Cal Raleigh gets a trim as Mariners celebrate 30th anniversary of "Buhner Buzz Cut" night

SEATTLE (AP) — When manager Scott Servais was told one of his Seattle Mariners players was going to shave his head to help celebrate one of the most popular promotions in franchise history, he wasn’t shocked to learn it was catcher Cal Raleigh.

“Cal is all in. He’s a Mariner through and through, so it didn’t surprise me once I heard his name,” Servais said. “He’s not the first one that jumped out but when I did hear it was him, ‘OK, that makes sense.’”

Raleigh ended up being the only player to participate as the Mariners marked the 30th anniversary of the first “Buhner Buzz Cut” night before Thursday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. The promotion started in 1994 as the team created a unique promotion around the popularity of outfielder Jay Buhner and his chrome dome.

The idea was simple — come get your hair buzzed in exchange for a T-shirt and a free ticket.

The event became a promotional anchor every season during the mid-1990s when the club's future in Seattle was solidified and the Mariners grew in popularity. Senior vice president of marketing and communications Kevin Martinez said there were 500 participants that first year in 1994, and about 700 took part in 1995.

But after Seattle made the playoffs in 1995, the event took off. A year later, more than 3,000 turned out to have their head shaved.

The event was held every year between 1994-99 and again in 2001, and a total of 19,391 people got their heads shaved — including 298 women — according to the team.

“Being here a couple of years I heard about it and obviously they were going to bring it back, so thought it’d be a cool thing to do,” Raleigh said.

With the night off from the starting lineup, Raleigh plopped down in one of the many barber chairs set up at a venue across the street from T-Mobile Park about four hours before first pitch. Buhner, a member of the Mariners Hall of Fame after spending parts of 14 seasons in Seattle, was right alongside and took off an initial layer of Raleigh’s hair before giving way to a professional barber to trim down to the scalp.

“It’s just hair. It’ll grow back,” Raleigh said. “It’s fun. We’ll look back one day and it’ll be a pretty cool moment.”

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has his head shaved by former Mariners player Jay Buhner on Buhner Buzz Night, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Seattle. The promotion is based on Buhner's shaved-head style. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Seattle Mariners barber Mark Basinger puts the finishing touches on catcher Cal Raleigh's shaved head with former Mariners player Jay Buhner, left, watching, on Buhner Buzz Night, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Seattle. The promotion is based on Buhner's shaved-head style. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has his head shaved by former Mariners player Jay Buhner on Buhner Buzz Night, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Seattle. The promotion is based on Buhner's shaved-head style. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has his head shaved by former Mariner Jay Buhner on Buhner Buzz Night, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Seattle. The promotion is based on former Buhner's shaved-head style. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, right, poses with former Mariners player Jay Buhner on Buhner Buzz Night, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Seattle. The promotion is based on Buhner's shaved-head style. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Former Seattle Mariners player Jay Buhner turns and jokes with the crowd as he shaves catcher Cal Raleigh's head on Buhner Buzz Night, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Seattle. The promotion is based on Buhner's shaved-head style. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan could have taken a chest-thumping victory lap Wednesday.

He bought an NFL franchise in 2012 that was the laughingstock of the league, one that had tarps covering seats and was preparing to potentially play several home games annually in nearby Orlando. Khan told anyone who would listen that he wanted the team to find success in Jacksonville.

No one believed him.

Relocation rumors switched to Los Angeles and then London and eventually St. Louis.

So years later, with the city approving a $1.4 billion “stadium of the future” renovation for the Jaguars, Khan had a chance to take shots at all the naysayers. He took the high road — for the most part anyway.

“I don’t get any joy out of proving people wrong,” Khan said Wednesday. “They can reflect and move on. But actions always speak louder than words. And from Day 1, it’s been like judge us by our actions.

"Definitely for the ‘Debbie Downers,’ (Tuesday) night was not a good night."

The proposal passed by a 14-1 vote. It calls for a 55-45% financial split, with each side contributing $625 million to the $1.25 billion build. Jacksonville, which won’t levy any new taxes to fund the rebuild, would chip in another $150 million in deferred maintenance to get EverBank Stadium ready for construction in 2026.

The Jaguars would play in front of a reduced capacity (no upper deck) in 2026 and then host home games in Gainesville or Orlando the following year.

The proposal includes a 30-year lease, a non-relocation agreement and a provision that limits the number of games the Jaguars can play outside Jacksonville.

Khan and team president Mark Lamping first started looking at stadium upgrades in 2016, with Khan prioritizing an organic and unique shape “that would be timeless,” he said.

The project became fast-tracked last year after new Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan took office. She spearheaded the city’s side of negotiations.

“Unlike Shad, I do enjoy proving people wrong,” said Deegan, who grew up in Jacksonville and was a news anchor when Jacksonville originally got the franchise in 1993. “I have been very petty in this process, saving every article, every negative tweet, every ‘no way you’re ever going to get this done.’ I’ve saved them all, and I’m relishing that today.”

The Jaguars agreed to take on all construction cost overruns, assume day-to-day operations of the stadium and bear 80.4% of game day expenses moving forward.

The proposed 63,000-seat, open-air stadium includes a translucent covering that’s similar to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It’s expected to keep out rain and lower outside temperatures by 15 degrees.

Capacity could be expanded to 71,500 to accommodate the annual Florida-Georgia rivalry, the Gator Bowl, a College Football Playoff game or the Final Four. Pools and a party deck would remain in the north end zone.

It’s the latest addition to Khan’s NFL ownership legacy. He has now contributed roughly $1.3 billion to the city, including $301.2 million for an ongoing shipyards project, $119 million toward a community benefits agreement that was passed along with the stadium renovation, $108.7 million in previous stadium upgrades, $80 million for a practice facility and $30 million donated to various charities.

Yet, everyone assumed he wanted to move the small-market franchise.

“Everyone wants to doubt Jacksonville, and as of (Tuesday) night, that should no longer be the case,” Khan said. “People can move on with other stuff. Not a good day for the Doubting Thomases. We did something very significant, but we got to remember our journey to last night’s historic night was long.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

FILE - Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan on the field before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021. Jacksonville approved a $1.4 billion “stadium of the future” renovation for the Jaguars. On Tuesday, June 26,2024, the proposal passed by a 14-1 vote. It calls for a 55-45% financial split, with each side contributing $625 million to the $1.25 billion build. Jacksonville, which won’t levy any new taxes to fund the rebuild, would chip in another $150 million in deferred maintenance to get EverBank Stadium ready for construction in 2026. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough, File)