SI

Seiya Suzuki's Glove Amusingly Features Dramatic Motivational Sayings

That's one to motivate yourself.

Tim Capurso

Suzuki's glove has two sayings on it, written in Japanese.
Suzuki's glove has two sayings on it, written in Japanese. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
In this story:

Athletes motivate themselves in a variety of different ways. Some use the criticisms of others as fuel for the fire. Others take a more positive route. Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki may have found one of the most unique—and dramatic—ways of motivating himself. Suzuki has two motivational sayings on his glove, written in Japanese, that are amusingly over-the-top, and apparently designed to help him field better.

"...I asked him about it. One said, 'Absolutely catch it.' The other said, 'If you make another error, you'll be fired,' " reported Marquee Sports Network's Taylor McGregor during the Cubs' 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.

So why did Suzuki resort to such, er, drastic measures to motivate himself?

"This year he put them on his glove because he made some errors last year," McGregor continued. "He had three in the outfield. And so he goes, 'Over the course of a long season, certain moments you're not locked in and that one moment, that could make or break a play.' "

Maybe there's a method to the madness when it comes to Suzuki's quirky motivational tactic? The Cubs outfielder has played over 180 innings—and counting—in the outfield thus far in 2025 and has yet to be charged with an error.

Dramatic motivation for the win!

More MLB on Sports Illustrated

feed

Published
Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

Home/MLB