JUPITER, Fla. _ It took one week and one day for the Marlins' spring training clubhouse to break out into a full-blown shenanigans session.
Ichiro Suzuki and non-roster invitee Brandon Barnes collided during an outfield communication drill on Tuesday, sending Ichiro to the trainer's room for what he said was the first time in his major league career and turning Barnes into the subject of a prank that included a cleaned-out locker and a note that read: "Good luck in Korea."
"That's definitely not what you want," Barnes said. "That guy's a legend. It's not the way you want to do things, especially on your fifth day of camp [with a new team]."
The Marlins' workout Tuesday morning was routine until Ichiro and Barnes teamed up during a defensive drill. Ichiro was in center, Barnes in right. It was supposed to be an exercise in communication: calling each other off for balls in the gap, with the center field typically getting the right of way.
On one batted ball, the two apparently didn't hear each other and thus ran into each other.
"We both yelled for the ball at the same exact time," Barnes said.
Barnes came away physically unscathed. Ichiro bruised his right knee, then felt some discomfort in his lower back. The latter is of greater concern, but he didn't expect either to be a major setback.
Ichiro remained on the field for a couple of minutes before departing _ alongside Barnes, who wanted to make sure Ichiro was OK _ for the clubhouse and then the trainer's room, a common destination for most players.
He is not most players. Ichiro, a 43-year-old veteran of 16 big league seasons, said it was his first time in there to receive treatment.
"The only reason I go into the trainer's room is to grab a Band-Aid," Ichiro said through interpreter Allen Turner.
Ichiro has been on the disabled list only once since coming to the United States, for a bleeding ulcer in 2009. He said he visited the trainers' room more often in Japan, but only because that's where the massage specialists work.
So Ichiro's visit Tuesday was an occasion to _ if not quite celebrate, given the injury _ at least make note of. Ichiro said a staffer kept the latex glove that head athletic trainer Dustin Luepker used while examining him. Dee Gordon and Martin Prado took photos as proof.
"He covered his face," Prado said. "Nobody is going to believe me."
In the clubhouse, meanwhile, teammates started clearing out Barnes' locker, stuffing his old Colorado Rockies duffel bag full of his equipment. Gordon taped a note, signed by Ichiro, to the front of the locker.
"You're cut!" the paper read. "Good luck in Korea."
After some late work in the batting cage, Barnes returned to realize he'd been "cut." He was a good sport about it.
"Hopefully this [prank] will make him a little bit at ease," Ichiro said. "Because I know he does feel bad."
As for the one-of-a-kind autograph from Ichiro, a surefire Hall of Famer and owner of 3,030 major league hits?
"That's beautiful," Barnes said. "I'm going to hang it up in my room."
