James Paxton’s new best friend was towering near the entrance to the Seattle Mariners’ clubhouse at Safeco Field.
It was a large, stuffed bald eagle with a baseball between its talons, staring right at Paxton’s locker.
Paxton just laughed. He said he has no scarring memories of his encounter with the actual eagle, which tried to perch onto his shoulder while he was standing in left field for the national anthem before his April 5 start in Minnesota against the Twins.
“No, I think it’s cool,” he said with a laugh. “We’re good.”