Seattle Mariners name Kevin Martinez president of business operations
The Seattle Mariners named Kevin Martinez their new president of business operations on Oct. 4, 2024. A 34-year veteran of the organization, Martinez was promoted from VP of communication and marketing. (Courtesy of Seattle Mariners)
SEATTLE - The Seattle Mariners have promoted Kevin Martinez to be their new president of business operations, filling the role vacated by Catie Griggs when she left the team this summer.
Martinez, a 34-year veteran of the organization, most recently served as the franchise's senior vice president of marketing and communications.
"Over the course of our search, Kevin set himself apart with his creativity, his vision and his passion for our team and our organization," Mariners chairman John Stanton said in a statement. "I had the opportunity, along with Jeff Raikes, to talk to outstanding candidates from both outside and within our front office. Kevin emerged as the best choice from a tremendously talented group."
Martinez was hired as the team's promotions manager in 1990 and steadily rose through the organization. He became director of promotions in 1993, director of marketing in 1996, and vice president of marketing in 2001. He was then promoted to senior vice president in 2017 and has held that role since.
"When I joined this organization 34 years ago I was a long way from Edison, New Jersey, where I grew up," Martinez said in a statement. "But very quickly Seattle, and this team, became home to me. And it was all about the people, both at the Mariners and in this community.
"I believe our team is on the doorstep of our greatest moments and achievements and my focus is working with the talented people within our organization to reach those heights on behalf of all of our fans."
While the team on the field has struggled mightily at times throughout Martinez's tenure, his efforts to effectively promote the franchise have been widely praised. His vision led to many of the team's most memorable commercials, along with promotions such as the recently viral "Hotdogs from Heaven."
"The fans are the heart of our organization," Martinez said. "We have always championed initiatives that keep our game fun and affordable and I'll continue to ensure T-Mobile Park is accessible to all."
Martinez helped create popular events like FanFest, this year’s Opening Week Warm-up, the Street Fleet and the Mariners Bar League. He was also responsible for leading the inductions of 11 people into the Mariners Hall of Fame as well as the creation and placement of statues for Dave Niehaus, Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.
Griggs left the position in early July to take a similar role with the Baltimore Orioles. The position was created in 2021 after former president Kevin Mather resigned following detrimental comments made in a meeting with the Bellevue Rotary Club. The role was split into two jobs, with Griggs hired to run the business side and general manager Jerry Dipoto being promoted to run the baseball side.