Kevin Mather Resigns as Mariners President Following 'Inappropriate' Comments

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Seattle Mariners president and CEO Kevin Mather resigned Monday following comments described as "inappropriate" by managing partner John Stanton:

Mather has been criticized for his comments made to a Rotary Club on Feb. 5, which included criticizing both a Japanese player and Dominican prospect for their limited English skills while admitting to manipulating service time for minor league players.

Grant Bronsdon and Kate Preusser of Lookout Landing provided a full transcript of the comments from earlier this month, which included complaining about paying $75,000 for an interpreter for pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma.

"There is no excuse for what was said, and I won't try to make one," Stanton said in his statement.

Mather has been with the Mariners since 1997 and has been in his current role since 2017.

In 2018, it was reported two female employees had accused Mather of inappropriate workplace conduct in 2009-10, but he kept his job while Stanton said the team "made amends to the affected female employees."

Mather apologized for his most recent comments, which he described as a "terrible lapse in judgment."

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"I am committed to make amends for the things I said that were personally hurtful and I will do whatever it takes to repair the damage I have caused to the Seattle Mariners organization," he said in a statement.

There was more criticism outside the organization, with the MLBPA releasing a statement blasting Mather:

Major League Baseball condemned Mather for his "offensive and disrespectful comments":

Seattle will now move forward without Mather as Stanton takes on the role of acting president.