Audio: Mike Marjama on retiring from Mariners to join National Eating Disorder Association
Jul 11, 2018, 1:17 PM
Mike Marjama retired from baseball over the week to help those with eating disorders. (AP)
(AP)
Mike Marjama began the 2018 baseball season playing the role of hero for the Mariners’ opening night win, stepping up when Mike Zunino was a late scratch due to an oblique strain. Now he’s out of the game – by choice.
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The 28-year-old catcher retired from the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate Tacoma Rainiers over the weekend to join the National Eating Disorder Association as an ambassador. Marjama, who opened up earlier this year about his own struggle with anorexia and bulimia, joined Danny, Dave and Moore on Tuesday to explain what led to his dramatic career change.
“It’s been a long decision process. This isn’t something that happened overnight,” Marjama said. “I still love the game, but it’s hard going every single day to the ball park and not feeling like that’s where you’re meant to be. … I decided with all these great opportunities at my feet and all these things that were left in front of me, it was a good time to just say, ‘You know what, this is it.’ I got to walk out on my own terms, and I know that’s something that we all as athletes really wish we could have and I’m very fortunate to be able to have done that.”
Marjama also talked about the role his faith and mounting injuries played in his decision as well as interactions with others who have dealt with eating disorders in the interview. You can listen to it in full in this podcast.
