The dream of the ’90s is very much alive for the Seattle Mariners, and it’s not just throwback gear and Sir Mix-a-Lot tunes. Last August, Mariners ownership fired its long-tenured manager Scott Servais and hired Dan Wilson, who played catcher with the team from 1994 to 2005, in his place.

Raised in Illinois, Wilson remembers the first time he put on a catcher’s mask, at only 5 or 6 years old, and falling in love with “being involved with every pitch and being at the center of activity each time.” In 1995, he and the Mariners won their division and electrified the city; 30 years later, Wilson faces the daunting challenge of leading the only Major League Baseball team to never have made the World Series. With fellow M’s legend Edgar Martínez by his side as a hitting coach, Wilson’s ready to be more than the man behind the plate; he’s behind the whole ball game.

This is a great group. It’s been together now for a while, it has some older players and some younger players. 

You look at the Cal Raleighs and the Logan Gilberts and the Bryce Millers. They’ve come up through the minor leagues together. They’re sort of homegrown products. Having that really roots guys.

Then you look at some of the veteran guys that we have, the J. P. Crawfords and Mitch Hanigers…just the leadership they show.

To get to the World Series is what these guys all want. I know this is a group that can win.

When I received the call in August, [Edgar Martínez] was the first person that I reached out to. 

What he was able to do offensively for our team, sort of change their philosophy and change their mindset, really was incredible. Instant impact.

As former players, when we get together we still talk about a lot of the things that went on [during the ’90s playoff run]. It’s a moment that gives you goosebumps, even as you look back on it.

When there’s a lot of success around the team, that’s when it really, really gets fun.

About 10 years or so ago, I kind of started to get back into the coaching realm with the minor league player development department.

The game really started to change. It’s the technology, it’s the analytics.

Velocities from pitchers are higher. Their ability to throw breaking balls is better. It’s just bigger and better than it was. Being around for that evolution was helpful.

It’s a hard game to play. You can never lose sight of that as a coach or manager. The guys that do well are the guys that study this game.

Off the field, I’m a little more reserved.

Being down in the dugout again, having that game time feel again…when it comes to seven o’clock, something switches and you become the competitor that you need to be to win a ball game.

The 162-game season, it’s such a mirror to life because it’s so up and down.

Baseball has traditionally been a game of failure. We talk about it a lot. You can fail seven out of 10 times, and you’re a Hall of Famer at the plate.

You’re tested every day. I think that the blessing and the curse is that there’s always a game the next day.