The Cactus League debut of Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki could have gone better. But even after a bad game, his sense of humor remained strong.
At the plate, Suzuki struggled. He came to the plate twice and both times, struck out. In an interview after his game was over, Suzuki was quick to have some fun at his own expense. He talked about how great his visit to Wrigley Field was and added that future trips to his home ballpark won’t be as fun if days like Friday become common.
Seiya Suzuki, via his translator:
"I had that adrenaline rush when I saw my name on that billboard [during visit to Wrigley]. But if I keep on striking out like today, someone's going to throw some beer at me someday."
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) March 25, 2022
Of course, on-field struggles weren’t all that Suzuki dealt with on Friday. He also got a lesson — and nearly a painful lesson — in why you need to be paying attention at all times in the dugout.
While Friday might have provided the fans their first glimpse at Suzuki’s sense of humor, his new team has already seen it in action. Earlier on Friday, Chicago manager David Ross recalled a situation where Suzuki had some fun at his expense.
A lot of people around the Cubs have said Seiya Suzuki is “hilarious.” For example, manager David Ross offered this funny story this morning… pic.twitter.com/8mm8hBcGrn
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) March 25, 2022
That’s a good sign. Over 162 games, struggles are going to happen. Even the best teams are going to go through losing streaks and even the best players will slump. Being able to stay loose is important. It seems like Suzuki has that part down.