Yankees legend Mariano Rivera catches stray for Ichiro statue’s broken bat

Ichiro Suzuki has never let a language barrier stop him from producing viral soundbites or cracking jokes in English.

While speaking to celebrated sportscaster Bob Costas back in the 2000s, the Japanese sports icon and Seattle Mariners legend famously broke out a profanity-laden “expression” that centered around two wool-sock dwelling rats in Kansas City. During his 2025 Hall of Fame induction speech, he poked fun at the Miami Marlins and the lone writer who did not vote for him. On Friday, after Seattle’s unveiling of his statue went hilariously wrong, he displayed that signature sense of humor yet again.

And he directed it at all-time great relief pitcher and former New York Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera. When Suzuki’s statue was uncovered outside of Mariners’ T-Mobile Park, the bat was revealed to be broken. Fellow franchise greats Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez could not contain their laughter, and neither could the man of the hour. Ichiro pointed a finger at “The Sandman.”

“I didn’t think Mariano would come out here and break the bat,” the 2001 American League MVP and Rookie of the Year joked through a translator, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times.

Ichiro blamed a certain Yankees closer for the statue’s broken bat. pic.twitter.com/p5bVaooOrg

— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) April 10, 2026

Suzuki and Rivera spent more than a decade in The Show competing against one another and shared a clubhouse in The Bronx from 2012-13. One of the former’s most memorable regular season moments came at the expense of the latter. The Mariners’ all-time leader in hits, triples and stolen bases crushed a walk-off, two-out, two-run homer off Rivera in 2009 — a feat he probably reminds the celebrated closer of whenever he sees him.

Ichiro Suzuki and Mariano Rivera were possibly the two most universally beloved players of their generation, so it seems only poetic that a fun rivalry would form between them. The five-time World Series champion will surely have a response queued up the next time he speaks to the retired right fielder.

Though, just in case this remark was not made in jest, perhaps someone should check the stadium’s security footage.

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