Ichiro Suzuki's statue unveiling has a mishap as bat snaps during ceremony
AP News • • sports
Key Points:
- Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki's statue unveiling at T-Mobile Park featured a humorous mishap when the bronze bat broke and fell during the ceremony.
- Suzuki joked about the broken bat, referencing New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, and appeared to find the incident amusing.
- The Mariners quickly repaired the statue, which was sculpted by Lou Cella, who also created statues of other Seattle sports legends.
- Suzuki wore his 2001 MVP and Rookie of the Year season jersey for the statue photo shoot, expressing pride in still fitting the uniform.
- Suzuki, the first Japanese-born player inducted into the Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote, reflected on the broken bat as a symbol of ongoing effort and humility.
