The Seattle Mariners, led by catcher Cal Raleigh and his 60 home runs, are the darlings of Pacific Northwest baseball fans after winning their division. Now, they’re preparing for the playoffs, with games quickly selling out. 

The Mariners have been in existence since 1977. But before them, Seattle had another Major League Baseball team named the Seattle Pilots that lasted exactly one year, 1969, before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers.  

The Pilots left, to my understanding, due to lack of fan support. No surprise. Good old Sick’s Stadium, built in 1938, was in Rainier Valley and could hold only 17,000 fans on opening day, later expanding seating to about 25,000. But it was too late.  

The expansion Pilots, and their 64-98 record, had a tough time getting people to come to the ballpark. They drew about 675,000 people in their one season. In comparison, the Mariners drew about 2.5 million to 81 home games this year.

I bring this up because, believe it or not, I was there for two of those Seattle Pilots games 56 years ago and while I was a kid, I still recall singular moments from each. The rest of the games are a blank. 

The first was helmet night. Our dad took me and my brothers, maybe sisters but I can’t be sure, to the game they gave out free blue plastic helmets with the “S” on them. I recall looking out at this sea of blue helmets. That’s it. That's pretty much the only thing I remember of that game. Just a sea of blue helmets bobbing about. Funny, it has stayed with me. I can still see it. While my helmet from that night was later lost, I found one at a thrift store. It sits on display in my room at home. 

The second game involved a rarity in baseball, a double that didn’t count. 

Tommy Davis, one of the Pilots’ better players, ripped one into the outfield and settled on second base with a two-run double. But shortly, the announcer came on and said Davis was ruled out for batting out of order. The runs didn’t count, and the Pilots lost. 

In his infamous book, “Ball Four,” Pilots pitcher Jim Bouton wrote about this incident. Seems Manager Joe Schultz gave the umpires the wrong lineup card. Imagine, losing a game because the manager gave the umpire the wrong lineup card and a two-run double didn’t count. Kind of explains their losing record. 

The Pilots left town with little warning. Seattle sued to get a team back, built the Kingdome, and the Mariners took the field nearly 50 years ago. And in the coming days, they’ll be battling for their first appearance in the World Series. 

I have one more clear childhood baseball memory.

In the early 1970s, Bouton returned to pitch in Sick's Stadium, this time with a minor league team, the Seattle Rainers. He went the distance, I think, and won. But what sticks with me from that game was beating my little sister, Nancy, to a foul ball. Just as she was about to grab it, I sneaked my hand in and snatched it away. After the game, I got Bouton to sign the ball, and I still have it.

My sister later claimed I pushed her. 

Of that, I have no memory.

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Bill Buley is managing editor of The Press. He can be reached at [email protected]