The Seattle Mariners unveiled a statue of Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki outside T-Mobile Park on Friday, but the ceremony featured a mishap when the bronze bat in his iconic pose snapped. Ichiro laughed it off with jokes referencing rival Mariano Rivera. The statue was quickly repaired, allowing fans to pose with it.
SEATTLE -- A slight malfunction occurred during Friday afternoon's unveiling of Ichiro Suzuki’s bronze statue outside T-Mobile Park. As the tarp was removed, the bat attached to the statue snapped at the handle, tilting back toward his head instead of pointing skyward in his trademark batting stance. Ken Griffey Jr., who helped uncover the statue, joked that it was not his fault, drawing laughs from Edgar Martinez and Ichiro alike. Ichiro quipped through interpreter Alan Turner, “I didn’t think Mariano would come out here and break the bat,” nodding to former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera and erupting in chuckles as it was translated. The Mariners shared a humorous graphic of a bobblehead with the snapped bat, set for giveaway to the first 40,000 fans at Friday night's game against the Houston Astros. By the end of Ichiro’s press conference, the bat had been restored upright, and fans posed mimicking his pose. Sculptor Lou Cella, who crafted adjacent statues of Griffey and Martinez, designed it after consultations with Ichiro, including a photoshoot in his 2001 AL MVP jersey. Ichiro praised Cella’s work, saying, “I just couldn't believe what an unbelievable job he did.” He added a lighthearted note: “I was happy that I was still able to fit in that uniform,” teasing that Griffey and Martinez could not. Attendees included Ichiro’s wife Yumiko Fukushima, their dog Kikyu, former teammate Dan Wilson, and mentee Julio Rodríguez. The statue joins those of Griffey and Martinez on the first-base side, honoring Mariners Hall of Famers. Ichiro reflected, “There are a lot of people that haven't seen me play... when people come and see the statue, they're going to say, 'Hey, who is this guy?' And they'll be able to look me up.”
