Former Seattle Mariners third baseman and long-time television analyst Mike Blowers will not return to the Mariners’ broadcast team for the upcoming season.
Highlights
- Seattle Mariners announced the departure of Mike Blowers from the broadcasting team for the 2025 season.
- Fans and netizens speculated that health issues were connected to his absence from the team.
- Mike Blowers suffered concussions and stress fractures in their face in 2023 after a fall while running.
On February 20, 2025, the Seattle Mariners tweeted an appreciation post for its color commentator, Mike Blowers. The X (formerly Twitter) post writes,
Thank you, Mike! For 17 years, MikeBlowers made our broadcasts extra special with his insight, humor, love for the game and legendary predictions
Seattle Mariners
Thank you, Mike!
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) February 20, 2025
For 1️⃣7️⃣ years, Mike Blowers made our broadcasts extra special with his insight, humor, love for the game and legendary predictions 💙 pic.twitter.com/ZA513BWyRU
In its previous post, Seattle announced the team broadcast squad for the 2025 season, including popular faces like Rick Rizzs, Gary Hill Jr., Aaron Goldsmith, Angie Mentink, Dave Valle, and Ryan Rowland-Smith.
However, the list missed the Mariners’ long-run broadcaster, Mike Bowlers, and later confirmed that he will not return to the Mariners’ broadcast team for the upcoming season.
Notably, Mariners Hall of Famer Jay Buhner will rejoin the broadcast team, and Angie Mentink will become the first woman in team history to take on a regular role as an in-game color analyst.
Mike Blowers’ Departure From The Broadcasting Team Could Be Due To Illness, Though He Remains Silent On The Matter
As of February 25, 2025, there is no news regarding the actual reason for Mike Blowers’s departure from the Seattle Mariners’ broadcasting team.
However, netizens and Mike’s fans have speculated that it could be his health issues.
Netizens have continuously discussed the reason for Mike’s absence from the team. Meanwhile, the broadcaster has kept everything private for now.
With the Mariners officially announcing the end of Mike Blowers’ time as an analyst, let’s relive his greatest moment – which also happens to be the greatest sports analyst moment ever – resulting in one of Dave Niehaus’ greatest calls. pic.twitter.com/hhb10FLH6k
— Matt Loveless (@MattLoveless) February 20, 2025
In the previous season, Mike was frequently absent from the squad during game reporting, to which the team often hinted at his health complications, though not explicitly mentioned.
Similarly, on September 25, 2024, fans discussed Mike on a fan page, Real Seattle Mariners. One of them asked,
Does anyone know whats up with Mike Blowers?
Another fan hinted at health complications and wrote,
He is out dealing with something. We will keep it at that to be respectful to him and his family. We all miss him and hope he can return soon.
In 2023, Mike Blowers Suffered A Fall, Resulting In A Concussion And Three Stress Fractures
In mid-2023, Mike Blowers was sidelined for about a month due to a health issue. Two of them, one sequencing into the other seamlessly, created a hellish month of inactivity.
At first, Blowers dealt with bronchitis, a sinus infection, and the flu. After about two weeks of home rest, when he was ready to get back to work, Mike suffered an accident.
The color commentator suffered a fall while running, resulting in a concussion and three stress fractures in his face.
⚾️ Seattle Mariners Broadcast — Mike Blowers Update
— Sports By Chris Clough (@ChrisOnSports) June 21, 2023
Dave Sims tells Ian Furness on KJR that Blow is excepted back in the TV booth Monday. Mike has been out much of the season with health issues.
Good to have him back.
M's fans have missed his analysis.
📷 Mike & Dave (2016) pic.twitter.com/M9uDpOpZNU
Furthermore, the accident led to symptoms of vertigo, a sensation of motion or spinning that is often described as dizziness.
Similarly, Mike began physical therapy to reposition the crystals in his inner ear, which affect balance.
Despite this health setback, Blowers returned to broadcasting later in the 2023 season.
The exact reasons for Blowers’ departure have not been disclosed, and it remains unclear where his previous health issues influenced the decision.
Additional Information
- Mike Blowers made his MLB debut on September 1, 1989, for the New York Yankees, and his last MLB appearance was on October 3, 1999, for the Seattle Mariners.
- Mike was inducted into the Washington State American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame on November 14, 2015.
- Mike Blowers is married to his beloved wife, Nicole Blowers, and has three children.
