Quotes from Mariners on Robinson Cano’s signing
Dec 12, 2013, 10:50 AM | Updated: 11:05 am
By Brady Henderson
The Mariners included in their news release announcing the signing of Robinson Cano a few quotes from general manager Jack Zduriencik, manager Lloyd McClendon and Cano himself.
Zduriencik: “We have made a major commitment to a player who is one of the most dynamic in Major League Baseball. And Robinson has made a commitment to the Seattle Mariners organization and to the City of Seattle. We have stayed true to our plan of building our organization from the ground up through the amateur draft and player development, and now have had the opportunity to add an All-Star player through free agency.”
Zduriencik: “Robinson is a perennial All-Star player. One of the best hitting second basemen of all-time, a Gold Glover in the field, a five-time Silver Slugger winner and has one of the purest swings in the game. Having this caliber of player commit to wearing the Seattle Mariners uniform is truly special. I am thrilled that our fans will have the chance to watch this player at Safeco Field.”
McClendon: “Robinson is a special talent, a very elite player, but he’s also a team player. He’s a very special and unique person. I think he’s willing to do whatever needs to be done to help us get better really fast. I’ve talked to him at length, and he is extremely happy to be a Mariner.”
McClendon: “A player like Robinson Cano can make a manager look really smart, really quick. No one player is going to win a championship for you, but I would remind people that we have some pieces in place. We have a team that we lost 18 to 20 games last year in the 8th and 9th inning, so they were really close. I think that maturation process should help our team moving into next season, and adding a player of this caliber is a differencemaker.”
McClendon: “Robinson is pretty darn good, we are talking about one of the best hitting second baseman [sic] of all-time, and a gold glover. He doesn’t have to be more than that, and I can tell you this, when we went in to play the Yankees, the guy that we were most concerned about was Robinson Cano. So I don’t know about star power, but I do know about player power, and he was the best on that team.”
Cano: “I am really happy to be here in Seattle and look forward to helping the Mariners organization win a
championship and bring a World Series trophy to the Pacific Northwest.”