CSS and Converge takes on Spring Training: Day 1

By Charles Hamaker 

Peoria, AZ – Members of the Circling Seattle Sports and Converge media team have headed down to Arizona for the final week of Seattle Mariners Spring Training! With Opening Day fast approaching and most of the roster having sorted itself, Charles Hamaker and Liv Lyons will be telling a few stories of new and returning players, the many characters of the coaching staff, and taking you into their eyes so you can see for yourself what it’s like at Peoria Sports Complex. On arrival night and day one, Charles and Liv got situated in Arizona as they prepared to get to work.  

We will be documenting our experiences after every day we’re here in Arizona. Stay tuned for updates, game recaps, player + coach interviews, and more. 

Arrival the night before 

Liv and Charles arrived at SEA-TAC airport a bit early, as they intended to watch the Seattle Kraken road game against the Dallas Stars in its entirety, considering the importance of the game to the team's playoff race. They parked themselves inside of the “Ballard Sports bar” in terminal D, witnessed the thrilling Kraken win and then immediately headed over to their gate. Following a three-hour flight with a big of turbulence near the end, they had finally ended up in Phoenix around midnight. Navigating a crowded arrivals terminal, with countless folks in their respective baseball teams' gear, they were able to find transportation and finally arrived at their hotel around 1AM. After some unpacking and preparation for posts for Circling Seattle Sports the next day, it was off to bed to get ready for their first official day at Spring Training.   

Mariners reliever Casey Sadley throws on the back practice area of the facility (Photo by Charles Hamaker)

Getting a lay of the land  

After a bite to eat, both of us headed over on a quick walk to the Mariners and Padres facility in Peoria. Upon arrival at the Peoria Sports Complex, we checked in at the main desk of the facility and received a quick tour of the building from a member of PR. After the formal tour, Charles and Liv decided to head back to the media work room to discuss the information they had just gathered before heading to the team store to grab Spring Training lanyards to commemorate the trip. After that, they took a self-guided tour of the facility and saw: the practice fields where Marco Gonzales, Tommy Milone, and Casey Sadler were all throwing live batting practice, the inside of the facility which includes weight rooms, team cafeteria and locker rooms. 

It was a key moment for the two to get their bearings and understand what they were able to access and what may be off limits as they prepare to get interviews set up and bring the experience of this Spring Training trip to readers and viewers alike following the Mariners historic 2022 season. Thankfully, the Mariners staff were very helpful for every question that they two had and seemed genuinely excited to have the team back on the beat for this year's coverage of the ballclub. That includes media members too, such as Dave Sims, Ryan Divish, Rick Rizzs, Shannon Drayer, and Aaron Goldsmith.  

Charles Hamaker uses the media work room to prepare for the game and other Circling Seattle Sports business (Photo by Liv Lyons)

Gametime vs the Dodgers 

Wow, I have to say: I was not ready for the speed of the pitch clock and how it affects the game. Considering how late we are into Spring Training, there weren’t necessarily a ton of media members in the press box and no other photographers on site outside of the Mariners team photographer. Despite all this, the crowd inside of the ballpark was great for a Tuesday night, as the seats were about 80% filled while the outfield grass open seating was nearly filled entirely for this game between the Dodgers and Mariners. Seattle had a large following, drawing cheers for Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez loudest, and a good overall attendance until the Mariners really began to pull away.  

Liv Lyons’ view from the third base photo well (Photo by Liv Lyons)

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Wrap up and prep for tomorrow 

Following the Mariners win against the Dodgers, immediately after the game had ended and everything had been packed, it’s time to write the game recap and begin planning for tomorrow’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. That game will be played in Goodyear, Arizona which is about 20 miles from Peoria. Outside of Saturday’s split-squad contest that will see some players travel to play the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale, the game against the Reds is the final road game that the Mariners will have this Spring Training.  

Tune into the recap of the Mariners win over the Dodgers from this day here

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