Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is a pretty amazing athlete. We know about his prowess as a hit machine, but remember earlier in his career he routinely topped 30 steals a season (with five 40-plus steal campaigns) and had a cannon of a throwing arm.
Perhaps the best feature of Ichiro has been his durability. When he was a regular, he never played fewer than 146 games in a season and topped 160 eight times. He was only once placed on the disabled list, due to an ulcer. In fact, he had never even visited the training room -- until Tuesday.
Suzuki suffered minor injuries to his knee and back after colliding in the outfield with Brandon Barnes. Here’s Ichiro, via miamiherald.com:
“This was the first time going into a trainer’s room for me, so that was a little different,” Suzuki said afterward. “The only time I’ve gone into a trainer’s room was to grab a band-aid. So today was the longest I’ve been in the training room in my whole career.”
OK, so I guess it’s not technically his first time ever in there, but it was his first time to seek treatment from an athletic trainer. At age 43, that’s insane.
As for Barnes, he’s being exiled!
Marlins outfielder Brandon Barnes wearing sign put on locker by teammates after collision with Ichiro. pic.twitter.com/YO3cg53TDZ
— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) February 21, 2017
Barnes came to the Marlins after three years with the Rockies, so he’s already making a name for himself in the locker room hijinks department.
