Refuse to Lose - a Seattle Mariners Podcast

Brady is back on a Tuesday, and the Mariners have surprised all of us by announcing that Randy Johnson's No. 51 will get retired next season. Does Randy deserve it? We look at the reasons why he does.Furthermore, Johnson spoke to the media about the news and Brady reacts to his 3-minute opening statement. How much blame do the M's get for how the relationship ended? And where did they go wrong?Also, Baseball Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch stops by to talk about Ichiro's upcoming Hall of Fame induction weekend and what M's fans can expect.And oh yeah, the Mariners played the least enjoyable winning series ever against the Minnesota Twins and Cal Raleigh is making history.

Brady spends some time on a dreadful loss to the Nationals on Thursday, including the way the bullpen was handled, as well as the team's inability to get the big hit.The M's are also facing some serious roster decisions, both now and in the future. What are they and what can be done? And how concerned are we about George Kirby's struggles and is it possible that he throws too many strikes? No, really.And, Ty France comes back to town with the Minnesota Twins.

Brady sits down with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney to talk about the Mariners and their tough matchup with MacKenzie Gore on Thursday, George Kirby's struggles since returning from the injured list, Logan Evans being optioned down and Jorge Polanco's struggles in the month of May.Also, Cal Raleigh has been excellent, but just how historic has his season been?

The Mariners just lost three of four games against the division-rival Astros in Houston. What did we learn about the M's in that series? And about Houston? And what glaring weakness has been further exposed? And why is Brady so mad that the M's were off on Monday.Furthermore, Brady discusses troubling comments from both Logan Gilbert and Bryce Miller after their sim games and he's joined by Connor Webb, aka "The Couch GM," who talks about his rise to prominence, his goals for the future and more.

After a long three days, I'm back from Chicago and the Mariners got their doors blown off in Houston. What's the concern level on Julio Rodriguez's back and George Kirby's tough debut?And what are we looking for over the rest of the series in Houston? Also, why are teams having more success running on the M's this year? I talk to Dan Wilson and Mitch Garver about holding runners and you here those conversations. Also, Trent Thornton is out with appendicitis and he details a scary health situation.Is Cole Young coming up soon? And Brady is reminded of why he hates watching Lance McCullers pitch for the 'Stros.

Brady is back on a Thursday for his weekly conversation with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney! The Mariners have won five of six to pull to 28-20 on the season, and they get George Kirby back tonight. What can that do for the starting rotation? And Dan Wilson was proven right in a big win on Wednesday vs. the White Sox.Andres Munoz still has a 0.00 ERA, so where does he rank among baseball's best closers? And, could Cal Raleigh find himself as the catcher for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic? 

Brady is back on a Tuesday, and he's live from Chicago for Mariners and White Sox! The M's are 27-19 and winners of four straight after beating the Sox on Monday, so what has Brady noticed during his trip so far?The podcast is a little different because of the schedule, and Brady shares his observations on George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and Jorge Polanco's health. Also, he talks with Emerson Hancock and Miles Mastrobuoni from the M's clubhouse! And ex-Mariner Josh Rojas stops by too.And finally, Brady braves the Hotel Wi-Fi for an entertaining and enlightening chat with 30-year Seattle sports talk veteran Mitch Levy.

The Mariners have lost five of six and the vibes are low right now. Brady talks about the issues plaguing Dan Wilson and the grief he is getting. Is it fair? And does he not have enough good options in the bullpen?Should the Mariners have intentionally walked Aaron Judge in the eighth inning on Wednesday before he hit a game-winning homer? Bryce Miller is injured, so what's going on there, and what is Brady's concern for the offense moving forward?And Rainiers star Samad Taylor stops by for an enlightening conversation following his recent promotion to Seattle and his trip back to Tacoma!

Brady checks in with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney as the Mariners have lost five of six games now. At 23-19, it doesn't get any easier with the Padres, White Sox and Astros on deck, all on the road. Is this just a bad week or a sign of things unraveling? And what do we make of the decisions that Dan Wilson has made recently with regards to roster and bullpen management?Donovan Solano has also really slumped this season, so why are the Mariners keeping him around?

A more subdued Brady sits down for the Tuesday podcast as the M's have now lost four straight games. Though he's angry at what's happened over those last four games, he doesn't blow a gasket, rather, he tries to rationalize what's gone on and what it means. And he explains what's bothered him most in this stretch.Then, the starting pitching has really struggled, we look at all the tentacles in that storyline and talk about what the group needs to do to move forward.Finally, we talk with former Yankees World Champion third baseman Scott Brosius, who talks about his career, and the three years he spent as a coach with the Mariners from 2016-2018.

Brady is back on a Friday, talking about how he's trying to enjoy this solid run of M's success and why others still are doubting the team. Then, he heaps some praise upon Carlos Vargas and Leody Taveras, while also talking about the Taveras signing in general.Also, what's wrong with Bryce Miller? And we congratulate TJ and Lyle from the Marine Layer Podcast on throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for the Everett AquaSox and it reminds Brady of when he threw out a first pitch at a minor league game also. And we have some story time from Brady's career, which leads us to find out that a current Blue Jays player was one of Brady's first "Big interviews."And Rob Bradford from Baseball Isn't Boring stops by to discuss his recent chat with Jerry Dipoto.

Brady sits down for his weekly chat with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney, who talks about if the M's are for real or not, the issues for Bryce Miller and the injury forecasts for George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. Also, what do the M's have in Leody Taveras? And, Cal Raleigh is an MVP candidate, and what to make of Julio Rodriguez's swing decisions? 

Brady is back for a rare Monday edition of the podcast, putting the episode out a day early! He talks about the Mariners taking two of three from the Texas Rangers and his potential favorite inning of the season from Saturday's win.Also, what did we see from Matt Brash in his return, and are we surprised by the M's usage of him in his first game back? Also, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert make progress in their returns from injuries. Could we see them back before the end of May as Jerry Dipoto hopes?And former M's pitcher Paul Abbott, who went 17-4 for the team in 2001, stops by for a great conversation about his career, his M's tenure and his work as a minor league pitching coach.We'll be back on Thursday for our weekly chat with Buster Olney of ESPN!

Brady is back on a Friday as the Mariners sit at 18-12 overall heading into Texas. Brady has very minimal, if any complaints about the first 30 games and discusses how the M's have hit every box you want checked in that time. Then, he wonders if the M's "Control the Zone" mantra has worked against them over the last few years and how they've modified it this year.And after a few weeks of trying to figure out the answer, we finally get the definitive answer on the issue with Julio Rodriguez from an ESPN personality. Then, Joe Doyle of Overslot stops by to discuss the M's and their position/opportunity in the draft.And, can we stop saying it's a "small sample size" for the M's offensive success of the end of last year and the beginning of this year?

Buster Olney of ESPN joins us for our special weekly conversation to talk about the M's 18-12 record at the end of April, playing well against the American League West and much more, including Jorge Polanco's resurgence at the plate and concerns over Logan Gilbert's flexor tendon strain.Also, what does he make of the big weekend series with the Rangers and can the M's make any trades to help offset the injury issues?

Brady is back for a packed Tuesday episode, discussing the Mariners impressive run to get to 16-12 overall. He talks about his belief in Jorge Polanco being justified, some interesting comments from a former GM on Julio Rodriguez and he shares the story of how he came to acquire the coveted 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie card.Furthermore, injury expert Will Carroll stops by with an optimistic outlook for Logan Gilbert and explains to us what's going on with his flexor tendon, and we're joined by our Mariners on SI reporter Teren Kowatsch, who explains what's changed for JP Crawford and if there's any worry for Ben Williamson's back.

Brady is back on a Friday as the Mariners are red hot! Seattle is now 14-11 and right up near the top of the American League standings. Brady talks about the offensive growth and what made this 6-3 road trip so special.Furthermore, Julio Rodriguez hits a personal milestone, is all the criticism fair of him? And we talk about the mental adjustment from the pitching staff in the last two games and the physical adjustment from Dylan Moore this season.Also, the M's have a bunch of money to spend in the draft and Curtis Rogers, the pre and postgame host at Seattle Sports 710 stops by!***Can we get a rivalry media game going with the Padres media?

Brady is joined by ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney for their weekly conversation. This week, they talk about the M's offense and it's surprising start, if there any concerns for the pitching staff, Matt Brash's possible return and how we should view Julio Rodriguez.Is he a great player or a very good player that's streaky?

The Mariners are fresh off another series win, this time beating the Toronto Blue Jays in two of three. They've already had an acceptable road trip, but can they make it exceptional against Boston? Brady discusses why Tuesday's game is the one to get for the M's to make it happen. Then, we talk about the reasons for optimism for the Mariners. As good as they've been, is there more in the tank? Or, will they turn into pumpkins? And we've got an update on George Kirby, but should we be concerned about how this has gone?PLUS: Under the hood with Julio, Dylan Moore is Player of the Week and the Mariners swing a minor trade.

Brady is back on a Friday as the Mariners are over .500! Seattle beat the Reds on Thursday and Brady has one word to describe the M's, and it may not be what you think. We also recap some of our Buster Olney interview from Thursday and discuss Luis Castillo's concerns. Furthermore, Dan Wilson made a big mistake on Thursday that Brady hopes he learns from and Ty Dane Gonzalez from Locked on Mariners joins us as the M's head to Toronto.

Brady is joined for his weekly conversation with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney, who talks about Cal Raleigh's historic rise up the record books and the perception of him around the league. They also talk about the M's old school style of play, the art of putting the ball in play more and if we are seeing a swing away from analytics in baseball. Furthermore, is Luis Castillo regressing? 

Brady is back on a Tuesday talking about the Mariners sweep of the Texas Rangers and what a difference a week can make! He looks at the offensive improvements and much more, including what's the plan for the recently-promoted Ben Williamson?Also, Troy Taylor is back in the fold and we examine how that impacts the bullpen. And the M's reportedly turned down a trade for Luis Castillo.Guests include former Mariners' All-Star Mike Cameron and current Everett AquaSox broadcaster Pat Dillon, who talks about all the talent down on the farm.And, we take a look at a bunch of history this week from Logan Gilbert, Cal Raleigh and.... Samad Taylor?

Brady is back on a Friday after the Mariners win their first series of the year against the Houston Astros! What can we take, if anything, from that crazy comeback on Wednesday? And how do the M's handle the roster in the wake of injuries to Victor Robles and Ryan Bliss? And Randy Arozarena had the big moments on Wednesday, but who exactly is he as a player? And we're joined by two great guests: Cal Raleigh's dad, Todd, stops by to talk about Cal's new contract and Dr. Michael Fu stops by.He's an orthopedic surgeon and shoulder expert who is the former team doctor for the Chicago White Sox. He tells us all we need to know about Robles.

Brady is back for his weekly conversation with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney. They talk about the Mariners comeback win against the Astros and what it means moving forward, as well as Julio Rodriguez coming up in the clutch. Furthermore, what did he make of Victor Robles's injury and the M's roster moving forward?Are there any moves to be made to help things? And how is Randy Arozarena perceived within the game?

We are back on a very eventful Tuesday! First, the Mariners beat the Astros on Monday night thanks to some more late-game heroics from Jorge Polanco. What went well in the win, and what still needs improving? Also, Brady talks about the situation Dan Wilson found himself in in the 8th inning and discusses how it underscores the biggest flaws with the team.Then, what's the latest on Victor Robles, George Kirby, Matt Brash and Troy Taylor? And then we speak to TJ and Lyle from the Marine Layer Podcast about how they got their start, how they've grown and more.Also: Thursday's episode will feature Buster Olney of ESPN and Friday will feature Cal Raleigh's dad, Todd Raleigh! 

Brady is back on a Friday talking about the M's 3-4 start and the type of "torture ball" they play. He says everything seems hard and tense as they roll into San Francisco for the first road trip of the year. Then, we talk about the continued impact of George Kirby's absence, the rotation over the next few days and we're joined by two great guests:Former M's All-Star and current MLB Network host Harold Reynolds stops by, as does Chis Correa of the Turlock Journal, who covers the Modesto Nuts. They open their season on Friday against the San Jose Giants.

Brady is joined by ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney for their weekly chat about the Mariners. Seattle is out to a 3-4 start and the offense looks like a problem again, so what's going on? Also, after Garrett Crochet signed a massive contract extension with the Red Sox, what does that mean for a possible deal for Logan Gilbert and George Kirby?And, an A's broadcaster took a shot at Julio Rodriguez recently, so we ask Buster how Julio is perceived throughout the game, and how good are the Giants, who the M's play this weekend?

As promised, I'm back for a second episode of the day, with this one explaining more about my trip to Seattle. What did I see, did I have any down time? What's it like behind the scenes as you cover a team daily, and who did I meet? Furthermore, we play some of the audio from the trip, including from Dan Wilson and Cal Raleigh. Also, why are Suzyn Waldman and a guy from the A's postgame show taking shots at the M's?

Brady is jetlagged as all hell from his trip back to the East Coast after spending five days in Seattle, but he's got takeaways from the M's 2-3 start, including all the reasons why it's so disappointing. However, there are a few things that have gone well.Furthermore, the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers are out to a 3-0 start and we're joined by the broadcast duo of Andy Helwig and Rylee Pay for a special conversation.Also*** Brady is putting out a special second episode on Tuesday with more about his trip to Seattle specifically, whereas this focuses on pure baseball.

Brady is back with a special Opening Day edition of his talk with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney! The two talk about the opening series with the Athletics, the impact of the Cal Raleigh contract extension and if it helps lock up some of the young pitchers too. Furthermore, they talk about if Julio Rodriguez could leave CF to preserve his health, and they discuss the release of Mitch Haniger.

Brady is back for the last episode of the offseason! With spring training now behind us, it's off to Seattle where the M's will open up with the A's for a four-game series.We take a look at the decision by the Mariners to release Mitch Haniger and relive some of Haniger's best moments in Seattle. And we wonder, did Haniger want to be released?Then, Brady says the Mariners will win the American League West, but he's not the only one. Who else is buying in?And former big league reliever Dan Winkler stops by to talk about his career, some M's adjacent storylines and his job at Driveline Baseball, a Seattle-based company that is all the rage among offseason training.

Brady is back on a Friday as we are inside one week until Opening Day. The Mariners have an obnoxiously big jersey patch now, but Brady only cares about one thing.Furthermore, is Rowdy Tellez getting too much grief, and how does he impact the rest of the lineup? Also, Greg Amsinger of the MLB Network had some interesting thoughts on Dan Wilson vs. Scott Servais.

Brady sits down for his weekly conversation with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney to talk about the M's losing their dominance in the Japanese market, the new partnership with Nintendo and how much that matters and the decision to start Logan Gilbert over Luis Castillo on Opening Day.Furthermore, we talk about Mitch Haniger's roster spot and how teams view high-priced but struggling players, and George Kirby's injury since he hasn't started throwing yet.

With now less than 10 days until the Mariners opener, Brady is back, talking about the team's 7-17 record in spring training and how much it matters. Then, he talks about the team's loss of the Japanese market that they used to have cornered.Furthermore, what do the M's do with Mitch Haniger and his roster spot as the final roster battle ensues, and how nervous are we about the bullpen? Then, our friend Patrick @MarinerMuse stops by to talk Haniger, his memories of the COVID Mariners, bullpen battles and much more.Also, Tai Peete and Jurrangelo Cijntje put the world on notice during the spring breakout game. 

The Mariners and Diamondbacks were postponed on Thursday so we react further to our most recent interview with Buster Olney. Should we be more worried about George Kirby's injury and what are evaluators saying about Julio Rodriguez this spring?Also, how much does comfort matter for Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver in year two?Then, Mariners on SI reporter Teren Kowatsch joins us from spring training to talk about the battles for the last spots on the roster, the Kirby update from the team and talking with M's prospect Felnin Celesten.

We're joined by ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney for our usual Thursday interview, as he talks about Julio Rodriguez's hot spring training and the adjustments he's made at the plate. Furthermore, we talk about Edgar Martinez's role as hitting coach, Andres Munoz's perception around baseball and the Jerry Dipoto interview in The Athletic from last week.

Brady is back on a Tuesday, having a little memory lane about the 2020 COVID-era Mariners as we hit the five-year anniversary of the sports world shutting down. Do you remember some of these guys playing for the M's at all?Then, Mitch Garver and George Kirby are injured - how worried should we be?And, we're joined by M's two-way prospect Grant Knipp, who was named to the "Spring Breakout" roster for this Friday.

It's a jam-packed Friday edition of the podcast, as we break down the interview from Jerry Dipoto in The Athletic and Justin Turner's scathing comments to USA Today.Which interview is more important? More interesting? And what are the points out of the interviews that really matter? We break all of it down and we talk with former big-league All-Star Sean Casey, who now works with the MLB Network.What are his memories of playing in the 2001 All-Star Game in Seattle and what does he remember about the Reds acquiring Ken Griffey Jr. when he played for them?And, we round the bases, looking at some actual baseball things the M's did over the last few days.

Situated in Florida this week covering games for ESPN, Buster Olney stops by to talk about the viral comments from former M's infielder Justin Turner, the state of the M's spending and more, including Jorge Polanco not getting much action this spring.

Brady is back on a Tuesday after the Mariners beat the Guardians in spring training action. He talks about his worry for Luis Castillo this season and his interest in how Castillo combats some worrisome trends.Furthermore, Jorge Polanco plays finally, but will he be 100 percent by Opening Day? And Brady is joined by OverSlot's own Joe Doyle for a long conversation in two parts about some M's nostalgia, his fandom, amateur baseball and more.Finally, the end of roster battle is heating up even more and the Mariners have two games on Apple TV before June 1 and Brady is irritated. 

Brady is back on a Friday for the longest episode in Refuse to Lose history (we think)!We talk about Kevin Seitzer's comments on Seattle Sports 710 and how much difference a hitting coach can actually make before moving into Buster Olney's comments on Julio Rodriguez's slow starts.Then, we're joined by former Mariners OF and current M's coach Michael Saunders from spring training and Brady talks about the idea that the M's could limit Jorge Polanco's at-bats in order to save money.Also, former M's utility player Willie Bloomquist stops by as he's now the head coach at Arizona State baseball, and Logan Gilbert talks about a possible extension on "Brock & Salk."

Buster Olney of ESPN joins us for the first of our weekly Thursday chats!In this episode, Buster relives the "Sunday Night Baseball" game in Seattle last season and talks about the industry perception of Jerry DIpoto. Furthermore, can the M's sign one of their young pieces to a long-term deal?And what's the deal with Julio Rodriguez's slow starts? And can a hitting coach, or hitting coaches, really make that big a difference for the M's?

Brady is back for a very special episode on his final day in Peoria. He tells you about the very positive future of the podcast and why it will get better and grow starting this week. Then, he tells you about his general experience at spring training and his thoughts on the M's camp as a whole. Furthermore, we hear from Donovan Solano, Logan Gilbert, Dan Wilson and Emerson Hancock. What's the latest on Jorge Polanco? And M's catcher Cal Raleigh joins the show!

Brady is LIVE in Peoria for a quick, surprise episode of the podcast! The Mariners are 0-2 in spring training and really, only one thing is standing out to him: The M's aren't doing the little things well, which is what they are preaching.But there is ONE specific sequence that stands out as a major positive for the group. AND, we have two major announcements and a major guest coming up on Tuesday's podcast.

Brady is live in Peoria for spring training! He tells you a quick story about his travel tales and his lack of sleep before getting into Jerry Dipoto's controversial comments on 93.3 KJR that didn't turn out to be that bad.Then, we talk about Rowdy Tellez signing an MiLB deal with the M's and Brady gives his observations from spring training's sights and sounds.Also, next week we have TWO very big interviews that we're excited about and ONE big announcement that will change the way the podcast operates for the foreseeable future. And it's all GREAT news.

Brady is back on a Tuesday talking about Cal's relationship with Dan Wilson, as evidenced by Ryan Divish, and what that all means for the M's organization.Furthermore, we talk about Matt Brash's return to the mound, Bryce Miller's growth, and Brady's trip to Peoria later this week. What's he looking forward to seeing?And former Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson issues a clarification on something from last week's episode.

We are back on a Friday and Brady discusses why the M's should call the Boston Red Sox about a trade for a now-excess infielder.Furthermore, Brady discusses Cal Raleigh's comments on Seattle Sports and how it shows that Cal is the team leader, and is bringing a much-needed urgency to the group.Then, we talk with ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian about Brady's trade ideas, his memories of Ichiro/Ken Griffey Jr. and his expectations for Julio Rodriguez.Finally, we heard Jerry Dipoto on the "Over Slot" podcast and it just re-affirms why Brady has always liked Jerry. Then, did you have any idea this former M's pitcher was still around? 

After a long offseason, we are finally back and ready for season two of the podcast, full-time!Brady opens up by sharing some plans for the Mariners on SI team this spring, including his trip to Peoria next week for spring training. Then, he talks about the Mariners ownership issues, the plight of fans and the plight of Jerry Dipoto.Furthermore, we are joined by former Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson, who talks about his relationship with Ichiro, and Brady talks about what made Ichiro so special to him.It's also the 25-year anniversary of the M's trading Ken Griffey Jr. to the Cincinnati Reds and we discuss Mike Cameron's comments on the deal.

We'll be honest.... the Mariners inactivity made it very difficult to podcast since the offseason began, but we are back for the first episode of 2025! We talk about this gut punch of the offseason, the proper team comparisons for the Mariners, the idea of trading Luis Castillo and much more.We also have a great conversation with Nick Pollack of "Pitcher List" about Castillo's regression, and much more with five weeks to go until spring training. 

We are back after taking a week off to digest the end of the Mariners season!We talk about the M's finishing up at 85-77 on the year and winning five of their last six games, but also about the missed opportunity the team had this season.Furthermore, we discuss the comments by Jerry Dipoto and John Stanton at the end of the season and Brady reveals his new mantra for the M's offseason.Plus, we take a look at some early questions for the offseason ahead.

Brady is back on a Friday discussing the Mariners being eliminated from the playoffs yet again. He discusses why this year was such a big missed opportunity for the M's and what the alternative facing them is.Furthermore, he discusses how much blame ownership gets for all of this and who else deserves part of the blame pie.Furthermore, sports radio host Mike Salk has angered fans with his recent comments, so we examine them and where they missed the mark.Finally, Aaron Levine of FOX 13 joins the show to talk about his outspoken criticism of the organization and Victor Robles got some love from the MLB Network. Plus, the Arkansas Travelers won the title in the Texas League.