Less than 24 hours after having his No. 51 jersey officially retired and delivering a speech that left the Mariners’ first sellout crowd of the season chanting his name and endlessly applauding him, Ichiro spoke to the media Sunday morning to talk about a weekend that celebrated his legacy.
“In Cooperstown, I spoke about goals and dreams, and what happened last night is something that can’t be both,” he said through interpreter Allen Turner. “You can’t have that as a goal or a dream. And it’s just something that I just can’t believe it. I felt like the people around me that helped me along the way to get there, obviously, I needed to thank them in that I was even able to get here.”
more
from ichiro’s number retirement
More
But it was his words to the current Mariners team in his speech, imploring the players to “seize the moment” that really resonated throughout the building.
“It really hit me a lot because there’s gonna be a lot of moments that we’re going to have to seize if we want to get to where we want to get,” Julio Rodríguez said. “I really took that to heart because I feel like every player knows how much weight his words carry. He does it every day. He’s still here, showing up for us every day. I feel like just a lot of the guys also probably felt the same way.”
Players couldn’t help but feel the emotion of the moment.
“Obviously, we have the privilege of being around him most days during the season, when we’re home,” Bryan Woo said. “But he’s just one of those guys where his words carry so much weight no matter what the message is. For him to take time out of his speech to address us and do so in a way that was very clear, very positive and also motivating. It was pretty cool. And I think everybody in the dugout felt that.”
For Ichiro, he simply wanted the players to know that he’s in this daily battle for success in a game that’s defined by failure in every way.
“I retired in 2019 in March and on May 1, I started this role where I’m at the ballpark every day with the guys,” he said. “I’m there with them, working with them. So my feelings are there with them always. That’s just a natural thing as a person, to have these feelings, to want the guys to do well, to want each and every one of those guys to perform and do well. Just to be around them every day here means a lot, and of course, hopefully what I do can help them even a little bit.”
It’s why he treats workouts like he’s still playing. He gives maximum effort and prepares each day.
“I want to really have the same energy that players bring every day,” he said. “I’m here every day to do all the things I can to bring that same energy. If I was just here, didn’t do any of the work, just be in uniform and wait for somebody to ask me questions and answer those questions, I don’t think I could bring that same energy to them.”
Rotation reslotted
The Mariners announced their pitching probables for the upcoming series in Baltimore. With an off-day on Monday, they have reslotted their rotation slightly, swapping Logan Evans and Luis Castillo.
The matchups are:
- Tuesday: George Kirby, RHP vs. Dean Kremer, RHP
- Wednesday: Logan Gilbert, RHP vs. Trevor Rogers, RHP
- Thursday: Logan Evans, RHP vs. Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP
That would mean that Castillo would open the series with the Mets on Friday at Citi Field with Woo to follow. Kirby would pitch the game at the Little League series in Williamsport, Pa.
Rehab roundup
Bryce Miller confirmed he will make a third rehab start with Triple-A Tacoma as he works his way back from elbow inflammation. Miller will start for the Rainiers on Wednesday in Las Vegas. He will be working with a pitch limit of 85.
If he comes out of that start without any issues, he could slot back into the Mariners rotation during their series in Philadelphia.
Outfielder/first baseman Luke Raley (back spasms) played in the second game of his rehab assignment with Tacoma on Sunday at Cheney Stadium. He started in right field and went 1 for 3 with a first-inning grand slam.
Raley is expected to be reinstated from the injured list when the Mariners open their road trip in Baltimore on Tuesday.
Sloan promoted
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Sloan, who is rated as the No. 5 prospect in the Mariners’ farm system and No. 58 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, has been promoted from Low-A Modesto to High-A Everett.
Sloan, 19, was selected in the second round of the 2024 MLB draft out of York Community High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. The Mariners projected Sloan as a first-round talent and didn’t hesitate to take hm in the second round, despite his commitment to college pitching powerhouse Wake Forest. Seattle convinced him to sign with a bonus of $3 million, well above the slot value ($1.64 million) for the 55th pick in the draft.
In 18 starts for Modesto, Sloan has posted a 2-2 record with a 3.44 ERA. In 70 2/3 innings pitched, he has struck out 77 batters with only 15 walks.
Per Mariners general manager Justin Hollander, Sloan’s workload has been mapped out to where he should be able to finish the season with the AquaSox and not be shut down due to usage.
Sloan will make his debut on the road with the AquaSox, playing in Hillsboro from Aug. 12-17. They return to Funko Field for an extended homestand, starting with a six-game series vs. Spokane on Aug. 19.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
