Seattle Mariners catcher causes a sensation with fantastic “Players Weekend” bat

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is already a popular player among the Mariners fan base, but he undoubtedly gained some new fans Friday night when he unveiled his custom Seattle SuperSonics bat during MLB's Players Weekend.

Adam Jude of the Seattle Times posted a picture of Raleigh’s bat on social media:

Cal Raleigh has a “Bring 'em Back” Sonics bat for Players Weekend and also one from Florida State.

“Bring 'em back” is a popular refrain among Seattle sports fans who want the NBA to bring a team back to Seattle. The Sonics left town (or were stolen, depending on how you look at it) after the 2007-2008 season. At that point, they became the Oklahoma City Thunder and have become one of the league's most successful franchises. Although they never won an NBA title as the Thunder, they had James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook all early in their careers. Durant and Westbrook also had great success with OKC, being voted All-Star multiple times. Durant spent one year in Seattle, the last year before the team relocated.

As NBA expansion talks gain momentum, Seattle continues to be mentioned as a possible landing spot for a new team. When the time comes, Seattle fans will be ready to welcome them with open arms.

But until then, people like Cal Raleigh are here to remind people of the importance of the Sonics to the city – and the region.

The Mariners are back in action Saturday morning when they face the Pirates at 10:05 a.m. PT.

NEW PODCAST IS HERE: The latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast is here. Brady Farkas talks about how the M's got steamrolled by the Tigers, why it's all so frustrating and more. We also talk about Julio Rodriguez's ankle issue, Colt Emerson's big day, the junior player rankings and the M's potentially big financial hit. Plus, ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney is on the show to talk about the M's on Sunday Night Baseball. CLICK HERE:

RUNNIN' D-MO: Dylan Moore also made personal history this week by recording his 22nd stolen base of the season. CLICK HERE:

GOOD FOR MIGGY! Miguel Batista, who pitched for the Mariners for three seasons, accomplished an incredible personal feat this week. CLICK HERE:

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