Oakland Athletics Star Outfielder Discusses Friendly Rivalry with Seattle Mariners Leader
In a year where neither team made the playoffs, the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners developed a friendly little rivalry.
The A's beat the Mariners via two consecutive walk-off hits in September to help dent their playoff chances, while the M's swept Oakland in the final series of the year, ending a disappointing season on a high note.
Furthermore, outfielders Lawrence Butler and Julio Rodriguez developed a nice rivalry as well. Butler had some fun discussing it on Thursday with Chris Rose of Jomboy Media.
Butler spoke about robbing Rodriguez of multiple hits this season, including a home run in that final series of the year. You can hear his comments below, in which he also talks about throwing up Rodriguez's famous "No Fly Zone" celebration.
Lawrence Butler talks about robbing Julio Rodriguez TWICE pic.twitter.com/vpkyvufs9Z
— Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) October 10, 2024
Butler and Rodriguez are both two of the top young outfielders in the American League. The 24-year-old Butler hit .262 this season in 412 at-bats. He also had 22 homers, 57 RBI and 18 stolen bases. He'll be an integral part of the A's moving forward, especially as they transition to Sacramento and Las Vegas.
As for Rodriguez, he hit .273 this season with 20 home runs, 68 RBI and 24 stolen bases. It was a down year for him, as he dealt with a power outage in the first three months of the season and then dealt with a high-ankle sprain in July and August.
The 23-year-old is a lifetime .277 hitter who is already a two-time All-Star selection and a two-time Silver Slugger.
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