After ‘amazing’ opener, Mariners’ Eugenio Suárez ‘so happy to be here’
Apr 20, 2022, 4:35 PM
Eugenio Suárez of the Seattle Mariners celebrates his two-run home run against the Astros on April 15. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez isn’t new to Major League Baseball by any stretch, having played in the big leagues going back to 2014 when he broke in with the Detroit Tigers. But what he was welcomed to in Seattle last Friday in the team’s home opener was something different than he had encountered before.
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“That was awesome. That was one of the best experiences that I’ve had in my career,” Suárez told Seattle Sports Station’s Jake and Stacy on Wednesday, referring to the atmosphere in front of a sold-out T-Mobile Park crowd. “I’ve been in seven or eight opening days, but this one this year here in Seattle was amazing. … The vibe, that was awesome. That was a really great experience for me and I’m so happy to be here and give my best to Seattle fans.”
Suárez gave the hometown fans something to cheer for in that game, sending a rocket of a home run to right-center field in the eighth inning for the final two runs of the Mariners’ 11-1 win over the Astros. He was just getting started in the homestand, too. Already with one homer under his belt from Seattle’s season-opening road trip, Suárez added an RBI double in a 7-2 win Sunday over Houston, then got the M’s started with a three-run homer in the first inning of Tuesday night’s 6-2 win over Texas.
CRUSHED 💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/6wc4IJF0lK
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 20, 2022
The one-time All-Star has felt comfortable right away with his new team, coming over to the Mariners in a trade last month from the Cincinnati Reds.
“The vibe they have in the clubhouse, we’re all together from the front office, clubbies, trainers, media guys, players – everybody’s together,” he said. “We just think about winning games … The way we are together from the beginning, from spring training when I get there, I feel so grateful to be part of this team. … The fans, the crowd every day, it’s very nice to be part of this.”
If you know anything about Suárez, it’s probably his emphasis on vibes. He’s known for his mantra of “Good vibes only,” and before ending the conversation with Jake Heaps and Stacy Rost, he sent a special version of it out to the Mariners fanbase.
“Yes! Always will do that,” he said in response to Rost asking if he wanted to sign off. “Seattle fans, good vibes only. Never forget it, good vibes only.”
You can listen to the full conversation in the podcast below or at this link.
