Seattle Mariners’ Owner Hiroshi Yamauchi Dies at Age 85
By Joe Wedra
Aug 6, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; General view of Safeco Field and the downtown Seattle skyline before the MLB game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Some sad news has come out of the league today as it’s been announced that the Seattle Mariners principal owner, Hiroshi Yamauchi has passed away today at the age of 85. Per MLB.com, the team confirmed that Yamauchi passed away from pneumonia at a central Japan hospital. Here’s a quote from the Mariners in the MLB article:
“The Seattle Mariners organization is deeply saddened by the passing today of Mr. Hiroshi Yamauchi,” the club said in a statement. “His leadership of Nintendo is legendary worldwide. His decision in 1992 to purchase the Mariners franchise and keep Major League Baseball in Seattle as a ‘gesture of goodwill to the citizens of the Pacific Northwest’ is legendary in this region.
“Mr. Yamauchi will be remembered for his role in moving forward the opportunity for Japanese baseball players to play in the United States. He will forever be a significant figure in Mariners Baseball history.”
This news comes after yet another frustrating season in Seattle as the team clinched another losing season in the past week. Obviously some changes in the staff are to come, and you have to wonder if this will lead to personnel changes all the way down the board.
How this will change things is still to be determined. According to the Seattle Times, Chris Larson now has the biggest share of all shareholders with a number of 30.6 percent.
Some will say that Yamauchi helped the town of Seattle to at-least enjoy the game of baseball because of the Mariners– and that’s the truth. Although it’s been a tough road for the Mariners and their fans, the owner that bought the Mariners in 1992 to save baseball in the town was incredible and baseball fans everywhere should be grateful.