ARLINGTON -- Including Friday's game, the Mariners will play three of the final 15 games that will take place at Globe Life Park before the facility closes at season's end. While it would be a stretch to suggest anyone is terribly sad to say goodbye to the roofless ballpark in Arlington, where brutally hot summers have taken a toll on the players and fans over the years, select Mariners did offer some nostalgic reflection as the team prepares to say goodbye for good on Sunday.
Count third baseman Kyle Seager as one who has enjoyed playing here over the years. And who could blame him? Seager's numbers have been among the best of any visiting player at any point during the ballpark's 26-year history. Entering Friday, Seager sported a .304 average (89-for-293), with 54 runs scored, 23 doubles, two triples, 14 homers and 53 RBIs in the Rangers' ballpark.
His 39 extra-base hits are tied for fourth-most among all visiting players at the ballpark (he's even with Eric Chavez), and his 23 doubles are tied for third most, matching Chavez and Darin Erstad.
Seager, who broke into the Majors in 2011 and, as a member of an American League West club, has played regularly in Arlington, didn't cite a specific reason why he hits so well there. Rather, he surmised that having some success early on may have bred confidence.
"I don't know what it is. It's a good place to hit," Seager said. "It's always warm. There's humidity. It's easy to get loose here. Infield can be quick at times. It's a big outfield. It's just a good place to hit."
Understanding the wind patterns might be advantageous, as well. Globe Life Park can be deceptively windy. The flags that sit on top of the center-field facade might be blowing straight in, but the wind is actually moving quickly in the opposite direction.
Or, as Mariners manager Scott Servais once explained to a perplexed Omar Narvaez, who didn't understand how the flags were blowing in but he was feeling the wind pushing out behind him: "It comes over the top, hits that press box and comes right out and scoops out."
Servais, like Seager, has fond recollections of Globe Life Park. The skipper worked as the Rangers' senior director of player development from 2006-11, and the club won the AL pennant each of his final two seasons with the organization. Servais also began his managerial career in Arlington, on Opening Day in '16.
"I have a lot of memories here," Servais said. "I spent a lot of time in this place. Clinching, having an opportunity to go to a World Series happened here. There were some low times here, when you're just trying to turn it around and your team is not doing very well. I spent a lot of time in this building. I managed my first game in this building, which I'll never forget."
Young influence
The Mariners will have a front-row seat for Saturday's pregame ceremony when the Rangers retire the jersey number of one of their franchise icons, former infielder Michael Young.
Seager, upon learning of the pending ceremony, lit up and said that Young was "absolutely one of my favorites." Seager added that he made positive adjustments to his game over time just by watching how Young operated over the years.
"He's not an overly big guy," Seager said. "He wasn't just selling out for home runs. But if you watch him play, he swung hard. He would drive balls through the infield, he drove balls through the gaps. I kind of looked at myself and said, 'OK, I'm kind of being a little more slap and hands -- all this other stuff.' You watch him, and it was all body.
"Just consistency with how he played the game and how hard he played the game, and I loved it. Physically, he's not any bigger than me or anything like that. But man, he hit the ball hard and used his body so well. That was absolutely a joy for me to watch."
Travelers game on prime time
On Wednesday, ROOT SPORTS Northwest will televise Game 1 of the Texas League North Division finals between the Mariners' Double-A team, the Arkansas Travelers, and the Dodgers' affiliate, the Tulsa Drillers. ROOT's Brad Adam will handle the play-by-play duties, and there will also be an added twist -- his broadcast partner will be Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto, who will provide color analysis.
With so many Mariners top prospects currently at Double-A, having the executive responsible for this influx of talent providing commentary during a playoff game would seem to make sense.
"It's something that's never been done before," Adam said. "It's a great opportunity for fans in the Northwest to see the top prospects we've been talking about all year. It’s a unique perspective that we can bring to the broadcast by having Jerry Dipoto in the booth.”