Former Seattle Mariners Manager, Legendary NFL Coach Team Up to Go Viral on Internet
In this story:
Legendary former Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella teamed up with Super Bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden in a video released on Tuesday that has made its way through the internet.
Gruden, who now works for Barstool Sports, has been famously opening packages sent to him by teams all around the country. It's a great way for Gruden to connect with fanbases, and a great way for teams and brands to market themselves on a very popular platform.
However, Gruden rarely has a helper with him, and this time he had Piniella there, who reflected on his time in Seattle while the merchandise was being unpacked
Watch below, as Gruden opens up hats, jerseys, helmets, shorts and much more. Not surprisingly, there was a lot of talk about M's catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads the major leagues in home runs with 32.
It's baseball season and that means one of the biggest boxes we've gotten all the way from Seattle!
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) June 24, 2025
The Mariners sent over a great box and I had my friend and MLB LEGEND Lou Piniella help me open it!
Thank you Coach Wilson and the @Mariners... keep hitting bombs Big Dumper! pic.twitter.com/v6MuzinqHG
As a player, Piniella debuted in 1964 with the Baltimore Orioles, but played just one game there. He also played six games for the then-Cleveland Indians, but most of his career was spent with the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees.
His career took off in 1969 when he joined the Royals. He spent five years in Kansas City and earned an All-Star appearance. He then went to the Yankees for 11 years, retiring after the 1984 season. He was a Rookie of the Year winner and a two-time World Series champion.
Piniella spent 23 years as a manager for the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Rays and Cubs. He won the World Series in 1990 with the Reds and amassed 1,835 career wins. He also helmed the Mariners to an American League record 116 wins in the 2001 season. He led them to their first playoff appearance in 1995.
Gruden, 61, spent 15 years as a head coach for the Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders, as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in the 2002 season.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
NEW PODCAST IS OUT: Brady is back on a Tuesday, talking about the impact that Cal Raleigh's season is having, beyond just the box score contributions. Furthermore, he talks about Julio Rodriguez's approach issues and what he wants to see, and we talk about if Raleigh will be able to handle all the increased attention he's going to get. Furthermore, former Mariners infielder Jeff Schaefer stops by with some great stories from the early 1990s M's. CLICK HERE:
FORMER M's SLUGGER FINDS NEW HOME: Mike Ford, who was with the Mariners in 2022 and 2023, will play in Japan again after signing a new deal with the Yokohama BayStars. CLICK HERE:
THE NEW FACE: According to veteran radio host Dave "Softy" Mahler, Cal Raleigh is the face of Seattle Sports. Do you agree? CLICK HERE:
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
