Lookout Landing Podcast 94: "Why I'm a Mariners Fan" with Jeffrey Veregge

0:00-13:45: Jeffrey discusses his upbringing on a Native American reservation, where baseball is competing for people’s interests with pro wrestling and Elvis, among other things. While he describes himself as a baseball fan (by way of the Bash Brothers) before a Mariners fan, Jeffrey came to love the M’s with a little help from his wife. Then, we move to baseball cards being a portal into the game.

13:50-24:10: A natural shift to young player talk and how that teaches patience. Full nostalgia comes next, with Jeffrey recalling his admiration for Mark Langston. The temptation of “What if?” rears its ugly head, but that’s nothing new around here.

24:15-32:15: Eat your heart out nerds, we’re talkin’ INTANGIBLES! Jeffrey mentions how much he likes a certain player that will not be named here. The one thing we agree, on though, is The King. Also, as Mariners fans, we’ve grown accustomed to seeing players leave Seattle and wind up in the playoffs. How do you approach that?

32:20-44:45: Where does Jeffrey’s excitement with the current Mariners lie? At what point do you start to question the Mariners and your allegiance to them? Jeffrey details the way his wife has helped his baseball fandom and knowledge grow. For instance, she patented the Justin Verlander-Tom Brady comparison. That spawns some lively banter about which team we hate the most. It’s worth noting that our back and forth about the Angels was recorded before they signed Anthony Rendon.

44:50-1:02:52: Looking to the future, or in other words…JULIOOOOOO! As per usual, the end of the podcast becomes a discussion on the discussion of fandom. Finally, Jeffrey remembers his darkest moment as a Mariner fan, which came in a game that didn’t even count.

Music: “Don’t Sweat the Technique” by Eric B. & Rakim // “Mystery Man” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers