GOOD NEWS: The fans are happy to have him back, the former head coach of the Seattle Mariners.

Five Seattle Mariners who need to improve are ranked.

Servais has been running the Seattle clubhouse for nine seasons. The only manager of the team to have managed for as long is the esteemed Lou Piniella (10 years). As a matter of fact, nobody else even approaches Servais and Piniella’s tenure. The four years that Darrell Johnson, the team’s first coach, spent in Seattle come the closest.

For a team that has had 20 managers in less than 50 years, the kind of stability that Servais has offered the Mariners is uncommon, but for various reasons, many supporters would prefer to see him leave. Usually, it’s because of the offense’s deficiency, the way the lineup is put together, or the bullpen’s late-game decisions.

Is Servais a capable supervisor? When Tim Kurkjian joined Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton on Seattle Sports on Thursday, longtime ESPN MLB analyst Tim Kurkjian was asked that same issue.

Kurkjian claimed that “almost every fanbase whose team isn’t (playing) up to expectations is going to blame the manager.” It occurs frequently. That’s just how the game works. This team’s 23rd-place run total is not Scott Servais’ fault; it just makes me nuts because I don’t think it’s fair. You may motivate people all you want, but it is not the manager’s fault if you struggle against excellent pitching.

With 640 victories, Servais is exactly 200 wins shy of the illustrious Piniella as the second-winningest manager in club history. Servais has guided the squad to winning seasons in five of the last eight campaigns going into 2024. Apart from Piniella, who led the team to the postseason in 1995, 1997, 2000, and 2001, he is the only other coach to have accomplished this feat.

Servais led a team that many assumed would be an afterthought into the season’s last weekend, where a playoff berth was still possible in 2021. Despite ending the season with a minus-51 run differential, the Mariners went 90-72. The team had not achieved 90 wins since 2003. The following season, he and the Mariners ended the team’s 21-year playoff drought.

Kurkjian declared, “He’s one of the better managers, period.” “He understands what he’s doing quite well. He’s terrific with people and was a good player in his day.

You can use the audio player located near the top of this story or click this link to listen to the entire interview with ESPN MLB insider Tim Kurkjian. Wyman and Bob airs weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. You can also access the podcast via the Seattle Sports app.

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