What Happened To the Seattle Mariners’ Vaunted MLBbro Revolution? | Only JP Crawford Remains From The Disband Of Brothers

What Happened To the Seattle Mariners’ Vaunted MLBbro Revolution? | Only JP Crawford Remains From The Disband Of Brothers

To start the MLBbro season off strong, MLBbro.com featured Kyle Lewis’ new start with the Arizona Diamondbacks after being traded from the Seattle Mariners in the offseason. 

 

Can MLBbro Kyle Lewis Regain His NL Rookie of the Year Swagger in Arizona?

 

After headlining “Can MLBbro Kyle Lewis Regain His NL Rookie of the Year Swagger in Arizona?”, It did not take long for Lewis to warn the baseball world about hitting the snooze button on what he can accomplish going forward…

 

 

 

Now that Kyle Lewis is establishing himself well in his new surroundings, his departure ends a potentially historical era in Seattle. 

 

Lewis One Of The Original Mariners’ Black Pack 

 

A few seasons back, the Mariners stood out as having a number of upcoming MLBbros in a day and age where MLB is noticeably lacking in Black and brown players. This subject was heightened during last season’s World Series that didn’t feature one MLBbro player on either team. 

 

MLBbro manager Dusty Baker made it clear that this situation is unacceptable to the point of embarrassment.

 

“What hurts is that I don’t know how much hope that it gives some of the young African-American kids,” Baker told The Associated Press at the time “Because when I was their age, I had a bunch of guys. [Willie] Mays, [Hank] Aaron, Frank Robinson, Tommy Davis – my hero– Maury Wills. We need to do something before we lose them.”

 

 

“I don’t think that’s something that baseball should be proud of,” said Baker, “It looks bad. It lets people know that it didn’t take a tear or even a decade to get to this point.” 

 

What Happened To All The Black Talent In Seattle Mariners Organization?

 

In Seattle, there was a MLBbro movement not seen since the Pittsburgh Pirates put out an all-minority starting lineup in the 1970’s.  

 

In 2020, the Mariners had 10 MLBbros on their 40 man roster. This was such a big deal the four of them (Dee Gordon, J.P. Crawford, Shed Long Jr. and Kyle Lewis) sat down with broadcaster Dave Sims, an MLBbro broadcaster to discuss life in baseball as a Black man. 

 

This time was special, something these guys mentioned in the 

interview via Seattle Medium…

 

“We definitely don’t take this for granted. It’s probably something that’s nerve been done since the Negro Leagues. I’m proud to be a part of this. I’m proud to be playing alongside each and every one of my teammates right now. Coming up we were one of the two brothers on the team. If that, so being a part of this has been something special,” said Crawford. 

 

 

 

Now those days are over. After having the honor of having the highest ratio of MLBbros in baseball, only J.P. Crawford is left as the only MLBbro representative. What happened to some of the others other than Kyle Lewis?

 

Justin Dunn:

 

After the New York Mets traded the MLBbro pitcher to Seattle, the Mariners brought him to the main roster in September of 2019. After an uneventful 2020, His time on the field was short when he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder strain that led to the Mariners decision to shut him down.

 

The Mariners traded Dunn to the Cincinnati Reds in 2022.

 

 Justus Sheffield:

Justus Sheffield Will Break The Ice For Black Starting Pitchers In 2021

 

In 2018, the New York Yankees traded Sheffield to Seattle in an offseason trade. In 2019, the melanated mound marauder struck out 37 batters in 36 innings in eight games. In 2020, Sheffield had a record of 4-3 in 10 starts with an era of 3.58. 

 

In 2021, our MLBbro appeared in 21 games (15 starts) with a 7-8 record with an era of 6.58.

 

In 2022, Sheffield was designated for assignment in 2023.

 

Shed Long:

 

After coming to Seattle in a trade from the New York Yankees in 2019, Shed hit .263 with five homers in 2020. After that leg injuries derailed our MLBbro’s tenure. Surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right shin ended his 2020 season and it carried over into the 2021 season before he was released after long bouts on the injured list.

 

Taylor Trammel:

 

Soul Patrol: Kyle Lewis & Taylor Trammell Give Mariners Dynamic Offensive Potential

 

 

After coming over in a trade from the San Diego Padres, He played 51 games as a rookie with a hitting slash of .160/.256/.359 with eight home runs and 18 RBI. After struggling in 43 games the next season, Trammel broke his right hand in an offseason workout that sidelined him for up to two months. 

 

He is not on the current 2023 Mariners roster.

 

Taijuan Walker:

 

This MLBbro pitcher played for the team twice. After being drafted in the 2010 MLB Draft and playing six seasons, he returned on a one-year deal in February of 2020. He was traded in August to the Mets where he went on to become one of two Bros to win more than 10 games in 2022. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies this past offseason. 

 

Tai Walker & Stro Show | Black Baseball History In The Making In Flushing

 

Carl Edwards Jr.: 

In the offseason before the 2020 season, Edwards signed a one-year deal with the team. He pitched in 5 games and collected six strikeouts before opting for free agency at the end of the season.

 

 

Declining Black MLB players on rosters bottomed out to 7.2 percent of opening rosters last year which is the lowest percentage since 1991 at 18 percent according to Richard Lapchick, the director for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida. Compared to the fact that a quarter of the Seattle Mariners roster were made of MLBbros in 2020, this could be one of the more amazing diversity achievements by an MLB team in decades.

Juneteenth & Father’s Day & Elite MLBbro Play Made This Weekend A Cultural Hit For MLB

Juneteenth & Father’s Day & Elite MLBbro Play Made This Weekend A Cultural Hit For MLB

On Father’s Day, Shed Long Jr. had his first home run of the season, a grand slam to lift the Seattle Mariners to a dramatic fashion. 

 

 

Daz Cameron also had a hot Father’s Day stick, to the delight of his former MLBbro Dad Mike. 

 

 

It was the culmination of a Father’s Day weekend that saw MLBbros take center stage, show up and show out. 

It was poetic that so many Black and brown players had big games this weekend, especially on Saturday.  

2021 marks the first year that America has officially designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday. 

As with so many things that intersect with the Black experience in this country, there is both pride and sorrow in the holiday.

Black players have been integral to the longevity and appeal of baseball, and yet part of the reason that this very website exists is to shine a light on those who have been overlooked or undervalued throughout the history of the sport.

No one got overshadowed this weekend. 

The Black Knights of Major League Baseball were swinging their swords with ferocity and leading their teams to victories.

From the National League to the American League, from newbies to vets, the crack of the bats could be heard across the country.

I don’t envy the job that my colleague Malik Wright will have in compiling his weekly High 5 of the best players of the week. There are enough stats from just the past couple of days that could have three times as many players getting some serious consideration.

Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come, with some balance being restored between offense and defense on the diamond.

Here’s a recap of some of the biggest plays and moments; in case you missed them.

 

Semien vs Mullins

Marcus Semien and Cedric Mullins put on a show at Camden Yards. The two combined to go 4-for-9 with five runs, five RBI, and four home runs between them. It was a night that was as good as it gets for two certain All-Stars.

Entering Sunday’s games, Mullins, who still doesn’t rank among the top-3 vote-getters among AL outfielders, has been having an amazing month of June. In 15 games, he’s batted .424, slugging .881 with an OPS of 1.389.

He ranks first in the American League in slugging and OPS this month while sitting second in both batting average and hits (25), and fourth in runs scored (15) and home runs (7).

Semien meanwhile has been the steady presence in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup. His five home runs in June have already surpassed his total from May, and he’s equaled his April output.

Two players in top form, showing up and showing out. What more could you ask?

Semien didn’t waste any time in getting the party started in Baltimore, leading off the game with a towering 405-foot blast to left field.

 

 

Down 2-1 in the third, Mullins answered with a solo shot of his own into the right field stands.

 

Baltimore was leading 6-3 in the seventh inning, when Mullins cranked his second shot of the day, giving him four in the series’ first two games, and the O’s a 7-3 advantage. 

 

 

Semien answered in the top of the eighth; leading of the inning with a second home run of his own, and cutting the deficit back to three runs.

 

 

Ultimately, Semien and the Jays were able to come from behind and take a 10-7 victory over Mullins’ Orioles, but no matter which side you were on, it was something to behold.

 

Bronx Brothers

Don’t look now, but the New York Yankees have won five of their last six games. Of course, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have been in the middle of the resurgence.

In taking the second game of their three-game series with the Oakland A’s 7-5, Judge and Stanton didn’t have to go deep to have their impact felt.

Judge went 2-5, scoring twice and driving in one.

 

Meanwhile, Stanton was 2-2, with a pair of walks and an oppo single that scored Judge, and tied the game at four.

 

After finishing the series with a 2-1 win on Sunday, the Yankees sit 4.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East with plenty of games left to play.

 

Houston’s Hit Machine

Michael Brantley is on fire. 

In 11 games in the month of June (he was out from May 24-June 7 with injury), he’s had seven multi-hit games, and an AL-best .475 batting average. His average has jumped 36 points, from .305 to .341 over that span, putting him in a three-way tie for tops in all of baseball.

Saturday night he delivered more of the same, going 2-4 with two RBI, and a run scored as Houston beat the Chicago White Sox 7-3.

The Grand Finale

J.P. Crawford is growing up right before our eyes. Now in his fifth season, he’s establishing himself as the Seattle Mariners’ leadoff man and shortstop for years to come.

Crawford had just one hit Saturday night, but he made it count. It was his first career Grand Salami. 

 

In the bottom of the 10th, it was Crawford standing on second as the designated runner to open the inning. One pitch into the inning, Mitch Haniger’s single brought Crawford home, giving Seattle their 16th come-from-behind win, and their seventh win in eight extra-inning games.

 

 

What made it doubly special was that Seattle was wearing the uniforms of the Negro League Seattle Steelheads. For Crawford, it was a moment he’ll never forget.

“It hit me a little differently today with everything going on with Juneteenth and wearing those jerseys,” said Crawford. “It was just so special to me.”

It was a special weekend across MLB for so many players, both on the field and in their hearts. With the level of talented brothers doing their thing on a daily basis, there’s definitely a lot of content for MLBbro.com to cover and deliver straight to your computer, tablet, or smartphone.