Baseball statue broken as it is unveiled in Seattle

The mishap occurred as a tarp was pulled off a bronze figure immortalising Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki. Statue of baseball player Ichiro Suzuki broken as it is unveiled in Seattle Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. The broken bat held by a statue of Ichiro Suzuki Baseball statue broken as it is unveiled in Seattle Fans of former baseball star Ichiro Suzuki were thrown a curveball when a statue of him broke as it was being unveiled outside the home of the Seattle Mariners on Friday. As a blue tarp was pulled off it, audience members could hear a snapping noise as the bronze figure it was shrouding suddenly appeared to drop in height. Suzuki, immortalised with a broken bat, was revealed. Suzuki, 52, standing in front of his likeness outside T-Mobile Park, pointed incredulously at the bat before laughing. The unveiling came a year after Suzuki was near-unanimously voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, having spent 18 years playing in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US. After moving to the US from Japan, he spent 12 years at the Mariners, before joining the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins. He would return to the Mariners for his final two seasons. John Stanton, Mariners CEO, who helped give the bat-breaking tug, credited Suzuki's "meticulous in his preparation and play" and told the crowd that he was "certainly worthy of this everlasting recognition". The statue depicts the right fielder making his signature pose wearing his 2001 uniform from his rookie season. Suzuki told reporters that sculptor Lou Cella had invited him to wear the uniform for a photoshoot to help him create the statue, adding: "I was happy that I was still able to fit into that uniform." Ichiro Suzuki (right) had a chuckle after noticing the broken bat Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. laugh after the bat of the statue is broken during the unveiling of the Ichiro Suzuki statue. The team was able to make light of the mishap. "Breaking: We've updated tonight's Ichiro Replica Statue giveaway," it posted on social media along with an image of a figurine with a broken bat. The statue was fixed in time for the Mariners' match against the Houston Astros on Friday night. Retiring in 2019, Suzuki broke several records during his 28-season career. In 2004, Suzuki broke an 84-year-old record for hits in a single season, finishing with 262 - five more than baseball legend George Sisler produced in 1920. MLB legend Suzuki retires after 28 years A group of American men are among thousands of knitters who make the trip to Shetland. He always knew he was adopted, but it wasn't until he was 18 he learnt his birth parents were Welsh. The Microsoft co-founder says he enjoys giving away his fortune and it won't leave his kids poor. She has now placed herself squarely into the Epstein story and at odds with the administration, which wants to end the investigation. The congressman is a leading Democratic candidate who is now facing calls to drop out of the race. The new arch, if approved, would be taller than the US Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial. For years, rumours swirled about who could be behind the bodies that washed up on the shores of Gilgo Beach. As the US vice-president leads peace talks with Iran, he must balance warring factions, a demanding boss and his own political future.