Mariners Interview: Author Michael Emmerich

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Being an Editor at SoDoMojo.com occasionally presents opportunities to discuss Mariners’ baseball with fascinating people. Interviewing Michael Emmerich about his new book, 100 Things Mariners Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die definitely qualifies as one of these instances.

100 Things Mariners Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the latest instalment of Triumph Books’ 100 things series, and in my opinion, it is their best one yet. Michael Emmerich discusses the 100 most important or interesting things in Mariners’ history. 100 Things Mariners Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is a page turner for the hardcore fan and the casual fan alike.

You can purchase 100 Things Mariners Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die at most local book stores. You can also find the book on TriumphBooks.com and Amazon.com.

SoDo Mojo is honored to present our exclusive interview with acclaimed author Michael Emmerich. BH are my questions, and Michael’s answers start after ME. Click to the next slide to find out more about Michael Emmerich’s new book, 100 Things Mariners Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.

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Apr 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Exterior view of Safeco Field before a game between the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

BH: How did the opportunity come about to write the Mariners edition of the 100 things series?

ME: The book is part of a series launched by the publisher a few years ago. The timing just hadn’t been right for an edition on the Mariners during the first few years of the series, but after last season it appeared the M’s fortunes were rising, so the Publisher was ready to pull the trigger. I am a 25-year veteran of the sports book publishing business and had written a successful college book which was part of the series. Because I am a fan of the Mariners and live in Seattle, I expressed interest in writing the Mariners edition. It remains to be seen whether we chose the optimum time to release the book.

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Apr 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Exterior view of Safeco Field before a game between the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

BH: The research involved in writing a book like this must have been an exhaustive process. How did you go about finding these stories? Did you have the opportunity to talk to anyone involved in the Mariners’ organization?

ME: Unearthing the stories and material for the book was indeed an exhaustive (but rewarding, mind you) process. I was fortunate to have access to a few great resources. One of the most prominent was the curator for the Mariners museum. He proved an invaluable resource himself and pointed me in the direction of numerous other sources. Some of the most obscure material, particularly from the early years, came from reporters who covered the team from its infancy and shared stories with me no one knew or remembered.

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Jun 17, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) reacts after getting the final out of the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

BH: Any time you are listing something there is sure to be debate amongst fans. Much like fans, I am sure your editors had their own opinions on what should be included. What are a few of the “things” you included in the book that you had to fight to have in there?

ME: Putting together these types of lists always sparks debate, which is really the point. Ostensibly the list is ranked in order of importance from 1-100, but other than the top of list much of the ordering is somewhat arbitrary (really what’s the difference between 55 and 65?). One of the debates I’ve had with folks is the placement of Ichiro (11) ahead of Felix (14). My argument for Ichiro is that he is a sure-fire Hall of Famer and was part of the one of the greatest regular season teams in MLB history. Felix is a few years away from solidifying his spot in the Hall. Moreover, and he’s entirely inculpable here, Felix has yet to play on a great M’s team. In 10 years, Hernandez may well move up. As for the list itself, there was surprisingly little debate about what was included and what was left out. There is an entry on Jesus Montero’s minor league incident that was the editor’s decision. Other than that my editor and I enjoyed a peaceful harmony regarding the list.

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Mar 3, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Former MLB shortstops Bert Campaneris (left) and Maury Wills prior to the start of the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers spring training game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

BH: You do a great job of expanding our knowledge base of the Mariners’ legends, but I really enjoyed reading about the early years of the M’s that we do not hear much about. Do you have a favorite character from the 70’s or 80’s?

ME: My favorite parts of the book are those that mine the early years. I’m not sure there’s another book that devotes as much space to the pre-Griffey Mariners. Now, there’s an obvious reason for that. But all those losing years made the success of the mid 1990s even sweeter, and for that M’s fans owe, in a twisted sort of way, a debt gratitude to those who tried but failed most spectacularly to bring winning baseball to Seattle before 1991.

The period burst with characters, the type you rarely find in baseball these days, who make for entertaining reading—but only well after the fact. Bill Caudill, an effective relief pitcher in the early 80s, may have been my favorite. He was a hijinks addict who mixed in as much fun as business. He once stole the keys to the Mariners tugboat, a garish and loathed vehicle used to bring relievers into the game at the Kingdome for a season, causing a lengthy delay to the start of the game. He entertained fans during rain delays (on the road of course), spent a summer handcuffing (why handcuffs? It’s a long story shared in the book) Mariners teammates and employees, including the manager’s son and owner’s wife, to various structures throughout the Kingdome, and was famous for saying “Even Betty Crocker burns a cake once in a while,” after blowing saves.

M’s manager Maury Wills is another memorable character, in an infamous way. He replaced Darrell Johnson, who had shepherded the M’s through their first 3 and a half years of their existence, in August of 1980. Wills had no major league (or even minor league) managerial experience but had written a book four years earlier in which he shared his recipe for success, which was heavy on small ball. He only lasted into May of 1981, posting a .317 winning percentage. Losing games was only part of the reason why the Mariners fired him so quickly. Wills was a complete flake as a manager. Among his crimes and missteps: sending up to pinch hit a player who had already pinch hit earlier in the game; taking a lineup to the umpire to start a game that included two players at the same position; telling reporters that he planned to invite a certain player to Spring Training who the Mariners had traded two weeks earlier; leaving the ballpark during a Spring Training game to hop a flight to California without telling anyone.

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BH: Obviously, you write a lot in the book about the 1995 season. What are your thoughts on the organization not having an official reunion of the ’95 team to commemorate the 20th anniversary season?

ME: Frankly, it’s just good business to honor those most responsible for whatever value you have as an organization or institution. Why the Mariners would want to downplay or ignore this glorious period in their history is a mystery—and a lost opportunity.

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May 29, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; A general view of Safeco Field during the ninth inning of a game between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

BH: I was a kid when the M’s moved to Safeco Field, and I can remember being very sad to see the King Dome go. However, the sadness evaporated immediately after walking through the gates at Safeco. Are you a King Dome person or do you prefer to watch a game at Safeco Field?

ME: I must confess I never warmed to the Kingdome. I don’t like indoor baseball, especially in a place such as Seattle where summer is so exquisite, and find artificial turf and affront to the sport. So, yes, you could say I prefer Safeco Field, which makes every trip to the ballpark a pleasant one, whether the M’s are winning or losing.

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BH: Do you have a favorite live Mariners memory? Is there a game or a moment you witnessed in person that stands out?

ME: This is kind of obscure, and it didn’t even happen in a memorable season or in Safeco Field. It was day game in April 1999 at the Kingdome and the M’s fell behind 6-1 to the lowly Tigers. I was just about to call it day when the M’s exploded for 11 runs in the fifth, sparked by a Griffey grand slam. The M’s scored 10 more runs to win 22-6, outscoring the Tigers 21-0 to close out the game. It was the most runs I’ve ever seen scored by one team in a professional baseball game and the most runs ever scored by the Mariners. And I almost left the game out of disgust.

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BH: What era of Mariners baseball are you most fond of? The early years, the 90’s, the early 2000’s or today?

ME: I absolutely loved the 2001 Mariners. In my mind, their 116 wins puts them in the conversation as one of the sport’s greatest. I don’t care that they didn’t win the World Series. That’s a crapshoot, as we all know. Nothing beats settling in to watch your team play and knowing that they’re going to win that day or night. But that was the 2001 Mariners. You just knew they’d find a way to win, because everyone, from 1-25, contributed. There were very few moments where someone was up in a key situation and you thought, “There’s no way this guy is going to come through.” We’ll probably never see that again—at least in Seattle.

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Jun 14, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (22) looks on between plays during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

BH: After reading your book, I would say that you know as much about the M’s as anyone alive. What are your thoughts on how this season has gone?

ME: This season is a real head scratcher. I liked what the M’s did during the offseason to address the offense. And many of those moves have actually worked (Cruz, Smith). Cano’s plummet is probably the most unsettling, because it really could be more than a slump. The drop in power and walks and the increase in Ks, well, it leaves you worried that Cano is just another in a long line of second basemen who fail to age well. I expected regression a bit from the pitching, but thought the offense could pick up the slack. Obviously that hasn’t happened. The farm system is a bit on the lean side right now, so the M’s don’t have a ton of pieces to use as trade bait to strengthen the offense. They will have to ride it out and hope they catch fire. After all, they are only 5 games back of the final wild card.

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Jun 21, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; New Seattle Mariners hitting coach Edgar Martinez smiles as he stands at the rail during a game aHouston Astros at Safeco Field. The Astros won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

BH: The M’s recently hired Edgar Martinez to be their new hitting coach. I really enjoyed reading about Edgar’s career and life in your book. What is your opinion of the move?

ME: I’m just not a big believer in how much difference managers or coaches can make. I doubt Edgar can fix Cano, for instance. On the flip side, the status quo wasn’t working at all. You owe it to your customers, the fans, to do something. Edgar is a nice warm and fuzzy place to start. And maybe it will actually work, although when the Royals hired legend George Brett as hitting coach in 2013 he was unable to get through to many of the young KC hitters.

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Apr 8, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners fans Paisley Smith, 13 (R), and brother Caleb (L) receive an autographed baseball during batting practice against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

BH: Where can people purchase your book, The 100 Things Mariners Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die?

ME: The book is available in most local bookstores and through Amazon, among others.

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I would just like to take a moment to thank Michael Emmerich for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk Mariners’ baseball with me. 100 Things Mariners Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is a great read, and I could not recommend it more. I have been a fan of Seattle since I was 3-years-old, and before reading this book I thought I knew everything there was to know about the M’s. However, I quickly discovered I barely knew anything about the franchise.

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