Cal Raleigh was forced to address the controversy that erupted after he did not shake hands with his Seattle Mariners teammate, Randy Arozarena. The player, who was a clear candidate to win the American League MVP, spoke to the media and revealed that he has already been in contact with the outfielder, who is playing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) with Team Mexico.
What did Raleigh say about this episode in the WBC?
The Team USA catcher connected via FaceTime to address the controversy that occurred during the game in which the United States defeated Mexico 5-3 in the World Baseball Classic.
“Just thinking about it, I hate that this is a thing,” he said, sitting in the clubhouse at Daikin Park. “I really don’t think this is a big deal, a big story. It shouldn’t be a thing. You know, I love Randy. I have all the respect for him and Team Mexico. I already reached out to him personally to talk with him. And obviously, when we’re back in Seattle, we’re family, we’re brothers, and I’ll do anything for him. I’ll do anything for our team to win. To me, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal,” he said.
Raleigh explained that he contacted Arozarena to apologize in case he felt disrespected at any moment, but emphasized that they are simply competing in the tournament and that the situation was more about competitive energy during the World Baseball Classic.
“That’s kind of how I see it, and I reached out and put it to bed. You know, I think we’re – I love Randy. Like I said, I got no beef at all.”
After hearing the strong comments from his Mariners teammate, Raleigh said he does not give them much importance and that once they return to their team they will share the same goal: reaching the MLB World Series and trying to win it.
“There’s no beef,” he said. “I love Randy. When we’re back in Seattle, he’s my brother, he’s family. We’re all in it together, just like I’m here right now with Team USA. It is what it is. I got no hard feelings toward him.”
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