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Seattle Mariners: Nintendo Sells to Local Owners

By Blake Yagman

Aug 10, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) reacts after getting the final out of the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 10, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) reacts after getting the final out of the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a generation, Nintendo of America have sold their controlling interest in the Seattle Mariners to local interests.

This afternoon, Major League Baseball’s owners will vote to confirm the internal sale of the Seattle Mariners to minority investors. The Mariners’ new ownership group will be lead by John W. Stanton of Bellevue, Washington and 16 other minority investors; the new ownership group will operate as a Board of Directors, sort of like a closer-by-committee approach.

Previously, the Mariners had been owned primarily by video game giant Nintendo’s United States arm, Nintendo of America. Nintendo had owned the Mariners since 1992. Over the course of Nintendo’s ownership, the Mariners arguably had their most success as a franchise.

Since Nintendo took over the controlling interest of the Mariners 24 years ago, they have:

  • Made their only four playoff appearances (1995, 1997, 2000, 2001).
  • Relocated to their new stadium in 1999, Safeco Field.
  • Helped shape the career of Ken Griffey Jr. and brought him back to Seattle in 2009
  • Hosted Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson in Seattle
  • Presided over the team’s greatest season in franchise history (2001; 116-46, lost in ALCS)

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It is important to note the relative quietness of this sale. According to Forbes’ annual team valuations, the Mariners are worth $1.4 billion. Perhaps more Mariners fans are focused on the team’s status entering the playoff hunt (6.5 GB in the AL West behind the Texas Rangers); but, generally speaking, most teams garner significantly more attention when they are sold.

So, why does this feel like it’s a silent sale?

Internal sales are likely seen as less exciting and deserving of news coverage to many sports media outlets. I also think that the Mariners are an organization that is largely overshadowed by it’s other west coast counterparts and their neighbors across the street (the Seahawks).

The reality is that internal sales often mean that the most drastic changes in direction are coming; I wonder if the internal sale was sparked by a philosophical divide within the organization that lead to a schism. New owners are often more inclined to make splashes in free agency and act aggressively to “win now.” This could be exacerbated by the fact that the new controlling owner, Mr. Stanton, is a hometown loyalist and Washington native instead of being owned by an international corporation.

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Either way, the Mariners fan base deserves to experience a winning franchise. The Mariners have never made a World Series appearance and have a currently star-studded, but aging roster. The Mariners will be an exciting team to watch going forward into the post-season and onto the hot-stove.

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