Yusei Kikuchi went silent for exactly one minute, struggling to both express himself and maintain control of his emotions.
He stared ahead, fighting back tears. He'd look down, then up and exhale. He brought the mic to his lips, but nothing escaped. The emotions of his first MLB start for the Seattle Mariners and the final game of teammate Ichiro Suzuki's career were making it hard for him.
"I've had such a good time playing with him from spring training until now," Kikuchi said after finding his voice.