PEORIA, Ariz. — After the Mariners’ 6-4 victory over the Oakland A’s at HoHokam Park on Thursday night, the players made their way through the customary postgame handshake line, each offering up fist bumps or high-fives. Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena met in the line. Would it be awkward? Would it be cordial? Would it be confrontational?
It was casual. The two players fist bumped and Arozarena slapped Raleigh on, well, his big dumper. There was no video of the nondescript interaction. It was business and baseball as usual for the Mariners as they prepare for opening day on March 26 at T-Mobile Park.
But if there was any doubt as to whether both players want to move on from the still-lingering “controversy” that their non-handshake in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, it became evident on Saturday afternoon when Randy Arozarena released a statement through the Mariners public relation staff.
“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction. Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates. He’s family, and we are both focused on helping the Mariners win the World Series.”
With the statement being released roughly an hour-and-a-half before the first pitch of Saturday’s game vs. the Cubs, Raleigh wasn’t available for an immediate comment.
For any remaining baseball fans unfamiliar with the situation, it started in the first inning of the much-anticipated pool play game between the United States and Mexico.
Despite being told prior to the game not to do it, Arozarena came to the plate in the first inning and extended his hand for Raleigh to shake. Following a philosophy agreed upon by Team USA, Raleigh refused and could be seen saying something to Arozarena. It wasn’t the first time a catcher refused to shake hands with a hitter in the WBC.
The situation escalated postgame when Arozarena went on a minor rant to the Spanish-speaking reporters on site, saying: “The only thing he should be thankful for is having such great parents. 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.”
Arozarena then added that Raleigh should “(expletive) off” and “go to hell.”
While it wasn’t shown on the broadcast, a video of the exchange at the plate and Arozarena’s comments made the entire situation go viral on social media. It was perfect fodder for opinions and speculation.
Raleigh immediately clarified the situation the following day via a video call with local reporters in Arizona. He was genuinely remorseful that the situation escalated.
“Just thinking about it, I hate that this is a thing,” he said. “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.”
Arozarena did little to stem the swirling debate. He refused to talk to reporters in Houston and then later reposted several pictures of him shaking hands or hugging players on his Instagram account.
When Arozarena initially returned from the WBC on March 14, he released a general statement about being back without addressing his comments.
“We didn’t get the results we wanted with Team Mexico, but I’m glad to be back in camp with my teammates. The WBC is behind us now, and I don’t want anything to take away from the Mariners. I’m focused on the season and helping this team compete for a World Series.”
The generality of the statement no real sense of contrition was perceived by many as lacking, leaving the door open for more speculation and debate as to whether there was rift between the two players. Fans took sides in the situation, offering their reasons for blame and frustration.
This story will be updated