Updated Jul 20, 2012 - 4:47 pm
Ichiro's mindset further complicates a delicate situation
Ichiro sounds like he wants to continue his career with the Mariners but is aware that his desire to remain in Seattle won't mean much if the team doesn't feel the same way.
That's what Yahoo! Sports columnist Jeff Passan told "Brock and Salk" on Friday when he joined the show to talk about what he gleaned from his recent interview with the Mariners' right fielder, whose contract is set to expire after this season.
Ichiro, 38, is struggling offensively for the second straight season, hitting nearly 60 points below his career average. Bringing him back at $18 million a season – or anything close to that – seems unjustifiable given his waning production.
Ichiro may realize that it's a two-way street. But, Passan said, he might not realize his own limitations at this stage of his career – and that has the potential to damage his 12-year relationship with the Mariners.
"Athletes believe what athletes believe, and when you've been as good as Ichiro was for a really long time, it's troublesome trying to accept that you're never going to be at that level again, and so you want to get paid like somebody at that level. And that's where you run into these problems," he said.
"It's a matter of this, very simply: are the Mariners willing to hurt the feelings of a guy who, for close to a decade, was their best player? And that's a tough thing to do. It's tough to separate business and personal when those two relationships have been intertwined for as long as they have."
In Friday's Wrap Up video, Brock Huard and Mike Salk share additional thoughts following their conversation with Passan.
You can download Friday's podcast here.
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roosevelt wrote...RealityJuly 20, 2012 7:30 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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akleb wrote...ichiroJuly 20, 2012 9:59 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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sfk360 wrote...akelebJuly 21, 2012 3:01 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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akleb wrote...ichiroJuly 20, 2012 9:59 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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El Duderino wrote...HmmJuly 20, 2012 10:28 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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marcelsees wrote...No Place on Team ...July 20, 2012 11:34 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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sfk360 wrote...marclessesJuly 21, 2012 3:04 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Daddy Dennis wrote...The steroid eraJuly 21, 2012 12:57 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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Charp wrote...Robbed by the Juice?July 21, 2012 6:12 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Daddy Dennis wrote...You don't know anythingJuly 21, 2012 2:06 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Dan1 wrote...Please IchirollJuly 21, 2012 7:18 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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djandthebear wrote...Is he really that poplular with the Sea fans anymore?July 21, 2012 7:35 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Ed Altizer wrote...Ichiro decliningJuly 21, 2012 8:00 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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messiah101 wrote...ED AltizerJuly 21, 2012 8:55 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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C"mon Man wrote...Fmr. Orix Blue Wave starJuly 21, 2012 7:54 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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Brock Huard has co-hosted the show since 2009. After earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors at Puyallup High School, Brock went on to a record-setting career at Washington and then spent six years in the NFL, including four with the Seahawks. Brock has also spent five years with ESPN working as a college football analyst in the booth and the studio. Brock makes his home on the Eastside with his wife Molly and their three young children.
Danny O'Neil is the son of a logger, a graduate of the University of Washington and has been a working journalist in Seattle since 1999, first at newspapers and since 2012 at 710 ESPN Seattle. He is married to Sharon Pian Chan, associate opinions editor at The Seattle Times. They live on Capitol Hill with their wrinkled, smelly dog.
