USA’s Cal Raleigh gets strong message from Mariners’ teammate after WBC drama

Team USA edged past Canada 5-3 in a tense quarterfinal at Daikin Park in Houston, advancing to the semifinals and drawing a big crowd. The win featured small-ball plays that cracked Canada’s pitching and kept fans on their feet. The night also produced a side story.

In the first inning, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh declined a fist bump from Canada captain and Seattle first baseman Josh Naylor at the plate. The brief snub was caught on camera and quickly became a talking point.

Naylor shrugged and laughed about it after the game.

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“We were all joking. Trying to make light of the situation,” he told reporters. “I texted him before that I was going to do it. He said, ‘Please don’t.’” Naylor replayed the moment with a grin. “He’s like, ‘Good to see you, brother.’ And I was like, ‘Good to see you, too.’…He’s such a leader too. I was really, really happy to get traded to the Mariners last year and kind of experience being in the locker room with him and just being his teammate and going to dinners with him off the field and stuff. So yeah, I love him. And I was just honestly, just super joking.”

He called Raleigh an “awesome teammate” and was clear there was no hard feeling.

This isn’t Cal Raleigh’s first on-field refusal during the World Baseball Classic. He left Mariners teammate Randy Arozarena hanging in an earlier game, and reports say Team USA agreed before the tournament not to fraternize with opponents. Raleigh defended the approach after that incident.

“They’re not just exhibition games. I have a responsibility to my teammates and my country to be locked in and focused each game,” he said.

Naylor kept the tone light and friendly. “It’s not that big of a deal.” For now, the focus stays on the field and on the semifinals.