Mather talked about the ability of foreign players to speak English, the personal decisions of players and the team’s financial situation and the tactics the team used to limit youth service – a move that allows the team to maintain control over the player for more.
Stanton said he was “extremely disappointed” when he heard about Mather’s comments to the Rotary Club.
“I want to apologize to all the members of the Seattle Mariners organization, especially our players and fans,” said Mather, via MLB.com. “There is no excuse for my behavior and I take full responsibility for my terrible lapse in judgment (sic).”
Comments provoke outrage at MLB
The outrage over Mather’s comments spread throughout the league, including some of the individuals mentioned in Mather’s comments.
In the team statement announcing Mather’s resignation, Stanton said “[Mather’s] the comments were inappropriate and do not represent the feelings of our organization about our players, team and fans. “
“There is no excuse for what has been said and I will not try to invent one,” added Stanton. “I offer my sincere apologies on behalf of the club and my partners to our players and supporters. We must be and do better.”
Stanton will assume the role of president and CEO of the interim team until a successor is announced.
The MLB Players Association also strongly criticized Mather’s comments. In a statement, the MLBPA called Mather’s video “a highly disturbing, though critically important, window on how players are genuinely viewed by management” and said the comments provide “an unfiltered view of the Club’s thinking”.
“It is offensive and it is not surprising that fans and others around the game are also offended,” says the MLBPA statement.
Mather also faced controversy in 2018
This is not the first time Mather has had to apologize for his actions while working as a Mariners executive. In 2018, he apologized after two staff members complained about Mather’s inappropriate language and actions between 2009 and 2010, while Mather served as the team’s executive vice president.
“Throughout my career, I tried to treat people with respect and professionalism,” said Mather in 2018. “As I was moving up the ranks, I thought I needed to be an obstinate manager, but I realized that at times it seemed intimidating or even mean. I played games and was sometimes overly familiar, in ways that I realized were inappropriate in the workplace.
“At the time, I didn’t recognize how my actions were affecting the people around me. I am very sorry for the people I hurt and how I came across it. It was a humiliating experience and I tried to learn from my mistakes. I take full responsibility for my actions and I am grateful for the opportunity to change my behavior and the management training I received. I worked to become a better co-worker, a better leader and a better person. “
The Mariners said at the time that after an investigation into the allegations against Mather, the organization “imposed appropriate discipline, sensitivity management and training, and other corrective actions.”
The Mariners also revealed that the team “made up” with the employees involved.
“Kevin has learned from experience and has since been an excellent manager and executive,” said Stanton in a statement in 2018. “The owners of the Mariners took this into account, as well as the nearly 20-year work and performance history from Kevin, when considering him for promotion to president in 2014 and to CEO last year. We would not have promoted Kevin if we had any doubts about his ability to lead and meet our high standards. “