The Seattle Mariners faced an embarrassing moment Friday when their ceremony honoring Hall of Fame outfielder Ichiro Suzuki took an unexpected turn.
During the unveiling ceremony at T-Mobile Park, the bronze statue’s bat broke off just above where the hands grip it as officials removed the navy blue covering. Suzuki himself was present for the dedication, standing alongside baseball legends Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, and team owner John Stanton on the first-base side of the stadium. The legendary player covered his face with his hands and winced when he saw the damaged statue.
“I did not do that,” Griffey said.
The team responded to the mishap with humor on their social media accounts, sharing an image of a miniature version of the broken statue and writing: “Breaking: We’ve updated tonight’s Ichiro Replica Statue giveaway.”
“I didn’t think Mariano (Rivera) would come out here and break the bat,” Ichiro said through his longtime interpreter.
The bronze memorial captures Suzuki’s distinctive batting stance, showing him holding the bat perpendicular to the ground while his left hand crosses over his chest.
During his time with Seattle, Suzuki earned 10 All-Star selections as part of his Hall of Fame career. Over 14 seasons with the Mariners spanning 2001-2012 and 2018-2019, he maintained a .321 batting average and recorded 438 stolen bases.
