Credit: Kenneth Richmond/Getty (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Randy Arozarena was seemingly not impressed with his Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh on Monday night
- Arozarena, playing for Mexico, tried to shake Raleigh's hand at the plate during their World Baseball Classic game
- Raleigh refused and said a few words to Arozarena, who later used obscenities to explain the interaction
Randy Arozarena had a few choice words for his Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh, who refused to shake his hand when the two faced off in the World Baseball Classic on Monday.
Arozarena, playing for Mexico, tried to shake Raleigh’s hand before his first at-bat, but was rebuffed by the Team USA catcher during a pool game at Houston’s Daikin Park on Monday, March 9.
In an interview with Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert, the All-Star outfielder said that the All-Star catcher, affectionately known as The Big Dumper, could “f— off” and “go to hell.”
“That ‘good to see you’ that he said to me,” Arozarena, 31, told Gilbert in Spanish. “He can shove it straight up his a–. I’m out.”
In his comments, it was unclear if Arozarena was just being competitive or if he had a bigger bone to pick with his in-season clubhouse-mate.
In a video from the incident, Arozarena turned to offer his hand to the catcher, but Raleigh refused and then said something to him. The left-fielder bent down as if to try and better hear what Raleigh was saying.
The Mariners star has had a similar experience at the WBC in the past. In 2023, Dodgers catcher Will Smith wouldn't shake his hand either, according to The Athletic.
“He left me hanging, but I’m not going to cry,” Arozarena said in Spanish at the time. “I kept going and hit two doubles.”
On Monday night, Arozarena had only good things to say about Raleigh’s family, however.
“The only thing he should be thankful for is having such great parents,” Arozarena told Gilbert. “He’s very well educated, thank God. I was lucky enough to see them a few days ago at the hotel. They came over to greet me, gave me a big hug, and were genuinely proud to see me again.”
Read the original article on People
