"Did Rivera Come?"... Ichiro's Bat Snaps During Statue Unveiling Ceremony

Seattle Mariners Hold Ichiro Statue Unveiling Ceremony
Bat on Statue Breaks, Ichiro's Joke Lightens the Mood

An unexpected incident occurred during the unveiling ceremony of a statue commemorating the achievements of Major League Baseball (MLB) legend Ichiro Suzuki (age 53): the bat on the statue broke. However, Ichiro’s witty remark quickly turned the moment into laughter, and the event concluded without further trouble.

According to Yonhap News, the Seattle Mariners held the unveiling ceremony for Ichiro’s statue at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, United States, on April 11 (Korean time).

The statue captures Ichiro’s signature batting stance and is the third such statue in the club’s history, following those of Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.

The unexpected scene unfolded at the highlight of the ceremony. After a countdown symbolizing his jersey number ‘51,’ the veil was lifted to reveal that the bat held by the statue was broken in two. The situation was so surprising that even Ken Griffey Jr., who was present at the scene, was seen covering his face in shock.

Ichiro Suzuki is smiling while looking at the statue with a broken bat at the unveiling ceremony. Photo by Yonhap News.

Ichiro then stepped forward and lightened the mood. Through an interpreter, he joked, “I didn’t know Mariano Rivera would come all the way here just to break my bat,” drawing laughter from the crowd. Rivera is a legendary closing pitcher known for repeatedly breaking hitters’ bats with his signature cut fastball during his playing days.

Ichiro went on to say, “Just like I missed unanimous induction into the Hall of Fame last year by one vote, I feel like today’s broken bat is a sign that I still have room to improve.” The club also responded in good humor, sharing photos of the broken bat on its official social media accounts, and the damaged part was repaired on site immediately.

After beginning his career in Nippon Professional Baseball, Ichiro joined Seattle in 2001 and made a powerful impression in his first season by winning both the American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. He later accumulated 10 All-Star selections, 10 Gold Glove awards, two batting titles, and a total of 3,089 hits in Major League Baseball.

Based on these achievements, he became the first player of Asian descent to be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2025. The Seattle Mariners also honored him as a legend by retiring his jersey number 51 permanently.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.