Howard Lincoln, Mariners Owner, Retires: Latest Comments and Reaction

Seattle Mariners owner Howard Lincoln has retired, the organization announced on Wednesday.

Mike Salk of 710 ESPN Seattle first reported that Lincoln would be retiring.

Minority owner John Stanton will take over as Chairman and CEO, per the Mariners. 

The Mariners provided a statement from Stanton: 

The Mariners remained owned on a majority basis by Nintendo of America. Per Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, "Lincoln is the company’s voice on the team’s board of directors and had essentially become its de facto owner given the limited involvement of the Japanese company in Mariners affairs."

Lincoln, 76, took over as the Mariners' CEO in September 1999 and has often "been credited with the team’s expansion into Japan, a market from which they’ve signed star players including Ichiro Suzuki, Hisashi Iwakuma and Kazuhiro Sasaki," per 710 ESPN Seattle's Brent Stecker.

Under Lincoln, the Mariners have had seven winning seasons and reached the postseason twice. According to Baker, the organization has grown dramatically and is now worth in excess of $1 billion.

A major part of that financial growth was assured in 2013, when the team and DirecTV formed a regional sports network, Root Sports Northwest, much like the New York Yankees did with the Yes Network and the Boston Red Sox did with NESN, to name two examples. 

The Mariners are currently 11-9 and in first place in the AL West.

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