SEATTLE – Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais set about reconciling with the players who were directly mentioned by former president and CEO Kevin Mather in a video posted online. social and that led to his resignation.
The message in the last two days to those affected has been: they have every right to be offended.
“We are very open with the players and we ask the same of them. If they want to be angry, they should be. They should feel insulted, “Dipoto admitted Tuesday. “But at the same time, collectively they are motivated by what we want to do as a team.”
The video, which was released over the weekend, shows Mather voicing his opinion on the team’s managerial strategy and making controversial comments about some players. In a virtual conference call, he spoke disparagingly about Japanese Hisashi Iwakuma, a former pitcher, and Dominican prospect Julio Rodríguez, for their command of the English language. He also admitted that the team manipulated the service time of other young players.
Mather apologized Sunday and abruptly resigned the next day, but not before shaking the foundations of the organization that began training in Arizona.
Dipoto and Servais are angry.
“I’m embarrassed that this is the way they see us, because for those who have been with me or with Scott or the team, it is not how we do things,” Dipoto said. “It’s shameful to be labeled or dealt with the stigma we are in now and we have to get rid of it. It is something that we will have to assume and we have to take responsibility for that and find a way to grow and overcome it ”.
Seattle starting pitcher Marco Gonzales said after the first full-team workout on Tuesday that players are upset about the comments and irritated by the distraction.
Gonzales indicated that players see Mather’s comments as the opinion of one person, “who is not close to us. He’s not here throwing the ball. He’s not here hitting. “
Mather’s most inflammatory comment was about Iwakuma and Julio Rodríguez’s English language.
Servais mentioned his experiences in the winter leagues in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, and the Mariners’ expedition to Japan to kick off the season two years ago.
“That opened your eyes. That’s when you really understand what foreign players have to go through. Not only in communicating, but in understanding how to play at the highest level, “said Servais.” Nobody values that more than I do and it is something that I take with great sensitivity. “
Mather also sparked anger from the players’ union by saying that neither Jarred Kelenic or Logan Gilbert will be on the major league team on the first day as a way to maintain long-term control.
Those comments in particular drew backlash from the rest of the major leagues, and Dipoto noted that it’s a stigma the Mariners will have to embrace.
“Every player should become aware of the Mariners guy news,” said New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, one of the eight players that make up the union’s executive subcommittee. “There are many clubs that discuss that ( manipulating service time), unfortunately, and that’s how a lot of clubs act. This is a guy talking about players making money. The product is the people he talks so bad about. It’s kind of annoying. “
Both Servais and Dipoto assured that the decisions on the roster had not been made and that the plans for Kelenic and Gilbert were exposed and communicated to both players.
“All of our players know what their direction is, what their development plan is like, and we are very direct in sharing it,” Dipoto said.
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