Raul Ibanez
Raul Ibanez
Raúl Javier Ibañezis an American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseballnow serving as a special advisor to Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. He played 11 of his 19 seasons for the Seattle Mariners, and also for the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. While primarily a left fielder, Ibañez often filled in as a designated hitter as well throughout his career...
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth2 June 1972
CityNew York City, NY
He could dish it out like nobody, but he could take it too. He had that sarcastic sense of humor. When you first become his teammate, you see some things and wonder, 'Is he serious or is he joking?' He was always joking.
I was excited. He's really good, and he's been around a lot of great hitters.
It doesn't feel like we're swinging the bat a whole lot better against right-handers. We're not swinging the bats well collectively.
I wasn't going to let him go back there, no way.
We needed that. That was a big game for us. With the way things have been going, the way tonight had gone, we had to have it. We had to scratch and claw, but we got it.
I was just thinking about that to myself a minute ago. It seems like, later on in the game, we start squaring balls up a little bit more. We do a better job of hitting late in the game. The secret would be to be able to do that all game long. And we haven't been able to do that. I can't put my finger on it. I really wish I could.
He's a funny guy. He definitely likes to keep things light. He's a force in the lineup, too.
That was awesome. That was really cool, getting to meet one of the great power pitchers in the history of the game.
That was an emotional one. He (Betancourt) was down 0-2 and battled his tail off. Willie's stolen base was unbelievable. He's as good as I've ever played with.
He always said if he could no longer perform up to his standards or be an everyday player that he would walk away. I enjoyed having him as a teammate, that sarcasm and humor. I have the utmost respect and admiration for what he has done in this game.
All he cares about is hitting. He's really watching, and he sees all the little things in your swing. He's a highly intelligent man.
Aggressive is good, but have we been overly aggressive at times? Probably. It's a good question. We're trying to make things happen, but when you're not hitting, everything stands out.
The last two years have been rough, but I know that we're headed in the right direction. We've brought in new personnel and we're improving ourselves. My family wants to be here. There's no place else I want to be.