A trip down memory lane with Larry Stone of the Seattle Times

Larry Stone has covered the Mariners for decades, but this season will be his last. I got to catch up with Larry to talk about the current Mariners, as well as take a trip down memory lane.

Dean Rutz/Seattle Times

For decades there has been one consistent voice covering the Mariners, Seahawks, and Seattle sports. Following the conclusion of the 2023 season, Larry Stone will be retiring. His columns have been a joy for so many years, and I was lucky enough to get to know him a little over the past year.

His start in journalism came following his graduation from Cal-Berkeley. He started as a sportswriter for the Yakima Herald-Republic in 1979, his introduction to the Pacific Northwest.

Larry has covered the Mariners for the Seattle Times since 1997 but got his start in 1986 for a smaller newspaper that no longer exists, the Bellevue Journal-American. He bounced around the Bay Area for a few years afterward but met his wife in Washington and decided to move back to the Pacific Northwest.

He was hired to cover the Seahawks during the 1996 season and ended up getting the job covering the Mariners for the 1997 season.

In addition to his fantastic work as a columnist, Larry co-authored the autobiography of Mariners legend Edgar Martinez and recently served as president of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

If you have been following the Mariners or Seahawks over the last 30 years you have certainly read much of Larry’s outstanding work. His columns always bring enthusiasm, humor, and an obvious joy for the game of baseball.

As a kid growing up watching Mariners baseball every night, I always knew I wanted to have a voice in the realm of Seattle baseball content. I never really knew how to make this happen, but for years I dreamt of becoming a baseball journalist.

Along with Ryan Divish, Larry has been one of the driving forces of my career in baseball journalism. His columns always captivated me and so many others, and I can truly say I don’t think I would be doing what I am doing today without his work.

I was lucky enough to have Larry join me for a trip down memory lane, as well as to talk about the current Seattle Mariners and their playoff push. Not only do all of us want the Mariners to make the playoffs and eventually a World Series, but their doing so would give him a chance to cover a World Series in Seattle.

I will link the video to our conversation below, but you can also find the podcast form under the podcast tab on the Sea Level homepage! Thanks again so much to Larry for everything he has done for Seattle sports, and me specifically.