Dave Sims was in his hotel room in Minneapolis last April when his phone buzzed with a text message. Curious, he picked it up. He now wishes he hadn’t.



It was a group message from Jack Mosimann, Seattle’s director of major league operations. Mosimann had sent the message to the team’s traveling party of 65, which included coaches, front-office staff and broadcasters.



The Mariners had an off-day before a series with the Twins, and while the skies were bright and clear, the air was bitingly cold. The temperature hit 19 degrees but wouldn’t climb higher. A thin blanket of snow and ice covered the ground.



It was a good day to stay indoors, and Mosimann had an idea of how to spend it: Anyone interested in some pickup basketball?



“We transferred hotels last year in Minneapolis, going from The Grand to Loews,” Mosimann explained later. “Part of the selling package was we could utilize the Life Time gym across the...