Things got so bad in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse during this discouraging season that one player reportedly threatened to “knock out” outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, the team’s highest profile player.
A “clubhouse insider” quoted in Thursday’s edition of the Seattle Times said: “I just can’t believe the number of guys who really dislike him. It got to a point early on when I thought they were going to get together and go after him.”
The story went on to say that coaches and then-manager John McLaren, who was fired on June 19, intervened when one player was overheard talking about wanting to “knock him out.”
PHOTO: AFP
A meeting was called to clear the air.
Pitcher J.J. Putz said he didn’t remember any such incident and said there was no meeting to talk about it.
“It’s very troubling if it was a player who said that,” Putz said. “People have a lot of differences of opinion on a lot of things, but to say something like that in the paper and not fess up as to who it is, whoever said it is a coward.”
Suzuki, who got off to a slow start, reached 3,000 hits combined in Japan and the US on July 29. He achieved 200 hits on Sept. 17 for the eighth straight season, matching a Major League Baseball record.
But rumors persist that some players believe he is selfish and more interested in his hit totals than the team’s success.
Mariners manager Jim Riggleman also said he doesn’t remember any such clubhouse turmoil centered on Suzuki, nor a meeting to deal with it.
Riggleman said the real reason for the malcontent this season is simply the weariness of losing. The Mariners, with a US$117 million payroll and big expectations, have lost 100 games for the fourth time in club history, and the first time since 1983.
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who
REUNION: Former Barcelona players Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Miami coach Javier Mascherano are to face their former coach Luis Enrique Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi faces a tantalizing reunion with former club Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup last 16 after both sides on Monday progressed to the knockout phase. Miami drew 2-2 with Palmeiras to go through second in Group A, after the Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to seal top spot. They now face an all-Brazil clash against Botafogo, who lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid, but progressed from Group B in second at the expense of the Spaniards. Champions of Europe PSG won the group with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders, paving the
Dale Earnhardt Jr might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief. He is certainly an undefeated one. Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt on Saturday called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet, as they landed in victory lane in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway. “It felt good to have some input and decisionmaking power,” Earnhardt said. “And then helping Connor understand what our plan was so he knew when to push and what he was expected to do.” Earnhardt — who won NASCAR’s most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his
Taiwanese women’s doubles star Hsieh Su-wei and Australian teenager Maya Joint on Tuesday eased into the Eastbourne Open quarter-finals in England as Hsieh prepares for the Wimbledon Championships next week. Four-time Wimbledon women’s doubles champion Hsieh and 19-year-old Joint fired two aces and converted five of eight break points to defeat Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Poland’s Katarzyna Piter 6-3, 6-3 in 58 minutes on the grass court. Hsieh and Joint are today to face fourth seeds Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, who advanced on Monday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Quinn Gleason of the US and
RSS