From Lorain Morning Journal via MLB.com today....
Talking smack
In what has apparently become a tradition in each of his eight years as a member of the AL All-Star team, Ichiro Suzuki gave the team his usual obscenity-laced pep talk, good naturedly, of course, in the clubhouse just prior to the game.
It's reportedly a hilarious show, because Ichiro rarely speaks, period, and the AL is 8-0 in All-Star Games since Ichiro began making the speech.
David Ortiz is the instigator, Ichiro said -- and the content of his words are not for a family audience. It's considered a ''Win one for the (bleeper),'' moment.
''He was sitting in the locker back there,'' said AL teammate Justin Morneau, ''and David Ortiz said, ÔIchi's got something to say.' And then he pops off and everybody started dying. I had no idea it was coming. It was hilarious. If you've never seen it, it's definitely something pretty funny.
''It's hard to explain the effect that it has. You know, it's such a tense environment. Everyone's kind of a little nervous for the game. He doesn't say a lot the whole time he's in there and all of a sudden the manager gets done with the speech and he pops off. It's pretty funny."
Morneau said no part of Ichiro's speech is repeatable.
''That's what gets you, too, is hearing him say what he says,'' Morneau said. ''I've talked to him a little bit when he gets to first, but I didn't know he knew those words."
Talking smack
In what has apparently become a tradition in each of his eight years as a member of the AL All-Star team, Ichiro Suzuki gave the team his usual obscenity-laced pep talk, good naturedly, of course, in the clubhouse just prior to the game.
It's reportedly a hilarious show, because Ichiro rarely speaks, period, and the AL is 8-0 in All-Star Games since Ichiro began making the speech.
David Ortiz is the instigator, Ichiro said -- and the content of his words are not for a family audience. It's considered a ''Win one for the (bleeper),'' moment.
''He was sitting in the locker back there,'' said AL teammate Justin Morneau, ''and David Ortiz said, ÔIchi's got something to say.' And then he pops off and everybody started dying. I had no idea it was coming. It was hilarious. If you've never seen it, it's definitely something pretty funny.
''It's hard to explain the effect that it has. You know, it's such a tense environment. Everyone's kind of a little nervous for the game. He doesn't say a lot the whole time he's in there and all of a sudden the manager gets done with the speech and he pops off. It's pretty funny."
Morneau said no part of Ichiro's speech is repeatable.
''That's what gets you, too, is hearing him say what he says,'' Morneau said. ''I've talked to him a little bit when he gets to first, but I didn't know he knew those words."
