Seattle Mariners' Legend Expresses Frustration at Team's Previous Ownership Group

On Monday, the Seattle Mariners announced that franchise legend Randy Johnson will have his No. 51 retired by the organization in 2026. It will mark the second No. 51 to be retired by the team, as Ichiro will have his No. 51 retired in a ceremony this August.

It's a fitting honor for Johnson, who is one of the most important figures in team history.

He spent parts of 10 seasons with the Mariners, going 130-74 in that time. He had been acquired in 1989 via a trade with the Montreal Expos and stayed until he was traded in 1998. He had a 3.42 lifetime ERA in Seattle, tossing 19 shutouts and 51 complete games. The most intimidating pitcher of his era, he had 2,162 strikeouts with Seattle in 1838.1 innings. He helped lead the M's to their first playoff appearance in 1995, going 18-2 and winning the American League Cy Young. He also went 20-4 in 1997.

Speaking with the media after the news was made public, Johnson pushed back on the narrative that he "left" Seattle, and he also expressed displeasure with the team's previous ownership group that this hadn't happened already, and that he didn't get a chance to stay in Seattle. The Mariners were owned by Nintendo of America, represented by Howard Lincoln, from 1992-2016.

You can hear his full opening statement in the post below: