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3 HOFers, a Game 163 and a future Commissioner: The wild story of the Brewers’ 1st season — in Seattle

The Mariners weren’t Seattle’s first Major League team. The Brewers were. Well, sort of. Eight years before the Mariners played their first season in 1977, the Seattle Pilots became the first Major league club to call the Emerald City home.…

Published: Tuesday, 20 October 2026 at 5:05 PM
3 HOFers, a Game 163 and a future Commissioner: The wild story of the Brewers’ 1st season — in Seattle
Key Things to Know
  • The Milwaukee Brewers originated as the Seattle Pilots, playing a single, chaotic season in 1969.
  • Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Carl Yastrzemski aided the campaign to bring MLB to Seattle.
  • The Pilots played a rare 163rd game in 1969 because league rules mandated replaying a tied game.
The Story in 60 Seconds

As the Milwaukee Brewers prepared for the World Series, MLB.com recounted the franchise's unusual first season in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots. Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Carl Yastrzemski initially helped campaign for the expansion team's stadium. The club finished its lone Seattle campaign with a 64-98 record, which included an official 163rd game caused by a replay of a weather-shortened tie.

Following severe financial difficulties, the Pilots filed for bankruptcy and were sold to a group led by future MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. The sale was finalized on March 31, 1970, prompting equipment trucks to redirect mid-transit from Tempe, Arizona, to Milwaukee just days before Opening Day. The relocated team replaced the Pilots lettering on their uniforms and debuted as the Milwaukee Brewers on April 7, 1970.

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