” said Sandra Mears, executive director of the Jean Kim Foundation, which runs the hygiene center.

Rick Steves Gets Uncomfortable In 'Travel As A Political Act'

Mears says before Steves came in, she had been told to plan a goodbye party.

“I didn’t want a goodbye party,” she said.

Thanks to the donations, Mears says the Lynnwood Hygiene Center will continue serving around 700 people in the community, providing upwards of 16,000 hot meals and 10,000 showers a year.

Steves called the purchase the best $2.25 million he could imagine spending.

But he says private donations are also not a substitute for public investment — and shouldn’t determine whether essential services survive.

He describes his decision as a response to what he sees as a failure of public priorities, not a model to be relied upon.

“If we don’t have [$2.25 million] for a whole county to give homeless people a shower and a place to get out of the rain and a place to wash their clothes, what kind of society are we?” Steves said.

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Seattle, WA

Walker’s big night an encouraging sign for Seattle Seahawks

Published

13 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Walker’s big night an encouraging sign for Seattle Seahawks

It got somewhat lost amid all the late-game drama, but Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III just had one of the best games of his four-year career.

The anatomy of a comeback: How Seahawks stunned the Rams

Highlighted by a pair of explosive plays, Walker totaled 164 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in Seattle’s wild 38-37 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. It was the second-most scrimmage yards of Walker’s career, just shy of his 167 scrimmage yards against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7 of his 2022 rookie campaign.

Walker rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries against the Rams’ stout defense, including a 55-yard TD run early in the third quarter where he burst through a crease and hit a top speed of 21.07 mph while racing downfield, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. He also added three catches for 64 yards, including a 46-yard gain on a throwback screen pass that set up a first-quarter TD.

KENNETH WALKER III 55-YARD TD RUN 🚨
LARvsSEA on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4ezXS8hbok
— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2025

In doing so, Walker became the first NFL running back since five-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry in 2020 to have both a 45-plus-yard run and a 45-plus-yard catch in the same game, according to NFL Media senior researcher Dante Koplowitz-Fleming.

Walker’s two big plays against the Rams were also among the six longest plays of his career. He had five gains of 40-plus yards over his first two NFL seasons, but none over the past two seasons until Thursday night.

During Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Friday, Mike Salk praised both Walker and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

“Best and hardest I’ve seen him run in forever,” Salk said. “Most decisive, most he’s hit holes hard, picked up extra yards. Credit to Kubiak for getting him the ball in space and allowing him to really do the things that he does well.”

Kenneth Walker III all the way down inside the 10!
LARvsSEA on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/YjVCQMxByg
— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2025

Led by Walker’s performance, the Seahawks finished with 171 rushing yards and a season-high 6.8 yards per carry on Thursday night. Even more encouraging was that it came against a strong Rams run defense, which entered the game ranked eighth in the NFL at just 3.9 yards allowed per carry.

The Seahawks have struggled for much of the season to get their run game untracked – including this past Sunday, when they mustered just 50 rushing yards and 2.3 yards per carry in a low-scoring Week 15 win over Indianapolis Colts.

But prior to that, Seattle had made some strides on the ground, averaging 140.2 rushing yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry from Weeks 10-14.

Walker’s showing on Thursday night was another positive step.

“He was a major factor,” Salk said. “Ran for 100 yards in the game. They ran for over 170 as a team, which kind of gets lost in a lot of the other storylines of the game. A huge credit to Ken Walker. … That’s the best I’ve seen him play in forever.”

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation at this link or in the video player at the top of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Where Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1 seed odds stand after epic win
• Seattle Seahawks Injury Updates: Status of trio of DBs
• Seahawks’ Derick Hall suspended 1 game for stepping on player
• Brock Huard: The reason Darnold was able to lead Seahawks over Rams
• Macdonald explains Seattle Seahawks’ game-winning 2-point decision

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Kraken beat San Jose Sharks 4-2 to snap 4-game skid

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Seattle Kraken beat San Jose Sharks 4-2 to snap 4-game skid

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Lindgren had the tiebreaking goal early in the third period for his first score with the Seattle Kraken, and they went on to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 on Saturday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Seattle Kraken 4, San Jose Sharks 2: Box score

Chandler Stephenson had a goal and an assist, and Eeli Tolvanen and Ryker Evans also scored for the Kraken, who won for just the second time in 12 games (2-9-1). Joey Daccord finished with 34 saves.

Adam Gaudette and Colin Graf scored for the Sharks, and Yaroslav Askarov had 28 saves.

Graf gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead 36 seconds into the third period with some help from the Kraken.

Seattle’s Adam Dunn lofted a clearing attempt from behind the net that Igor Chernyshov intercepted in the left circle and sent a pass in front to Graf. Graf tried to lift it over Daccord down on the ice, but the puck deflected off the left post and in front as the goalie, on his back, tried to pull it in. However, Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson skated into the goalie and knocked the puck in.

Evans tied it again at 1:55 with a long shot from the left point through traffic.

Lindgren put the Kraken ahead 3-2 at 4:27, beating Askarov from the left point for the defenseman’s first goal in 33 games since signing with with Seattle in the offseason. Stephenson had an assist on the play to extend his point streak to eight games.

Stephenson then scored with 1:24 remaining to push Seattle’s lead to two goals and extend his goal-scoring streak to four games.

Tolvanen gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead at 6:52 of the second period, picking up a loose puck, skating into the right circle and firing a shot past Askarov.

Gaudette tied it with a power-play goal with 8:38 left in the middle period. Celebrini fired a shot at the net from the left point that deflected off teammate Igor Chernyshov in front of Daccord and off Gaudette down onto the ice for an easy backhand poke from the right doorstep.

Celebrini extended his point streak to five games on the play with eight assists and 11 points in the stretch.