PEORIA, Ariz. — It may have been a spring-training game, but it was still a special moment for the Seager brothers.
Corey and Kyle Seager faced each other Sunday for the first time in their big-league careers.
Corey Seager was the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter, and Kyle, who at 30 is seven years older, played third base for the Seattle Mariners in a Cactus League game. Kyle’s Mariners won, 2-0.
“It’s really cool,” Corey Seager said. “It’s hard to think about just because it’s him. You’ve been around him all your life, watched him play a ton. It’s still weird. You still kind of feel like a fan in the stands watching even though you’re in the dugout. It’s a really cool moment.”
When the lefty-hitting Corey Seager batted in the first inning, the Mariners put on a shift, opening a big hole at third. Asked if he thought about dropping a bunt against his brother, he said: “You’ve got to save your free knocks during the year, right, when they count. You catch them off guard when they count, not now.”
Corey Seager said it’s been “bad timing” that the brothers hadn’t faced each other in spring training before, usually because one of them had the day off when their teams played.
Sunday marked only time the teams will play each other this spring.
The Mariners and Dodgers last played in the regular season in April 2015. Corey Seager made his big-league debut Sept. 3 that year.
The Dodgers play at Seattle on Aug. 17-19.
Corey Seager, the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, said their parents weren’t able to come out from North Carolina for this game, but will be on hand for the series in Seattle.
“They’ll make it out for that one, for sure,” he said. “There will be a lot of people there, actually.”
Kyle Seager, who made his big-league debut in July 2011, said this was the second time he saw his younger brother play since Corey was 11. The other time was when the Dodgers were in the World Series last fall.
Corey Seager said he still considers his older brother a role model.
“I still ask him for help, I still ask him about things,” Corey said. “I don’t think I really ever will stop asking him.”
For details of Sunday’s game, see Page C2.
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