Hey y’all how is everyone doing on this fine ass sunday night. Okay I have been meaning to do a blog post about this for a couple of days but i got caught up with writing my book. Now i know i am a little late to the game on this but you know i gotta write about this. Okay as you all know last thursday the Mariners organization announced Ichiro would move to the front office as a special assistant for the remainder of the season. Thursday would mark the end of an era for one of the greatest baseball legends to ever play the game. Ichiro played in the MLB for 18 years playing with the Seattle Mariners, the New York Yankees and the Miami Marlins from 2001-2018.
When you ask a baseball fan from my dads generation who was the best pure hitter you ever saw play they would within a heartbeat say Pete Rose. Well fans from my generation will say Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro was a true giant on the field and a baseball icon through and through. Ichiro truly embodied the heart and soul of the game and is truly a once in a generation kind of player. So enough chit-chat how about we jump right into this so without further adieu here are the biggest moments in Ichiro Suzuki career.
1. 
Ichiro’s absolutely legendary rookie season in 2001: Okay Ichiro broke into the MLB in 2001 at the age of 27 after signing with seattle in november of 2000. Before coming to america Ichiro played nine seasons in the NPB for the Orix BlueWave. During his time in japan ichiro was an 7 time NPB all-star, 7 time NPB gold glove award winner and was 3 time Pacific league MVP ( pacific league is one of the two leagues or as they are called her divisions in the NPB.) Many baseball analysts were concerned he wouldn’t adapt to the american style of playing but boy did he prove them wrong.
During the 2001 season Ichiro set the record for most hits by an MLB rookie with 242 hits. Ichiro also got a .350/.381/.457 slash line that season and helped lead the mariners to their historic 2001 season where they tied the 1906 chicago cubs for most wins in a season with a 116. Unfortunately the mariners lost to the Yankees in the ALCS that year. Ichiro would make it to the all-star game for the first time, won a gold glove award and a silver slugger award, was named the AL batting champion and lead the AL in stolen bases and he also not only was named the 2001 AL rookie of the year but also the 2001 AL MVP
2. 
Ichiro’s legendary performance in his first 10 seasons in the MLB: Okay from 2001-2010 with the Mariners Ichiro was an absolute beast. During those 10 seasons ichiro got over 200 hits in each one of those seasons and also managed to record at least a .300 Batting average in each season as well. Ichiro also lead the MLB in hits 7 out of the 10 seasons and made it to the all-star game each season. During those 10 seasons ichiro also managed to get 2,244 hits.
3. 
Ichiro’s historic 2004 season: Okay in 2004 Ichiro did something absolutely legendary. During the 2004 season Ichiro played in a 161 games and had the most at bats and plate appearances that season with 762 plate apperances and 706. And in all of those at bats and plate apperances Ichiro did something absoutetly spectacular. He set the MLB record for most hits in a season. Ichiro got a whopping 262 hits during that season beating out the previous record of 257 set by hall of fame first baseman George Sisler in 1920.
4. 
Ichiro getting his 4,000 hit from his combined time in the NPB and the MLB: Okay on August 21, 2013, Ichiro collected his 4,000th professional career hit with a single off Toronto Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey. after that hit Ichiro became the seventh player in professional baseball history known to have reached the mark the other six were Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Julio Franco, Hank Aaron, Jigger Statz, and Stan Musial so I think it is pretty safe to say he is in good company. Now to be fair Ichiro got 1,278 hits back in the NPB but it still a pretty cool feat.
5. 
Ichiro reaching 3,000 hits in the MLB: Okay on August 7 2016 Ichiro recorded the 3,000th hit of his MLB career when he hit a triple off the right field wall off Rockies left-handed reliever Chris Rusin in the seventh inning at Coors field in Colorado while playing for the Marlins. Ichiro would finish his MLB career with 3,089 career hits the most by any foreign born MLB player.
There's no crying in baseball blog 