Mitch Garver, designated hitter for the Seattle Mariners, openly addressed the intense criticism and threats he has received from fans due to his ongoing slump this season.
“It’s probably the hardest I’ve ever had to grind,” said an emotional Garver after Seattle’s 3-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
“This is by far the worst I’ve ever played in my career. Tough on myself and my family with the death threats, the ‘retire’ and ‘you suck’ and ‘f*cking kill yourself’ and all that sh*t.
“It’s getting old. The only way I change it is if I play better, but it’s, like, continuing right now. So the worse I play more here. And rightfully so. I’m not playing well.”
Garver’s stats this season reflect his struggles, with a slash line of .168/.286/.337, 12 home runs, and 38 RBIs.
His recent performance against the Red Sox, where he went 0-for-5, struck out twice, and left eight runners on base, exemplified his difficulties at the plate.
“I’ve already accepted the fact that I’m not going to hit above .200 this year,” the eight-year veteran said. “And I don’t know. It might not get better. Who knows? Maybe it just gets worse.
“I don’t know. But I show up to the field every day prepared to play, prepared to get better and work hard and control what I can control. And the people out there that say certain things, they say whatever they want. I think I bring a lot to this team.”
Garver, who signed a two-year, $24-million contract with the Mariners in the offseason, was coming off a strong season with the Texas Rangers, where he hit 19 home runs and had an .870 OPS over 87 games, contributing to their World Series victory.
“I’ve never quit anything,” the 33-year-old added. “Certainly not going to quit this.
“They’re gonna have to rip the jersey off my back. That’s fine. That’s an easy way out. I could happily retire right now, go home, and live a great life with my family. That’s not what I do.
“I made a two-year commitment to this team. They believe in me, my teammates believe in me. So, it’s a matter of just making it click and when it does good things will happen.”
Garver remains focused on overcoming his slump and contributing to the Mariners, despite all the external pressures and personal challenges he faces.