The News Tribune from Tacoma, Washington • B1

Yamauchi's death clouds Mariners' future Absmteeawner'spassing rcdsesquestiom about who xviUamtwlstrugglirigclub During only his first and last interview with a Seattle reporter, 13 years ago, Mariners majority owner Hiroshi Yamauchi was asked if rumors of his disliking baseball were true. "It's not a matter if I like it or not," Yamauchi answered. "I would not say I like it and I would not say I dislike it It's something like that, I would say." Despite knowing next to nothing about the Japanese language, I'm pretty certain Yamauchi meant he could take the sport or leave it Such indifference toward baseball made his original $75 million donation in 1992 to keep the Mariners in Seattle both a beacon involved in front-office decisions? His involvement in the day-to-day minutiae of baseball (transactions, roster moves, organizational coaching appointments) was probably minimal, but it would be naive to assume he didn't have some input on eight-figure contracts. Because Yamauchi kept his involvement with the Mariners See McGRATH, B6 FRIDAY. BBPTBMBBR 20, 2013 No lie: Offensive efficiency a must-improve I I I I 1 mf JOE MCHOUONyUSA Tbday Sports on lynch (24)1 mmM ma.

a nw no hi oimiiboho. mm. -a a wnipjpBn Hi um ii ii vmi tfiiiwii two 1927-2013 Japanese billionaire who owned Nintendo and the Seattle Mariners died Thursday of pneumonia complications at 85. Al of generosity and source of curiosity. Tb what extent was Yamauchi BY DAVE BO LING Staff writer i-Coach Pete Carroll encourages his Seattle Seahawks to engage in honest and critical self-evaluation weekly on what he calls Tell The Truth Monday." That process is going overtime this week, though, as the Seahawks on Thursday were still addressing their offensive inconsistencies in Sunday night's 29-3 thrashing of rival San Francisco.

Trie meaningful news at practice came from the defense, with the return of cornerback Brandon Browner (hamstring) to extensive work, along with continued action by defensive end Chris demons, who is fighting back from his January knee Mq0i school wmftais coiiwpqo on for the Mat AREA VENUES: 1983 23,000 JOHN MoGRATH Bullpen struggles, losses start to mount BY RYAN DIVISH Staff writer DHTKorr The Seattle Mariners' search for victories will have to continue in Anaheim, because there were few to be found in the Motor City. The Mariners on Thursday fell for the third time in four games at Detroit's Comerica Park. They lost, 5-4, to the American League Central-leading Tigers, thanks to another failed outing from an overworked and ineffective i ii a 1 Duiipen. yM Still, Mariners Yk manager Eric Wedge found positives. Tm proud of our he said.

raMn or mam "We gave them everything they could handle these past four days. We arent looking for moral victories, but I am very appreciative of the way these guys are fighting and stepping up to these teams at the end of the year." Moral victories might be easier to find than regular victories. With another loss, the Mariners (67-86) will equal the number of losses from last season. They have See MARINERS, B5 HMDMft Seattle (Erasmo Ramirez: 5-2, 498 ERA) at Los Angeles Angels (Matt Shoemaker: major league debut), 7:05 p.m., Root Sports, 710-AM GRAHAM- G-K's James dominates on ground BY TODD MILLES Staff writer When you can get Graham-Kapowsin football coach Eric Kurie to think about his glory days in the South Puget Sound League South Division, with those feared and talented Bethel High teams he had, that is saying something. And this Graham-Kapowsin team one that has beaten the top two SPSL South contenders in Curtis and now No.

2 Federal Way in the span of six days draws apt comparison. Behind four touchdown runs by tailback Teague James, and a stifling, sure-tackHng defense, seventh-ranked Graham-Kapowsin walloped Federal Way, 39-21, on Thursday night at Art Crate Field. Not only did Federal Way's 19-game divisional winning streak See PREPS, B5 bh. 31 BBOTIOM SUNDAY. Jacksonville at Seattle, 125 p.m., Ch.

7, 97J-FM, 710-AM surgery. Still, the lingering concern from the big win over the 49ers was the need to improve their offensive efficiency. "We really haven't been very good," said center Max Unger of the team's offense. "It's the penalties, the lack of red-zone production, inability to sustain drives, all that stuff, and ifs on us to turn that Although the Seahawks have captured the attention of a nation of football fans by going 2-0, they're ranked in the bottom-third of the NFL in total offense and See SEAHAWKS, B5 MNET JDBDVStaff file, 2011 ttw HKonw Donwowty winter hockey, PFTDIHAlVStaff photograph er The city's Dome has bem without ahome sports teamjbrrrwrrethcma and age have contributed to the vacancy. BY DON RUIZ Staff writer The Seattle Thunderbirds begin another Western Hockey League season Saturday at ShoWare Center in Kent, and the Everett Sirvertips will do the same at their Comcast Arena.

While those buildings are occupied by hockey this weekend, the Seattle Storm will drop in to the Tacoma Dome for a WNBA playoff game at 2 p.m. Sunday. But then the Storm will return north to KeyArena, once again leaving Washington's third-largest city without an indoor sports team to call its own. It has been that way for more than a decade. With an appropriate arena, the Tacoma Rockets never would have left town in 1995.

And with an appropriate arena, the Seattle Thunderbirds might have moved into town in 2009. But as the years have passed since the Tacoma Dome's opening in 1983, the building's size and increasingly its age has left it as a white elephant for minor league sports, bypassed by newer facilities of more manageable size such as the ones in Kent and Everett. And after hearing from a Chicago-based consultant hired to study the issue, Tacoma seems to have accepted that things will stay that way for the life of the Dome. "They came heavily down on the side of the civic area, and for a number of reasons," said Kim Bedier, Tacoma public assembly facilities director. "For one, the area is really overvenued already.

And, of course, it would take extensive renovations to bring it up to the requirements of today's leagues with the suites and all the amenities that everybody is looking for." What junior hockey and other indoor minor leagues want these days are fan-friendly facilities with seats along with suites, club seating, office and retail space, appropriate locker rooms, and an inviting environment for the patrons, including plenty of places for them to part with their dollars. When the Tacoma Dome was built, that might have been the checklist of a major league franchise. These days, it's the price of admission for almost any sports league. See DOME, B6 High school football, basket ball, wrestling and gymnastics Opened: 2003 Seaffeig capacity 10,000 Everett Sirvertips Tilted Thunder roller derby. Opened: 2009 Sports Seattle Thunderbirds hockey, Seattle Mist lingerie football.

NFL Chiefs coach gels win over former team Andy Reid's return to Philadelphia is a huge success as his undefeated Kansas City Chiefs beat the Eagles, B5 SOUNDERS PC WNBA PLAYOFFS Dempsey, Donovan and Johnson, oh my Storm in tough against top-seeded lynx The Sounders and Saturday's opponent the Los Angeles MVP runner-up Maya Moore leads Minnesota against the Galaxy, bring several giant soccer names together. B2 Seattle Storm in a first-round WNBA playoff series. B6.