Furness talks Ichiro and Seattle arena plans

July 25, 2012, 5:31 pm

Seattle sportscaster Ian Furness joined The Bald Faced Truth guest host Brian Wheeler Wednesday to talk about the legacy of Ichiro after being traded from the Mariners to the Yankees.

The 10-time all star was traded to New York while the Yankees were playing an away series in Seattle. According to Furness, the time was right for the team to part with the decade-long face of the franchise.

"By and large most fans are glad he's gone," said Furness, noting how Ichiro never really connected to the city and merely thanked the fans through an interpreter.

Recent Ichiro talk has been quite dramatic, including General Manager Jack Zduriencik being left out of the loop in many player personnel decisions. Furness also likened Mariners President Chuck Armstrong to ex-Blazers President Larry Miller in taking too much credit for moves, even though he said he didn't want to be involved.

"They kind of cut the personnel guys out of the mix sometimes, especially if it's a high level situation," Furness said.

Ichiro is averaging a career low .262 this season.

Also of note, Furness gave the latest on plans for a new arena in Seattle or Bellevue for the NBA and NHL. Listen to the interview: