Ask Dave and Luke: How does Oklahoma City Mariners sound?

Luke Burbank says don’t even joke about selling the Seattle Mariners to Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett. (AP Photo/file)

“Don’t even joke dude,” Luke responded to an email from listener Pete in Spanaway.

Pete writes: Hey let’s see if Clay Bennett has some money left, The “Oklahoma Mariners” has a nice ring to it.

The idea of Bennett, the man famous for moving the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, picking up the Mariners, was brought up in a column written by Steve Kelley for The Seattle Times.

“Sell the Mariners, please,” writes Kelley. “Put the fans out of their misery. Offer the team to someone who is committed to winning. Mark Cuban, Donald Trump – heck, I don’t care if it’s Clay Bennett, as long as he’s willing to improve the product.”

“What’s gone wrong, at least according to Steve Kelley, is that this ownership group has consistently refused to spend money on big name players,” Burbank, said in a discussion of the column on Monday’s show. “We haven’t brought in these big name players which we need. The only way this team is going to win is if this ownership group sells the team and if the new owners are willing to actually spend some money.”

But listener Roger in Seattle writes:

Dear Luke,

In regards to your statement that the Mariners don’t spend enough is not accurate. Following is a list of money spent, rank of salaries paid and winning results. In fact the Mariners became the first team to lose 100 games with a payroll over 100 million in 2008.

YEAR SALARY RANK AMOUNT DIVISION RANK
2012       18TH                81.5 M       LAST
2011       16TH               86.5 M       LAST
2010       14TH                 88 M       LAST
2009       10TH                 99 M       3RD
2008       9TH                 117 M       LAST
2007       7TH                 106 M       2ND
2006       13TH                 88 M       LAST
2005       7TH                 88 M       LAST

I don’t believe it’s all about the amount as some teams with smaller payrolls than the Mariners are contending for the playoffs.

“I guess we do have the unique ability to, when we do spend money, also stink on ice,” responded Burbank.

Listen to all Dave and Luke’s Monday Magic Message responses:

Send
Dave and Luke your Magic Messages. Listen for their
response at 11:45 a.m. or listen back anytime ON
DEMAND.