Mariners manager Scott Servais on importance of voting: ‘We all have a voice’
When Mariners manager Scott Servais arrives for his pregame video call with reporters each day, he is usually wearing one of his several T-shirts that share the same fundamental message: Vote.
Wednesday afternoon, before the Mariners played their final home game of the season at T-Mobile Park, he was sporting a navy tee with three simple phrases written boldly across the front in red, white and blue:
Register.
Show up.
Vote.
“We all have a voice, and our vote counts,” he said.
When asked about his T-shirts back in August, when this abbreviated baseball season was just getting underway, he took the opportunity to encourage others, including those in his own organization, to exercise their right to vote.
“I think it’s a way for everybody to have a voice, and I think we need to take it seriously, and it is an opportunity to make change,” he said then. “It’s something I continue to talk about with our players. I’d love to get all of our players registered and have them vote as well. I think it’s really, really important with where we’re at right now.”
Several Mariners players did register to vote for the first time this summer, Servais said Wednesday, while several more were already registered.
“We had a really good turnout with it,” he said.
Servais also created some fun for the players along the way.
“I took all the names, everybody that is registered to vote on our team, put them in a hat, drew a winner out today, and that person will get one of the team suites on the road for the final road trip,” Servais said.
That means the entirety of the trip to the Bay Area this weekend, where the Mariners will spend four days as they meet the A’s for their final series of the regular season.
“The winner was … J.P. Crawford,” Servais said. “So, good for him. … I’m really glad that a number of our guys and coaches participated in that.”
‘WE’VE REALLY, REALLY MISSED YOU’
After the Mariners closed out their final game at T-Mobile Park this season with a 3-2 win over the Astros, Servais wrapped up his postgame video call with a message to Seattle fans who could not be present at the ballpark this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
“It has really been hard without our fans in the stands,” he said. “And I can’t give our players enough credit, but I want the fans out there to understand how much they have missed them. It has been a challenge. There’s nights when you get in the ballpark and you’re dragging a little bit, but as soon as you feel the energy of our fans, it picks you up, it gets the adrenaline going.
“So, let’s all keep our fingers crossed that we can put the fans back in the stands next year, because we’ve really, really missed you. We feel your support at home, and I know you’re following the club, but can’t wait to get everybody out at the ballpark again. You guys are going to love watching this club in person. So, thank you to everybody out there.”
Though fans could not physically be at T-Mobile Park this season, the club announced this week it raised $70,000 through purchases of the “Seat Fleet” cardboard cutouts of fans that were placed around the stadium for the 60-game season. The donations benefit the statewide COVID-19 relief effort, All In WA. Nearly 15,000 cutouts were placed in the stands this season.
LONG RECOVERING
Mariners infielder Shed Long Jr. underwent shin surgery this week, and posted a photo to his Instagram account Wednesday afternoon showing his right leg in a cast.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out and kept me in your prayers these last few days,” Long wrote. “Surgery was a complete success and I’m moving well.”
He also thanked his Mariners family for reaching out as he begins the recovery process.
“I miss y’all boys and wish I was still in battle with y’all,” Long wrote. “Finish strong fellas! I’ll be back better than ever!”
The 25-year-old was placed on the injured list midway through September with a stress fracture in his right shin, and said he had dealt with discomfort since spring camp.
He is expected to fully recovered from surgery by February, when the Mariners report to Arizona, and compete for a roster spot.
After an impressive final month with the Mariners last season, Long entered this year as Seattle’s starting second baseman, and started 32 of his 34 games played there.
Though he made strides defensively in his first full season at the position, his bat didn’t show up in the same way it did last fall, and Long eventually lost some playing time to utility player Dylan Moore and Ty France, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Padres.
Long slashed at .171/.242/.291 with five doubles, three homers, nine RBI, four stolen bases and 11 walks to 37 strikeouts in his 168 plate appearances, and was on an 0-for-7 slide before he landed on the IL.
AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Ahead of Wednesday afternoon’s home finale against the Astros, three Mariners players were honored by the local Baseball Writers Association of America chapter with end-of-season awards.
Kyle Lewis, the 24-year-old rookie center fielder, who is also a leading candidate for the American League Rookie of the Year award, was named the club’s most valuable player.
Lewis is hitting .277/.378/.462 with 37 runs scored, three doubles, 11 home runs, 28 RBI, four stolen bases and 33 walks to 63 strikeouts this season, and has made several dazzling plays for the Mariners as their starting center fielder.
Mariners ace Marco Gonzales, who has a 7-2 record and 3.06 ERA through 10 starts this season with 59 strikeouts to an impressively low six walks this season, was named the most valuable pitcher. It is the second consecutive year the 28-year-old left-hander has won the award.
Both Lewis and Gonzales were unanimous selections.
Mariners infielder Dee Strange-Gordon was named the unsung hero, which is awarded to a player for his contributions on and off the field. The 32-year-old has provided a veteran presence in Seattle’s young clubhouse this season, and has been a leader in the Mariners’ fight for social justice and equality, while also working to support families in need in his hometown by providing meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and collaborating with a Seattle-based company to create custom face masks, with proceeds benefiting survivors of domestic violence through the Domestic Abuse Women’s Network.
Strange-Gordon is also Seattle’s nominee for the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually to the player “who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
Strange-Gordon also won the local BBWAA chapter’s unsung hero award in 2018.
ROSTER MOVE
The Mariners placed outfielder Jake Fraley on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right quad strain, ending his regular season.
The 25-year-old was recalled from the club’s alternate site in Tacoma pregame Tuesday to replace Dylan Moore, who was placed on the seven-day concussion list, and started in left field, but felt discomfort in the quad during the game.
“He was going to try to gut it out,” Servais said. “He came in today, we ran him through some drills in the outfield early, and he was just not feeling good at all running on it, so that’s what forced us to go ahead and make the change.”
Fraley appeared in seven games with the Mariners this season, finishing 4-for-26 (.154) with a double, triple, two stolen bases, two walks and 11 strikeouts.
Seattle recalled 27-year-old outfielder Braden Bishop to replace Fraley for the final set of games. Servais said Bishop, a right-handed hitter, will likely get playing time against the A’s lefty starters.
Bishop is hitting 3-for-16 (.188) in seven appearances with Seattle this season. He took over as a defensive replacement in left field late in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Astros.
ROTATION SET
The Mariners have set their rotation for their final four-game series of the regular season, which begins Friday in Oakland:
Friday, 6:40 p.m. — Yusei Kikuchi.
Saturday (Game 1), 1:10 p.m. — Justus Sheffield.
Saturday (Game 2) — Justin Dunn.
Sunday, 12:10 p.m. — Marco Gonzales.
