Ichiro Suzuki Statue Unveiled With Broken Bat

The Seattle Mariners' big tribute to Ichiro Suzuki came with an unplanned blooper, NBC News reports. During a pregame ceremony Friday at T-Mobile Park, a tarp-covered statue of the Hall of Famer was unveiled—only for the bronze bat to snap as the covering was pulled away, apparently caught in the fabric. Video from the team's livestream shows fans packed behind ropes, phones raised, as the bat breaks. ESPN reports that as confetti was released, a snapping sound could be heard as the bat broke. Ichiro and fellow Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. reacted by laughing. Ichiro later joked that a Yankees rival, famous for breaking bats, was responsible, USA Today reports.

The club quickly leaned into the mishap, posting an altered image of that night's Ichiro replica statue giveaway on X, this time featuring a broken bat and the caption: "Breaking: We've updated tonight's Ichiro Replica Statue giveaway." The statue, announced last year, is meant to honor Ichiro's signature stance at the plate. The 10-time All-Star, whose number was retired by Seattle last year, was both Rookie of the Year and American League MVP in 2001 and still holds MLB's single-season hits record with 262. Over more than 2,600 games with the Mariners, Yankees, and Marlins, he hit .311 with 117 home runs.