THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Time for me to put your faces to your names

We can’t keep meeting like this. 

I mean, we can’t ONLY be meeting like this. 

So, let’s get together. 

It’s been a while since I’ve put together a good old time with all readers welcome. 

I’ve done it in several communities where my mug appeared in the sports section, just as it does here. 

We did have a low-key get together here four years ago, a pleasant Q&A event out at Twin Lakes Village. 

Anyhow, we’ve GOT to do this. 

I know an awful lot of you by name, but many I’ve never met in person — and that needs to change. 

Here’s my question: When and where can we have a fun evening? 

Help me with suggestions. 

What about March, when Gonzaga is heading into the NCAA tournament and the Mariners are diving into the circus called MLB25? 

There’s a lot to discuss about Wazzu, as well, and how the new Pac-12 will come together. 

For some reason, it makes me laugh to think of the Zags landing in that conference in 2026, although a rivalry with the Cougs should be a healthy experience. 

OK, you know my plan, but I need your help.

Get in touch, and share your thoughts. 

A good time will be had by all. 

MEANTIME: There’s a lot going on besides working on my social calendar. 

For instance, the MLB winter meetings begin Sunday in Dallas, and bundles of national sources are convinced the Mariners will make a blockbuster trade. 

Everyone believes Jerry Dipoto will part with a couple of Seattle’s coveted minor league prospects to land bat or two — preferably belonging to infielders. 

Here’s a sneaky hunch. 

Jerry has already made an under-the-radar deal with Tampa Bay, fetching infielder Austin Shenton. 

The Mariners drafted the left-handed hitting Shenton in 2019, then sent him to the Rays. 

He’s moved back and forth in the minors between the same two organizations (it looks a little weird), until finally getting a shot with Tampa last year. 

Shenton plays first and third base — where he’s not considered a gazelle — and when he made it to The Show last year, he hit .214 in just 42 at-bats. 

So, huh? 

Maybe big-league pitchers will be able to fool young Mr. Shenton, but I want to announce that he’s got some pop in his bat. 

In 2023, he split 134 games almost evenly between AA and AAA, and hit .304, with an OBP of .423 for an OPS of 1.006. 

He hit 29 homers and added 99 RBIs that season. 

Over five minor-league seasons, Shenton has logged an OPS of .914 without absurd strikeout totals and numbers that suggest he’s willing to take a walk. 

He can’t run, having not even tried to steal a base in his pro career. 

Shenton is 26, so not a lost cause but also a guy who will feel like it’s his time to bash in the bigs. 

The guy is worth a try, but he sounds like a younger version of Mike Ford. 

Fingers crossed. 

OH, AND: You already know that pop megastar Taylor Swift is hooked up with Chiefs future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce. 

Surely, you’re aware that Swift attended several Chiefs games last season, kissed Kelce on the field after their Super Bowl victory and has helped make America aware that Travis and his brother, Jason, are very cool dudes. 

OK, we’ve gotten there. 

What you may NOT know, however, is that Swift’s humongous international fan base (she has 557 million followers on social media) is also learning to follow football. 

A huge group of them call themselves “Chiefties,” as a nod to the well-known “Swifties.” 

They are locked on the Kelce brothers, of course, because they believe no one has made Taylor so happy as big brother Travis. 

Amazingly, though, they are sticking with the sport. 

The NFL saw its female TV viewership jump 9 percent last season, and the Super Bowl had the same bounce.  

Critically, viewership from the year before grew 11 percent among teenage girls and 24 percent among 18- to 24-year-old women.  

There are savvy marketers in the world, in case you don’t grasp what’s happening with the Swifties. 

According to Front Office Sports: “Some health and beauty brands saw this coming, including Dove, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and L’Oréal’s NYX Professional Makeup, all of which bought Super Bowl ads for the first time in almost two decades (or ever).” 

That’s great, but when are the Chiefs and Taylor coming to Seattle? 

Note to Swifties: The NFL schedule release date is usually around April. 

Aw, you probably have that marked already. 

Email: [email protected] 

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens. 

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”