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Monday Morning Pick-Me-Up: E3 and Jurassic Zoo

Plus, the Mariners bring Edgar Martinez back into the fold.

Seth Sommerfeld
Author: Seth Sommerfeld
2 min.read

The Force Is Strong with This One

This year’s E3 blew video gamers’ expectations out of the water. There were plenty of expected powerhouse entries showcased like Fallout 4 and intriguing smaller titles like Cuphead (which features hand-drawn animation in a classic 1930s style), but the week will be remembered for bringing back titles fans had long dreamed about but figured the projects were dead: Shenmue 3, The Last Guardian, and a Final Fantasy VII HD remake. But the one trailer stood out from the rest in terms of invoking pure jaw-dropping awe: Star Wars Battlefront. If battling it out for the Rebel Alliance or Galactic Empire as infantry, pilots, and more in massive multiplayer matches rendered with stunning graphics doesn’t sound fun to you, we probably wouldn’t get along.

Jurassic Fever

By my calculations, Jurassic World made all of the money since its release. All of it. There is no more money. The dinosaurs have it all. To get in on the blockbuster’s success with a little good-natured humor, zookeepers have begun recreating Chris Pratt’s raptor whisperer scene from the film’s trailer with their own animals. Welcome to #JurassicZoo. With these playful pics, they’ve managed to make something just as improbable as a bringing an extinct creature back to life: a meme that isn’t annoying garbage.

Sometimes Life Blows

When it comes to musical instruments, don’t sleep on the french horn. Or (as seen on Seattle’s Harbor Steps) do…

 

Desperate Times Call For…

Hey, remember when the Mariners used to not be a joke franchise? Remember when they had players who could hit the ball? (Cut to anyone under the age of 20 vigorously shaking their heads “no.”) Well the Mariners are reaching into the well of  nostalgia and hoping it leads to better product on the field.

On Saturday, the team announced Mariners legend (and should-be Hall of Famer) Edgar Martinez will take over as the club’s new hitting coach. Does he have any experience coaching? No! But the greatest designated hitter ever certainly was good at training himself to hit, and maybe that can rub off. Martinez has remained close with the organization since his retirement, and thanks to Edgar’s Cantina, he’s now probably the only hitting coach in the majors with his own restaurant at the ballpark.

It’s nearly impossible that the Mariners could hit any worse, so there’s basically no downside to the move (maybe he can even teach Mike Zunino how to draw a walk more than once every blue moon). It doesn’t hurt that this season marks the 20th anniversary of Martinez’s famed double to score Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr. and defeat the Yankees in the American League Divisional Series. Plus, it seems there’s a very small chance that this return of a ’90s baseball hero will end with him asleep on the job… 




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Seth Sommerfeld
Seth Sommerfeld
Assistant Editor (Arts) Seth Sommerfeld runs the arts department at Seattle Met, crafting the magazine's On the Town section, editing the Culture Fiend blog, and contributing to reader service features such as “The Ultimate Seahawks Guide” and the front-of-the-book department, Mudroom. Seth has written about music and culture for Rolling Stone, Spin, Pacific Northwest Inlander, Charleston Post and Courier, Syracuse Post-Standard, and Billings Gazette. He also extensively covered the NBA Draft for years for Fox Sports and NBADraft.net, and was published as part of Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology. Originally from Billings, Montana, Seth first lived in Washington while earning an undergraduate degree in journalism and broadcasting at Gonzaga University. He followed up those studies at Syracuse University, where he earned a master’s degree in arts journalism.