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
It was good to finally be sitting at the adults' table. My first few years here, I wasn't part of it at all.
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.
Later on in the game our at-bats get better, and I don't know if it's a mental thing. I don't know.
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.
It's hard for me to watch them go through this. It's painful, really. It's a great baseball town. A great city. Loyal fans. And then to watch them go through this. ... You wouldn't wish this on your worst enemy, much less an organization that you respect and are fond of.
He hit a home run off Paul Byrd to right-center field when we were playing against him. It's the farthest opposite-field home run I've ever seen a right-handed hitter hit at Safeco Field. It probably went 15 rows back. He did the bat flip and the whole thing. I got to second base later and he told me that was the first hit he ever had off Byrd.
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.
He is an unbelievable human being and probably the best teammate I have ever had. I want my son to grow up and be just like Dan Wilson.
That was awesome. That was really cool, getting to meet one of the great power pitchers in the history of the game.
I think it's very important very important. We feel pressure a little bit with having to win some games, because we feel we are a better team than what we've been showing.
I was excited. He's really good, and he's been around a lot of great hitters.