In 1977, the Seattle Mariners, a Major League Baseball team, were founded in Seattle, Washington. They compete for American League West in the West Division, and CEO Howard Lincoln is currently their agent.
Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo’s third president, was the main owner of the Mariners prior to that. He bought the team in 1992.
When Yamauchi intervened to buy the team from then-owner Jeff Smulyan, who wanted to move the team to Tampa Bay, he helped retain the Mariners in Seattle.
In accordance with the deal, which was made public at the end of April, Nintendo keeps a 10% ownership position in the team. But after serving as the Mariners’ CEO and chairman for 17 years, Howard Lincoln, the former chairman of Nintendo of America, resigns.
Yamauchi became involved since his residence was in Redmond, Washington, which is close to the Nintendo of America headquarters. This was done as a courtesy to the Seattle area and team.
Despite leaving his position as chairman of Nintendo in 2002, he continued to be the team’s principal owner until his dying in 2013. The team spoke highly of his accomplishments to baseball and the community of Seattle after his passing.
