June 26, 2005
I don't care that they lost
On Saturday afternoon, the Mariners played an awful game, losing to the Padres 8-5.
But they looked terrific doing it. I love just about any look the Seattle Raniers sported, but this road jersey from 1938 is just about perfect.
I tuned in late and saw the uniforms, but didn't know what to make of them. Were the Rainiers an old PCL team? I made a half-hearted effort to find out through Google, but nothing.
You would be correct there John. The Rainiers were originally the Seattle Indians until beer baron Emile Sick bought the team in 1938 and renamed the team after his Rainier Beer. He also built Sick's Seattle Stadium (the best name ever for a baseball park), which stood long enough to host the short-lived Seattle Pilots. Famous names that wore the Rainier jersey include managers Lefty O'Doul and Rogers Hornsby and players like Fred Hutchinson, Wilbur Wood, Rico Petrocelli and Vada Pinson. Some Rainiers history is available here.
Posted by: frinklin at June 27, 2005 01:12 PM