Skip to content

Ichiro on Yankees: 'There's a lot of things that go on that the fans and the media can't see'

The Derek Jeter farewell tour insulated the struggles and frustrations of a New York Yankees team that missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Now that it's over, the curtains are being pulled back.

It started with manager Joe Girardi reportedly criticizing his players for a lack of effort prior to Jeter's send-off at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. The controversy continued Sunday with a series of cryptic comments made by Ichiro Suzuki to NJ.com following the club's final game of the season.

Obviously there's a lot of things that go on that the fans and the media can't see, that goes on inside (the club). But what I can say is that the experiences I had this year, those experiences are going to help me in the future.

While Suzuki's remarks should come as no surprise for a team - let alone the Yankees - coming off a disappointing year, they are curious given the opportunity afforded this season to the 40-year-old veteran.

Suzuki was expected to undertake a diminished role with the club after it inked Carlos Beltran to a three-year deal in the offseason. But Beltran's injury-riddled year opened the door for Suzuki to get an unexpected spike in playing time.

The 10-time All-Star responded by boasting his best slash line (.284/.324/.340) since 2010, while chipping in 15 steals and 13 doubles in 143 games. Suzuki's productive campaign has the free-agent-to-be targeting another season, but he's unwilling to say if it will be in pinstripes.

"That might be a question you shouldn't ask right now," Suzuki answered somewhat ominously.

Playoffs or not, there's never a dull moment in the Bronx.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox