Mike Blowers
Encyclopedia
Michael Roy Blowers (born April 24, 1965 in Würzburg
, West Germany
) is a former Major League Baseball
third baseman
and first baseman
. He is an alumnus of Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington
, Tacoma Community College
and the University of Washington
. He was inducted into the Tacoma Community College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
Mike Blowers also owns and manages Beach Wood Homes LLC of Fife, Washington, Keymark Real Estate of Puyallup, WA, and an assortment of other companies registered in Washington State.
in the 10th round of the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft
, Blowers made his Major League Baseball
debut with the New York Yankees
on September 1, , and his last game was on October 3, . His career batting average is .257 with a .955 fielding percentage. Blowers shares two major league records. He was the 13th player to hit grand slam
s in consecutive games which he did on May 16 and 17, as a Mariner, and he equaled an American League
record by committing four errors in one game at third base as a Yankee in . Blowers also hit for the cycle
on May 18, as a member of the Oakland Athletics
.
He is tied with Edgar Martínez
for the most RBI (runs batted in) in one month by a Mariner, with 33 in August .
and continues to work with Dave Sims
as the color commentator
on Root Sports
.
, Blowers predicted Matt Tuiasosopo
's first career home run. What started as simply selecting a possible notable player for the day's game became an extended humorous rant by Blowers. In the course of pre-game banter, he stated that the home run would come in Tuiasosopo's second at bat, on a 3-1 count fastball, and that the ball would land in the second deck in left center field. This then happened - with correct prediction of player, at-bat, count, pitch and general landing area - in the top of the 5th inning.
Blowers was on the television side of the broadcast when the prediction came true, and was simply laughing, with no explanation to the TV audience. Radio announcers Rick Rizzs
and Dave Niehaus, however, recalled the prediction, restated it for the audience, and were beside themselves in laughter and disbelief as the prediction came true. Said Niehaus on-air, seconds before the event, "I've never been so excited on a 3-1 count in my life!".
fries.
The tradition started on June 23, 2007 when a fan (John Sarkie) sitting on the first base line spilled his garlic fries on the warning track
while trying to pick up a foul ball. Sims and Blowers considered sending him some new fries if he picked up his tartar sauce
from the track, which he did. During the next commercial break, producer Curtis Wilson talked with Blowers, then had FSN Northwest intern Kira Elste deliver the fan some new fries. The very next night, a different fan brought a sign to the game asking Blowers for fries, and he obliged. The Mariners went on to win the rest of the games on that home stand. Since then, rally fries quickly caught on with fans.
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. He is an alumnus of Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington
Spanaway, Washington
Spanaway is a census-designated place in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 27,227 at the 2010 census. Spanaway is an unincorporated area near Tacoma, and is often identified together with the more urban, less wealthy Parkland....
, Tacoma Community College
Tacoma Community College
Tacoma Community College is a community college located in Tacoma, Washington, with satellite operations in Gig Harbor and the Tacoma Mall. It serves the city of Tacoma and the Pierce County portion of the Kitsap Peninsula....
and the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. He was inducted into the Tacoma Community College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
Mike Blowers also owns and manages Beach Wood Homes LLC of Fife, Washington, Keymark Real Estate of Puyallup, WA, and an assortment of other companies registered in Washington State.
Professional career
Drafted by the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in the 10th round of the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft
1986 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1986 Major League Baseball Draft was the 22nd MLB draft that took place in 1986. During this draft, five all-stars were drafted in five different teams.-First round selections:...
, Blowers made his Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
debut with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on September 1, , and his last game was on October 3, . His career batting average is .257 with a .955 fielding percentage. Blowers shares two major league records. He was the 13th player to hit grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
s in consecutive games which he did on May 16 and 17, as a Mariner, and he equaled an American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
record by committing four errors in one game at third base as a Yankee in . Blowers also hit for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
on May 18, as a member of the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
He is tied with Edgar Martínez
Edgar Martinez
Edgar Martínez , nicknamed "Gar" and "Papi", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and designated hitter. He spent his entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. He is the cousin of Carmelo Martínez.-Seattle Mariners:On December 19, 1982, the Seattle Mariners signed...
for the most RBI (runs batted in) in one month by a Mariner, with 33 in August .
Broadcasting career
He is now a Seattle Mariners TV and radio commentator. He worked along side the late Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave NiehausDave Niehaus
David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with the Ford C. Frick Award, the...
and continues to work with Dave Sims
Dave Sims
Dave Sims is an American sportscaster. He currently is the television play-by-play commentator for the Seattle Mariners, the radio play-by-play man for Sunday Night Football on Westwood One, and the host of Basketball and Beyond with Coach K on Sirius XM Satellite Radio...
as the color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
on Root Sports
Root Sports
Root Sports is the collective name for a group of regional sports networks owned by DirecTV Sports Networks, affiliated with the overall Fox Sports Net system...
.
Prediction of Tuiasosopo's first career home run
During the pre-game broadcast of a September 27, 2009 game between the Mariners and the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, Blowers predicted Matt Tuiasosopo
Matt Tuiasosopo
Matthew P. Tuiasosopo is a Major League Baseball utility player who is a free agent. He is the brother of Marques and Zach, and the son of Manu Tuiasosopo...
's first career home run. What started as simply selecting a possible notable player for the day's game became an extended humorous rant by Blowers. In the course of pre-game banter, he stated that the home run would come in Tuiasosopo's second at bat, on a 3-1 count fastball, and that the ball would land in the second deck in left center field. This then happened - with correct prediction of player, at-bat, count, pitch and general landing area - in the top of the 5th inning.
Blowers was on the television side of the broadcast when the prediction came true, and was simply laughing, with no explanation to the TV audience. Radio announcers Rick Rizzs
Rick Rizzs
Rick Rizzs is an American sportscaster and is the lead radio voice for Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners.-Early life and career:Rizzs is a 1975 graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. From 1975 to 1980, he handled baseball play-by-play duties at the double-A level for...
and Dave Niehaus, however, recalled the prediction, restated it for the audience, and were beside themselves in laughter and disbelief as the prediction came true. Said Niehaus on-air, seconds before the event, "I've never been so excited on a 3-1 count in my life!".
Rally fries
Rally fries are a tradition at Seattle Mariners games, home and away, wherein television commentators Dave Sims & Mike Blowers select one fan or group of fans per game to receive free Ivar'sIvar's
Ivar's is a seafood restaurant chain based in Seattle, Washington, United States, with operations in the Puget Sound region; in Spokane, Washington; and in Santa Clara, California....
fries.
The tradition started on June 23, 2007 when a fan (John Sarkie) sitting on the first base line spilled his garlic fries on the warning track
Warning track
A warning track is the term for the part of the baseball field that is closest to the wall or fence and is typically made of dirt, instead of grass or artificial turf like most of the field. It runs parallel to the ballpark's wall and looks like a running track...
while trying to pick up a foul ball. Sims and Blowers considered sending him some new fries if he picked up his tartar sauce
Tartar sauce
Tartare sauce is a creamy white sauce frequently used to season fried seafood dishes.-Composition:...
from the track, which he did. During the next commercial break, producer Curtis Wilson talked with Blowers, then had FSN Northwest intern Kira Elste deliver the fan some new fries. The very next night, a different fan brought a sign to the game asking Blowers for fries, and he obliged. The Mariners went on to win the rest of the games on that home stand. Since then, rally fries quickly caught on with fans.
External links
- Page on "Seattle Mariners" All-time Roster
- ESPN's Mike Blowers career notes
- Mike Blowers Fries Fansite
- Reporter Shannon Drayer's blog, detailing the predicted home run
- http://www.secstate.wa.gov/corps/search_results.aspx?search_type=adv&name_type=starts_with&name=&criteria=all&category=LLC&agent_name=Blowers&city=&zip=
- http://www.chapter11library.com/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=184539