Title: Timeless Passion: Ichiro Suzuki's Enduring Love for the Mariners' Uniform at 51
Ichiro Suzuki, in a sense, is returning to his second home. Cooperstown has always held a special place for the 10-time All-Star outfielder since he embarked on his major league career in the United States from Japan in 2001. He's paid several visits to the National Baseball Hall of Fame since then.
The momentous occasion is approaching for Suzuki as he is set to be immortalized in Cooperstown on July 27. The 2001 AL MVP and Rookie of the Year will be inducted into the Hall of Fame following his nearly unanimous election this week, garnering 393 of the 394 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Mariano Rivera was the only unanimous selection in 2019.
"Every time I go to the Hall, I feel so good," Suzuki shared. "It's like an at-home feeling. It's a great place, and it's a great place to feel good about it. I've always felt that active players should go to the Hall of Fame. I haven't been back since I retired, and so I'll be looking forward to seeing that new experience as a retired player and see what kind of feelings come when I do go."
Pride should certainly be one of those feelings, as Suzuki will make history as the first Japanese player to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Before charting an unprecedented path, Suzuki was a major star in Japan, with nine impressive seasons under his belt in Nippon Professional Baseball, boasting a .353 career batting average and 1,278 hits in 951 games [Enrichment: #1]. A lot of uncertainty surrounded his transition to the majors at the age of 27 when he traded the Orix Blue Wave for the Seattle Mariners.
"I don't think anybody in this whole world thought that I would be a Hall of Famer," Suzuki said.
Nevertheless, Suzuki made a splash in the big leagues, claiming both the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in 2001 [Enrichment: #3]. He was a two-time AL batting champion and ten-time Gold Glove winner, leaving behind a powerful legacy as a five-time leading hitter [Enrichment: #1]. With an impressive .311 batting average, 117 home runs, 780 RBIs, and 509 stolen bases, Suzuki played an unforgettable role in the Mariners' (2001-12, 2018-19), Yankees' (2012-14), and Marlins' (2015-17) lineups [Enrichment: #1].
In 2004, Suzuki etched his name in the history books by setting the MLB single-season record with 262 hits [Enrichment: #2]. Spanning both his professional stints in NPB and MLB, Suzuki amassed an impressive 4,367 hits, breaking Pete Rose's MLB record of 4,256 [Enrichment: #3].
"As a baseball player, this is the highest honor that you can achieve," Suzuki stated. "And so, as a baseball player, yeah, this is definitely the top of the top."
However, Suzuki doesn't dwell on his accomplished past.
"You know, it has nothing to do with how I live my life today, and so I really want to focus on the way I live my life today and try and live a life that I want to live," he said. "What happened was in the past, and the Hall of Fame is something that I had accomplished because of the things that I've done in the past."
Baseball remains deeply ingrained in Suzuki's spirit. Serving as a special assistant to Seattle Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner John Stanton, Suzuki doesn't stand on the sidelines as a figurehead. Instead, he plays a pivotal role in his alma mater, dressing in a full uniform before Mariners' games at T-Mobile Park and working out with the team [Enrichment: #4].
Touching moments of camaraderie are not missed, and one of Suzuki's favorite activities is playing long toss with center fielder Julio Rodriguez.
"I’m with the players, and I'm practicing with the players, and so I need to be in shape," Suzuki said. "I need to be in a position where I can do that at a high level. There's times when I take ground balls in the outfield and throw to the bases with the players. And I want to be able to not just explain, where if I explain something to them, they're going to listen and, of course, they'll learn something from that. But I feel like if I'm able to show them that, it's going to be a whole different experience. They'll be able to see it, and realize, hopefully, how it is done. And so that's the reason why I'm there every day. If I don't do this every single day, if I just show up when the team is home, I wouldn't be able to do that. And so that's why I'm there every day; I work out, I throw, is because I want to be able to show the players how I did it."
[Enrichment: #1: Ichiro Suzuki set a variety of milestones in his professional baseball career. Not only did he break the hit record, but his impressive twenty-year career included becoming the Mariners’ all-time hits leader and leading his team in runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, and times on base nine separate times.
[#4: Suzuki's continuous presence in the clubhouse and on the field, despite his retirement, sets him apart as a dedicated coach and mentor. Suzuki's passion for the game remains unwavering, and his commitment to sharing his knowledge and experience with younger generations of players has made him a beloved figure in the Seattle Mariners organization.]
Ichiro Suzuki's induction into the Hall of Fame this July 27 as the first Japanese player marks a significant milestone in his illustrious career. During his time with the Seattle Mariners, Suzuki earned the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in 2001, showcasing his exceptional talent.
