The Seattle Mariners unveiled a statue honoring franchise legend Ichiro Suzuki on Friday only to get a hard a lesson in bronze work.
The 52-year-old was a three-time MVP in his native Japan before famously crossing the Pacific and dazzling American baseball fans for another 19 years. He would go on to earn the 2001 American League MVP, 10 All-Star nods and as many Gold Gloves while keeping the Mariners competitive for the better part of his 14 years in Seattle.
So, in addition to retiring his No. 51, the team announced plans in August to immortalize the Hall-of-Fame right fielder with a bronze statue. The general idea was to capture his graceful batter’s box routine – specifically the moment the left-handed Ichiro would extend his right arm toward the mound while stiffly holding his bat perpendicular to the field.
And for the fans, miniaturized Ichiro replica statues were created as giveaways for Friday’s game against the visiting Houston Astros.
All was going according to plan until Friday morning, when it came time to unveil the statue. As the blue sheet was pulled downward, the fabric pulled at the top of the bat, which quickly bent backwards under the pressure.
Ichiro noticed the problem immediately, pointing upwards in absolute astonishment. Soon he and fellow Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. were doubled over in laughter as confetti continued to rain down around them.
As the blue sheet was pulled downward, the fabric pulled at the top of the bat, which quickly bent backwards under the pressure. Ichiro was among the first to notice the problem
The bronze couldn’t support the weight of the sheet as it was pulled from the statue
Known for his distinct sense of humor, Ichiro cracked some jokes about the incident
Always known for his distinct sense of humor, Ichiro immediately cracked a joke about the most dominant relief pitcher of his era, the New York Yankees’ Mariano Rivera.
‘I didn’t think Mariano would come out here and break the bat,’ Ichiro said, as quoted by MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer.
The team also showed a good sense of humor about the incident with a post on X.
‘Breaking,’ read the caption, ‘We’ve updated tonight’s Ichiro Replica Statue giveaway.’
The post included a photo of a miniaturized replica statue with a broken bat.
As Ichiro later explained, he wore his uniform from the 2001 season while modeling for sculptor Lou Cella.
‘I can say I was happy that I was still able to fit into that uniform, and probably could say Junior and Edgar probably couldn’t do that,’ Ichiro said. ‘So, I was happy about that.’
Ken Griffey Jr. is seen laughing and patting Ichiro Suzuki on the back after the unveiling
Artist Lou Cella reacts as the bat on his statue of former Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki breaks during its unveiling outside of T-Mobile Park on Friday
The Seattle Mariners poked fun at the incident with an ‘update’ for Friday’s giveaway
Ichiro also poked fun at his Hall-of-Fame selection, where he received 99.7-percent of the vote, saying he can use that and Friday’s broken bat as motivation.
‘In the Hall of Fame, I was short one vote,’ Suzuki said. ‘Today, the bat was broke. It kind of lets me know that I’m still not there, that I still need to keep going. So, this is a good example of that.’
Fortunately, according to multiple reports, the bat has been fixed and is now perched in bronze Ichiro’s extended right hand.
Of course, any statue of a famous figure lends itself to ridicule. A bust of soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo at a Portuguese airport was such an eyesore it was ultimately replaced a year later.
Other statues honoring New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams and Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan remain popular among sports fans, although a 2024 attempt to recreate Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade continues to be mocked.
