The World Series champion Brewers started in Seattle as the Pilots

The Mariners are yet to win a World Series. But a major-league team that started in Seattle just did.

The Brewers won their first World Series in franchise history Wednesday night, beating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games. The Brewers have been in Milwaukee since 1970, which almost accounts for the team’s entire history.

But in 1969, eight years before the Mariners would play their inaugural season, the Brewers were the Seattle Pilots, the city’s first major-league team.

The Pilots played one season in Seattle at Sick’s Stadium on Rainier Avenue, which is now home to a Lowe’s hardware store. But, facing severe financial issues, the Pilots’ ownership group filed for bankruptcy less than a month before opening day in 1970. The bankruptcy court ruled that the Pilots could be sold to Bud Selig’s Milwaukee group for the price of $10.8 million.

The sale was approved in the evening on March 31, 1970. The relocated team, now named the Milwaukee Brewers, played opening day in Country Stadium exactly one week later on April 7.

Other World Series connections to Seattle

Beyond the team’s origin story in Seattle, the Brewers’ World Series roster had several (more recent) connections to the Emerald City.

While he didn’t have the biggest offensive performance in the World Series, Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers was a key part of the team’s postseason success. Bauers, who played for the Mariners in 2021, won the 2026 NLCS MVP award for his performance in the series against the Dodgers that ended in four games.

There was also a former Mariners All-Star on the Brewers’ staff. Daniel Vogelbach, a hitting coach for Milwaukee, played parts of five seasons with the Mariners, including his lone All-Star season in 2019. Vogelbach, 33, began his coaching career last season as a special assistant with the Pirates before joining the Brewers’ staff this year.

He was a vocal clubhouse leader and a valuable coaching voice for the Brewers, as detailed by Yahoo Sports’ Jordan Shusterman.

“He connects with people,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy told Shusterman. “He has the ability to tell the truth. He has the ability to be loving and bestow discipline on how you approach a pitcher. He’s great with information. He’s great working together with people. He’s fun. He’s the same every day. He’s high-end intensity. He’s real.”

And despite Tampa Bay’s loss, Ben Williamson, former Mariners third baseman, had a pretty cool World Series moment himself when he entered as a pinch-hitter in the 12th inning Tuesday and delivered the Rays a walkoff single to clinch their only win of the series.