Harger: From 1995 to 2025, how the Mariners still unite Seattle like nothing else

I’ve been listening to KIRO since I was a kid. I can still remember tuning in back in 1980, back when my mom thought traffic on I-5 was bad. We had no idea what we were in for back then.

I bring this up because there’s something I really loved back in 1995. When “The Dave Ross Show” would wrap up at noon, Dave and the new 12-3 p.m. host would do this 5-to-10-minute crossover segment, just talking about the news of the day. That new guy was Dori Monson. I was already a fan of his work on the old KING 1090, but now here he was with his own show in the KIRO big leagues.

Which was appropriate, because the big leagues were exactly what sparked their first memorable disagreement.

The Seattle Mariners were threatening to leave the city without a new stadium. The Kingdome was literally falling apart. That September, King County voters went to the polls for a referendum on a one-tenth of 1% sales tax increase to help fund the new ballpark. Ross and Monson actually did a live debate from Westlake Park. Monson supported the stadium, arguing that sports bring communities together in ways nothing else can. Ross opposed using public money.

The measure failed, barely. Just 50.2% said no. But then came that magical playoff run. “Refuse to Lose.” The Double. And suddenly everyone who voted “no” was like, “Well, on second thought…” Because nothing changes a voter’s mind quite like watching Edgar Martinez send two runners home in October.

For a brief time in 1995, we didn’t care about politics. We were united by Junior’s swing, Edgar’s doubles, Randy’s heat, and Buhner’s intensity. We all became one voice, usually screaming.

Playoff sports can do what politics never could: Turn strangers into neighbors for nine beautiful innings. Whether it’s the Mariners in October, the Seahawks on a Super Bowl run, the Sounders, the Storm, or even the Sonics back in the day, sports give Western Washington something politics never will: permission to agree. We high-five strangers, which in Seattle is already a miracle, and for those precious hours during a game, we remember what community actually feels like.

The magic is back with the Mariners

So here we are, 30 years later. The Mariners are on the precipice of yet another playoff run. And this team has that same opportunity: to bring us together.

Maybe we can step away from our toxic political feeds, where apparently everyone we went to high school with has lost their minds. Listen to the game instead. Smile at strangers wearing Mariners gear. Who cares who they voted for? We have this common cause. Maybe we’ll remember what it feels like to cheer for something together again.

Ross is still here, still a Mariners fan, cheering them on. And I can’t help but think about Monson. He’d be reminding us why these moments matter.

So let’s come together. Let’s cheer until our voices are gone. Let’s remember what it feels like to be one community, united by a crack of the bat, a diving catch, a rally in the ninth.

Guys and gals, we have this one thing we can all agree on. This is our team. This is our moment. Let’s go, Mariners. You just gotta love these guys.

Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here. 

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