Former Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella waves to the crowd during his induction ceremony for the Northwest Baseball Hall of Fame before a game against the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field in 2014. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Former Seattle Mariners Manager, Legendary NFL Coach Team Up to Go Viral on Internet

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 7:45 PM ET

Legendary former Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella teamed up with Super Bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden in a video released on Tuesday that has made its way through the internet.

Gruden, who now works for Barstool Sports, has been famously opening packages sent to him by teams all around the country. It's a great way for Gruden to connect with fanbases, and a great way for teams and brands to market themselves on a very popular platform.

However, Gruden rarely has a helper with him, and this time he had Piniella there, who reflected on his time in Seattle while the merchandise was being unpacked

Watch below, as Gruden opens up hats, jerseys, helmets, shorts and much more. Not surprisingly, there was a lot of talk about M's catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads the major leagues in home runs with 32.

It's baseball season and that means one of the biggest boxes we've gotten all the way from Seattle!

The Mariners sent over a great box and I had my friend and MLB LEGEND Lou Piniella help me open it!

Thank you Coach Wilson and the @Mariners... keep hitting bombs Big Dumper! pic.twitter.com/v6MuzinqHG
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) June 24, 2025

As a player, Piniella debuted in 1964 with the Baltimore Orioles, but played just one game there. He also played six games for the then-Cleveland Indians, but most of his career was spent with the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees.

His career took off in 1969 when he joined the Royals. He spent five years in Kansas City and earned an All-Star appearance. He then went to the Yankees for 11 years, retiring after the 1984 season. He was a Rookie of the Year winner and a two-time World Series champion.

Piniella spent 23 years as a manager for the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Rays and Cubs. He won the World Series in 1990 with the Reds and amassed 1,835 career wins. He also helmed the Mariners to an American League record 116 wins in the 2001 season. He led them to their first playoff appearance in 1995.

Gruden, 61, spent 15 years as a head coach for the Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders, as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in the 2002 season.

This article first appeared on Seattle Mariners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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