Griggs, 40, grew up in North Carolina, rooting for the minor league Durham Bulls and acing her home-school schooling. She began faculty at age 14, at North Carolina State, and finally earned an undergraduate diploma and M.B.A. from Dartmouth. She was a placing departure from Mather, who — lengthy earlier than his incendiary speech — was the topic of a number of office complaints from feminine staff.
“The fact is we had some reputational injury as a corporation, each externally and internally,” Griggs mentioned. “By the point I obtained right here, it was extra about: Properly, who’re you? Is that this going to be extra of the identical? Is that this going to be completely different?”
She added: “I imagine I’m right here for a cause, and I don’t suppose that cause is just because I look completely different than the one that was right here earlier than me. I believe the explanation I’m right here is as a result of I’m the best individual for the job, and I might help transfer this group ahead.”
So Griggs scours the ballpark each evening, trying to find methods to boost views, scale back traces at concessions stands and make the most of baseball’s present to entrepreneurs: provide. The Mariners misplaced half of their paying prospects from 2002 (3.5 million) to 2012 (1.7 million), according to their tumble within the standings. But with 81 video games, almost 48,000 seats, no rainouts and an unlimited residence area to attract from, T-Cellular Park ought to all the time be a vacation spot, win or lose.
“The fact is, if we’re profitable 116 video games, the followers will probably be right here, proper?” Griggs mentioned. “That can make our job simpler, little doubt. However I believe these are the occasions once we actually have a possibility to, if something, up our funding. When issues are good — and I’m very, very hopeful that we’re about to have much more of these moments — that’s when you might want to be doubling down in your appreciation.”
Thus far, so good. After the group’s final homestand — which included a three-game collection victory over the Atlanta Braves that drew greater than 132,000 — the Mariners had been averaging virtually 28,500 followers per sport this season, their highest mark in 14 years.