Cal Raleigh responds to Randy Arozarena: 'no beef'

On Tuesday, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh addressed the noise surrounding his relationship with teammate Randy Arozarena, which started when Arozarena unleashed a vulgar rant after Raleigh wouldn’t shake his hand at home plate as the two faced each other in the World Baseball Classic.

“I love Randy, I do,” Raleigh told reporters, according to FOX. “I hate that this is a thing. There’s no beef. When we get back to Seattle, he’s my brother. We’re family. I already reached out to him, so, you know, it’s just a competitive environment, and I know he would want the same for me when we’re on the team in playoff baseball.”

“I just have a responsibility for my teammates here right now and my country, and emotions running high,” Raleigh continued. “But like I said, I love Randy. He’s awesome. He’s been great for our team, and like I said, we talked, and this isn’t a big deal at all.

“We’re good friends, and we’ll continue to be good friends, and I think we’re just enjoying competing against each other right now. That’s really all I have to say about it.”

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said that he planned on speaking to his two stars.

“These guys are incredible athletes because of their competitiveness, and that’s where they’re at, and that’s why they’ve gotten to the level that they’ve gotten,” Wilson said. “But I also know that our team loves each other deeply. And that’s one of the key ingredients we have in that clubhouse, is how much they love each other, and so I don’t anticipate this being any bit of an issue.”

“I hate that this is a thing. I really don’t think this is a big deal, a big story,” Raleigh said. “It shouldn’t be a thing. I love Randy. I have all the respect for him and Team Mexico.”

If Mexico defeats Italy in a low-scoring game on Wednesday, the U.S. will be eliminated before the knockout stage of the WBC.

About Qwame Skinner

Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.