Lookout Landing Podcasts

Lookout Landing Podcast 144: Braden Bishop

The Mariners outfielder combines some very real, important conversations with some very funny, less important stories from his career

By Matthew Roberson, Kate Preusser, and John Trupin Jan 22, 2021, 9:00am PST

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0:00-21:00: None of us are doing “well”, in the traditional sense, but today we’re doing better than other days. Braden Bishop, outfielder for the Seattle Mariners, is on our podcast! Braden joins from the Bay Area, where him and his wife are expecting a new baby. He kicks things off by recalling his experience at the Spring Training shut down of 2020, revealing how he’s staying in shape, and making fun of Carson Vitale’s dance moves.

We have the first Instagram Live Q&A of our #BaseballBash going down in just a few minutes.

Head on over to our IG account as Major League Field Coordinator @carson_vitale chats with @GaryHillJr at 3 p.m.

https://t.co/Jnt2tNVteu pic.twitter.com/2PYQixaxtL
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) January 20, 2021

Braden teases a new project he’s been working on, which he hopes to fully roll out during the summer. For those who didn’t know, Braden also created the 4MOM Charity after his mother was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s.

21:05-38:25: How did Braden’s travel ball experience in California lead him toward activism today? What happened on a routine trip to CVS that altered his perception of America forever? The decision to scale back on Twitter, even though he was using it mostly to embarrass idiots, has gone a long way for Braden. Find out which former UW football player reached out to help him reach that point. What does his family, which includes several active police officers, think of Braden being so outspoken in support of Black Lives Matter?

38:30-50:25: What have other athletes said to Braden about being so open with his opinions? With so few athletes, particularly white MLB players, willing to speak out, he occupies a very interesting space. Kate points out that the WNBA has been leading the way for several years, while MLB is, uhhh…not.

50:30-1:12:25: Let’s get an MLB debut story! Braden had the (mis)fortune of debuting in Japan, during the game where Ichiro retired, as Ichiro’s replacement. To the surprise of no one, the Japanese fans did not like him. Kate pulls the curtain back on the Bishop family dynamic, or at least what she got to see of it while attending Spring Training. Then, we get Griffey AND Ichiro stories! Don’t say we never did anything for you. Braden then shares some memories about his first games in America and the “welcome to MLB” moments that came with it, including the list of All-Star pitchers he had to face right out of the gate.

1:12:30-1:33:00: In normal Lookout Landing fashion, we gush over prospects, talk about lacerated spleens, and fawn over Braden’s barber skills. We apologize for the loud laughter during this part. Pay us for better editing equipment, Vox.

Music: “This Thing” by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard // “Callin’ on Me” by Matt Martians