"ichiro! wonders who will play right field tomorrow," by Seattlest Flickr contributor edgardiazrocks

We knew that the Boys of SoDo had lost their mojo this summer. But we didn't realize how bad things really were at Safeco, especially concerning everyone's favorite nihonjin.

Sure, we had heard the rumblings: Only wants to play certain positions. Stays in a different hotel on road trips. Demands separate planes. Pretends not to speak English. (It all reminds us of our first marriage, actually.)

But Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times sheds new light on the level of animosity between Number 51 and his fellow teammates:

"I just can't believe the number of guys who really dislike him," said one clubhouse insider. "It got to a point early on when I thought they were going to get together and go after him."

The coaching staff and then-manager John McLaren intervened when one player was overheard talking—in reference to Ichiro—about wanting to "knock him out." A team meeting was called to clear the air.