‘It’s the lucky Cheetos’: Rick Rizzs credits his own superstition for the Mariners recent success

In early September, the Seattle Mariners’ playoff hopes looked bleak. However, the team has rallied behind a unique set of superstitions to turn their luck around, including mustaches, an “Etsy witch,” and the latest discovery, a bag of Cheetos.

Longtime Seattle Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs unearthed his personal good-luck charm several years ago with Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto, and they are using it once again for this very important stretch in the season.

“A couple of years ago, we needed some wins. Jerry tossed me a bag of Cheetos and said, ‘Maybe this will turn our luck around,’ and we won, and we kept winning,” Rizzs said on “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio.

Seattle Mariners’ good fortune spurred by a bag of Cheetos

From mid-August through early September, the Mariners underwent an abysmal 6-15 stretch amid a highly competitive playoff race within the American League West division and wild card.

“The Mariners were having a rough time, so we went with the Cheetos in Atlanta,” Rizzs said. “Jerry came into the booth and gave me a bag of Cheetos. We ended up winning that game 10-2. The next day, he came in with another bag of Cheetos, and we won 18-2.”

A key detail loosely written into each superstition is that the good luck charm must continue to be used until the luck runs out, or in Rizz’s case, the wins. The Mariners’ good fortune had seemingly taken a turn for the better, but could Dipoto keep up with a season-long supply of Cheetos for Rizzs?

“Game one against the St. Louis Cardinals, there weren’t any Cheetos. So I go into Jerry’s booth and ask, ‘Jerry, where’s my doggone Cheetos?'” Rizzs said. “Jerry got a hold of Trevor Gooby, the director of baseball operations, and he searched all around the ballpark for a little bag of Cheetos. He found them, Jerry tossed them into the booth, and we scored four runs. As soon as I got the Cheetos, the Mariners won the game.”

Since the Cheetos made a re-appearance in Rizzs’ booth, the Mariners have won five straight games, including a series win over the Atlanta Braves and a clean three-game sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals.

“The moral of the story is, don’t call superstitions silly, right?” KIRO host Manda Factor asked.

“No, it’s true. I got Cheetos the other night, and we won. Jerry brought Cheetos last night too, and they won,” Rizzs said. “It’s the lucky Cheetos, that’s why the Mariners are 5-0. I’m crediting the Cheetos.”

While the Mariners are currently partnered with Ivar’s, Dick’s Drive-in, Kidd Valley, and Moto Pizza, T-Mobile Park does not have a partnership with PepsiCo, which owns Cheetos.

Mariners fan turns to an Etsy witch in hopes of success

“There is a thing with baseball where there’s sort of silly superstitions, bizarre things that fans will do that they think have an impact on the game,” KIRO producer David Burbank said. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there is an internet sensation going on with Mariners fans: the Etsy witch phenomenon.”

The Etsy witch legacy began with a Mariners fan posting on X under the handle: @notB0bR055, claiming he had paid a witch on Etsy to cast a spell on the Mariners to turn their luck around. Following the Etsy witches’ spell, the Mariners went on to score 28 runs with 10 home runs in their final two games in Atlanta.

“During the seasons, whatever it takes to get going, you do it. If you think you’re winning because of that, you do it,” Rizzs said. “First, it was the mustaches, guys all of a sudden started growing mustaches, and we started to win a few ball games.”

The Mariners face off against a division rival, the Los Angeles Angels, tonight at 6:40 p.m. in their first game of a four-game series. Look for players like All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh donning a mustache, Etsy-witch-induced “chaos-ball,” and Rick Rizzs in the booth clutching his own bag of lucky Cheetos.

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Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Charlie Harger and Manda Factor weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio. Subscribe to the podcast here.