Chicken nugget sauce can't prevent 2 K's in Suzuki debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Seiya Suzuki has been in Arizona as a Cub just long enough to strike out twice and discover his new favorite thing about America.
“I’ve been able to eat a lot of junk food,” the Cubs’ newly signed right fielder said, through his interpreter, during Friday’s broadcast after striking out in both at-bats against Rockies right-hander Germán Márquez in his spring debut for the Cubs.
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Junk food?
“Chick-fil-A,” he said. “I like the Chick-fil-A sauce with the chicken nuggets.”
Pretty funny considering he razzed his manager this week for the candy in the trail mix David Ross was munching while in the weight room one day, Ross told beat writers in Arizona — Suzuki rubbing the manager’s belly after pointing out the chocolate.
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The sense of humor and ease with new teammates seems to be one of the more impressive things about the former Japanese All-Star, batting champ and Gold Glove winner, who signed a five-year, $85 million deal last week.
He also showed a surprising sense of cool under pressure when a scorching foul ball just missed hitting him in the dugout as he was interviewed after being removed from the game, quickly composing himself and returning to the task at hand.
Suzuki got a rousing welcome from Cubs fans Friday when announced during his debut.
“I felt like when I first went into the league in Japan, like a rookie,” he said of his nerves.
Now he’s just got to get back to work on adjusting to the pitching in his new league. He struck out on three pitches in his first at-bat, five in his second and seeing mid-90s fastballs and two of Márquez’s off-speed pitches along the way — eventually taking the third strike in each AB.
“I’ve faced foreign players in Japan,” he said. “But today I guess I was nervous, so I didn’t get good swings in. That’s what I would like to do in the next game, make adjustments and get a better at-bat.”
Maybe it’s the sauce?
Wonder if he’s tried In-N-Out Burger.
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