Ichiro Statue Unveiling: Bat Breaks, Ichiro Jokingly Credits Rivera for the 'Save'
During the unveiling of Ichiro Suzuki's statue at the Mariners' home stadium, the bat on the statue unexpectedly broke. Ichiro humorously attributed the incident to Mariano Rivera, the former Yankees closer known for breaking bats with his cutter. Ichiro, who was inducted into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame last summer, is the third player in Mariners history to have his number retired.
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- 📰 Published: April 11, 2026 at 09:49
- 🔍 Collected: April 11, 2026 at 12:00 (2h 11m after Published)
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The Associated Press reported that the Mariners unveiled Ichiro Suzuki's statue at their home stadium today. The announcer shouted a countdown starting from 51, symbolizing Ichiro's jersey number. Unexpectedly, after the curtain covering the statue was pulled down, the bat on the statue snapped, and a clear sound could be heard at the scene.
Regarding this accident, Ichiro Suzuki humorously said through an interpreter that Mariano Rivera had defeated him once again.
Ichiro Suzuki said, "I didn't expect Rivera to come here," and "he even broke the bat."
Former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is the only player to be unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His cutter, due to its speed, quality, and horizontal movement, often caused batters' bats to break.
Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame last summer and is also the third player in Mariners history to have his number retired, alongside Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez, both of whom attended the statue unveiling ceremony today.
Ichiro Suzuki stated that when he took reference photos for the statue, he specifically wore his 2001 season jersey, the year he won both the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards. He quipped, "I'm glad I can still fit into that jersey; Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez probably can't."
Ichiro Suzuki is the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame, passing with a high vote rate of 99.7%, almost unanimously.
Regarding the minor incident of the broken bat, Ichiro Suzuki also jokingly said, "I missed a unanimous vote for the Hall of Fame by one vote, and today the bat broke again. This makes me feel that I still have room to improve and need to continue working hard. This is a good encouragement." (Translator: Qu Xiang-ping) 1150411
Regarding this accident, Ichiro Suzuki humorously said through an interpreter that Mariano Rivera had defeated him once again.
Ichiro Suzuki said, "I didn't expect Rivera to come here," and "he even broke the bat."
Former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is the only player to be unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His cutter, due to its speed, quality, and horizontal movement, often caused batters' bats to break.
Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame last summer and is also the third player in Mariners history to have his number retired, alongside Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez, both of whom attended the statue unveiling ceremony today.
Ichiro Suzuki stated that when he took reference photos for the statue, he specifically wore his 2001 season jersey, the year he won both the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards. He quipped, "I'm glad I can still fit into that jersey; Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez probably can't."
Ichiro Suzuki is the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame, passing with a high vote rate of 99.7%, almost unanimously.
Regarding the minor incident of the broken bat, Ichiro Suzuki also jokingly said, "I missed a unanimous vote for the Hall of Fame by one vote, and today the bat broke again. This makes me feel that I still have room to improve and need to continue working hard. This is a good encouragement." (Translator: Qu Xiang-ping) 1150411