Who Owns The Mariners?

The Seattle Mariners are among the popular American baseball teams from Seattle. They have been competing for decades in the MLB series (Major League Baseball). It is a member of the MLB’s West Division.

The Seattle Mariners were inducted into the major baseball league 47 years ago from 1977 in their home ground, the famous ‘Kingdome.’ However, in 1999, the management of the MLB team switched venues, making the T-Mobile Park their new and permanent home ground venue.

In light of this, let’s look into who owns the Mariners, the vision of the current founder, and some interesting facts about the team itself.

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Naming the Team

“Mariners” can lead anybody to associate the team with the state’s nautical ties and proximity to a mega marine waterway system known as “Puget Sound.’ There is an exciting reason for naming the team “Seattle Mariners.”

After the MLB association announced its expansion into Seattle, the owners, including famous personalities like Danny Kaye (a reputed entrepreneur), decided to organize a competition among fans.

They announced a prize for anybody who created a worthy moniker for the team. The management received over 600 different titles from 15,000 entries, where surprisingly, many of the names suggested the moniker “Mariners”.

The management followed the suggestion of one of the fans, Roger Szmodis, and named the team the Seattle Mariners. The franchise started its journey into professional baseball in 1977.

Szmodis explained his reasoning: The name is well suited for the team due to the city’s proximity to water and the tumultuous challenges it experienced due to its nautical ties. And, of course, because Seatle’s first three letters spell “Sea.”

John Stanton: One of the Most Popular Owners of the Seattle Mariners in History

When it comes to knowing who owns the Mariners, it is essential to understand that its current CEO, John W. Stanton, was already a renowned and successful businessman in Seattle before being inaugurated as the team’s president.

Stanton is the chairman of Trilogy International Partners, a major telecommunications company. The entrepreneur also owns up to 90% of the Seattle Mariners.

In addition, he founded the Western Wireless Corporation and was the chief executive officer of another famous company, VoiceStream Wireless.

Spearheading the Leadership and Future of the Seattle Mariners

John W. Stanton was announced as the new chief executive officer of the MLB team Seattle Mariners in 2016 (at the time, he was a minority shareholder of the franchise).

He was chosen as the new CEO after the famous Japanese gaming company, Nintendo, sold its majority stake in the team, which amounted to more than $660 million. In other words, Stanton bought the MLB franchise.

After becoming the baseball team owner, he advanced as its leader after Howard Lincoln (former Seattle Mariners chairman) stepped down, giving Stanton the operational reigns. In 2019, Stanton led the team to a few victories but no championship wins. According to records, the Seattle Mariners only won 68 games out of 162 that year.

Image Credit: benjamin hershey

Respected for His Approach to Spearheading the Team

When learning who owns the Mariners, it is essential to know that while the team is yet to win a significant title, Stanton is respected for its hand-off strategies to manage the team morale.

As a prominent and long-standing Seattle resident, Stanton is renowned for his decision-making and for leaving the daily operational control to his company’s best people, the front-office leaders.

Stanton believes in the value of working together and hires only the most experienced leaders in the industry. The CEO has also technologically revolutionized the team, making it more business-centric. Some years ago, Stanton separated the franchise’s business aspects from its very core – the essence of the sport.

Some Cool Facts About the Seattle Mariners

Here are some interesting facts that you should know about the Seattle Mariners.

The Team Has Been Part of Major League Baseball for 47 Years

Founded in 1977, the Seattle Mariners are among MLB’s oldest teams. The team has a vibrant fanbase along with a very dynamic background.

The Mariners Are Yet to Win a World Series

Before knowing who owns the Mariners, it is vital to understand that the pro-MLB team hasn’t won the World Series since becoming a well-loved franchise.

The Famous “Ichiro Suzuki” Played for the Mariners for 11 Years

Despite not having a recognizable winning streak in major league championships, the Seattle Mariners are, known for its most emminent players of all time, including the exceptional Ichiro Suzuki.

Thanks to Suzuki’s incredible gameplay, skill, and talent, Ichiro was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after playing for the team for over a decade.

The Seattle Mariner’s “Hall of Famers”

Throughout the team’s 47-year history, the Seattle Mariners churned out some incredible players and have been lucky enough to have them on the team. Some of the team’s most famous baseball hall of famers include Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr., and Ichiro Suzuki.

Throughout their existence, the Seattle Mariners have been fortunate to have multiple players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Alongside Ichiro Suzuki and Ken Griffey Jr., legendary Mariners players such as Randy Johnson and Edgar Martinez have also received this prestigious honor.

Image Credit: Edoardo Busti

Seattle Mariners’ Ownership History

The leading people to claim ownership of the Seattle Mariners were Danny Kaye and Lester Smith, who ran the franchise from its formation until it was ultimately sold to George Argyros in 1981.

Argyros, after leading the club through nail-biting tournaments, with some wins and losses, sold off the franchise to Jeff Smulyan for $75 million.

With Smulyan at the helm, in the ’90s, the club experienced some chaotic times. One of the financers in the acquisition deal wanted Smulyan to pay the money owed to him which landed the owner in hot waters, as he had to sell the club to another company, effectively relocating the team to Tampa Bay.

In 1992, Smulyan sold off the club to Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo’s President at the time. In 2016, Nintendo sold off the club to Stanton’s financial group. The deal was estimated to cost Nintendo more than $1.3 billion.

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