SEATTLE — Baseball is back. The Seattle Mariners' home opener is Friday against the Houston Astros, and to commemorate the day, KING 5's Chris Daniels shared a drink with one of the most powerful women in Major League Baseball.
Catie Griggs is starting her first full year as Mariners president of business operations. She was a non-traditional hire in that she didn’t have a long-standing baseball background. Grigg's previous positions include working for Atlanta United FC and Turner Sports among other ventures.
Griggs became the highest-ranking woman in the MLB last year when she was hired in July to replace former Mariners President and CEO Kevin Mather, who resigned following a controversial Rotary Club speech.
"I think it means we need more women," Griggs said. "With that being said, it’s privilege. It’s something I certainly don’t take for granted. I think it’s an opportunity for me to hopefully show others that it can be done, that there’s a path for people from a lot of different backgrounds."
Griggs shared a Cherry Coke Zero with Daniels to talk about her unusual path to the big leagues, how she’s shattering previous norms and her plans to get fans back into the stands and revitalize the organization.
"One of the reasons I felt confident enough to take this opportunity, to move my family 3,000 miles to Seattle is Jerry (Dipoto, president of baseball operations) and I spent an hour during my interview process walking all over downtown Seattle, and the very short version is both of us are here to win," Griggs said. "The vibe, the energy, the excitement – it’s palpable, and we just are ready to play."
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