Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh Responds to Blue Jays Manager After Clutch Home Run
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider slighted Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in a press conference last year, and Raleigh hasn't forgotten.
Cal Raleigh delivered a clutch extra-innings home run that lifted the Seattle Mariners over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night, and the circumstances of the game-winning shot made it all the more satisfying for the power-hitting catcher.
Back in April 2023, Raleigh hit two home runs in a win over Toronto, leading reporters to ask Blue Jays manager John Schneider why pitching to Raleigh was so tough.
His answer? It wasn't.
"He's not very tough to pitch to when you execute your pitches," Schneider said at the time. "He's hitting .200. I know he's done damage against us, and I think if you execute – he's obviously got big damage potential, he's got a lot of strikeout potential too. And when you execute your pitches, you usually get the job done."
Well, Raleigh put that damage potential on display again one year later. He hit a two-run homer in the top of the 10th, breaking a 1-1 tie and getting the ball rolling towards a 6-1 Mariners win.
After the game, Raleigh was asked if he was aware of Schneider's year-old comments.
"I know a lot of guys have beef with him in the league, so his comments aren't surprising," Raleigh said. "I don't have much to say. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all, if you don't want it to come back on you."
Schneider was given a chance to revise his thoughts on Raleigh, and he gave the 27-year-old catcher more props this time around.
"Maybe he’s part Canadian," Schneider joked, since Raleigh's homer on Wednesday was his seventh at the Rogers Centre. "Tip your hat to him, he likes hitting here and he likes hitting against us. (We) tried to flip him around right-handed. He’s got our number, we got to make some adjustments. Confidence is a funny thing when you’re playing this game and you step into the box."
Raleigh hasn't exactly gotten off to a hot start in 2024, batting just .194 with a .618 OPS. He does boast a 0.3 WAR through just 10 games, though, thanks to his slugging at the plate and his defense behind it.
For his career, Raleigh is a .216 hitter with a .731 OPS. His 57 home runs over the last two seasons were the most by any catcher in baseball, while his 138 RBI ranked No. 5 at the position.
Raleigh has thrived in his 15 career appearances against the Blue Jays, batting .264 with nine home runs, 16 RBI and a 1.091 OPS. The Mariners are 8-7 in those games and 5-2 when Raleigh homers against Toronto.
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