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Super Ichiro Crazy! A Guide to All Things Ichiro Ichiro Suzuki is my all-time favorite baseball player. Here is my tribute. As of October 5, 2009, Ichiro has played nine full seasons for my favorite team, the Seattle Mariners. During each those seasons, he's had at least 200 hits (breaking Wee Willie Keeler's record of eight consecutive 200-hit seasons), played in nine consecutive All-Star Games (starting in eight), batted at least .300, and won eight consecutive Gold Glove awards (the 2009 awards have yet to be announced)... He's also led the American Leage with hits six times and won two American League batting crowns (.350 in 2001, .372 in 2004), and he's compiled at least 100 runs and 30 stolen bases in eight seasons. Most significantly, in 2004 he had 262 hits, breaking George Sisler's 84-year-old records for most hits in a season with 257. All of this coming after seven full seasons in Japan, in which he won seven consecutive Pacific League batting titles and seven consecutive Gold Glove awards, establishing himself as one of Japan's greatest players of all time. Now, with every record-breaking seaon he plays here in Seattle, Ichiro is doing the same thing in the U.S...

Vital Statistics Height: 5'9" Weight: 170 Bats: Left Throws: Right Number: 51 Position: Right field Born: October 22, 1973; Kasugai, Japan Home: Kasugai, Japan Nicknames: Elvis (in Japan), Wizard, Ich, Ichi, Itchy Balls

With grandmother Hisa.

Early fashion.

With dad, horse.

Ready for action.

Pitching in high school.

1973-1991: Youth Ichiro Suzuki was born on October 22, 1973 in Kasugai, Nishikasugai District, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He grew up in Toyoyama Cho, just north of Nagoya, near the Nagoya airport. He began playing baseball at age seven for his elementary school team, and soon asked his father, Nobuyuki Suzuki, to help him to one day become a professional. The two began intensive hitting, throwing, and fielding drills every day, playing in a field adjacent to the airport's main entrance. As a teenager, Ichiro was chosen to play in the pretigious baseball program at Nagoya's Aiko-Dai Meiden High School. ("After I went to high school, all I did was baseball and sleeping.") Though he was primarily used as a pitcher (with a 93 mph fastball), his career high school batting average was .505. Following his final season at Meiden, Ichiro was drafted by the Orix Blue Wave of Japan's Pacific League in November 1991. The six-team Pacific League and the six-team Central League together form Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan's top organization. (The NPB's twelve teams each represent a sponsor, not their home city. Orix is a Japanese financial services group; the defunct Blue Wave played in Kobe.) Despite Ichiro's impressive numbers, he wasn't drafted until the fourth round, as many teams thought the five-nine, 124-pound 18-year-old was too small compete professionally. Though Ichiro left Nagoya to play in Kobe, his father continues to maintain a Nagoya museum dedicted to his son, the Ichiro Exhibition Room.

1992: Orix Blue Wave After his high school graduation in March 1992, Ichiro spent most of his first professional season playing for the Blue Wave's minor-league team. Skeptical Blue Wave manager Shozo Doi mostly kept Ichiro down because he didn't approve of his unorthodox, pendulum-like leg motion, swinging his leading right leg back and then forward upon every swing of the bat. Still, Ichiro hit .366 in 58 minor-league games, and in 40 games in the majors, the 18-year-old hit .253. 1993: Orix Blue Wave Ichiro again spent most of the season in the minors, hitting .371 with 8 homers in 48 games. He had 64 at-bats in the majors that year, hitting .188 with one home run. That homer, his first in the majors, came off Hideo Nomo of the Kintetsu Buffaloes, who two years later would join the Los Angeles Dodgers and become the National League Rookie of the Year. 1994: Orix Blue Wave Akira Ogi, who took over as the Blue Wave manager, made Ichro his everyday right fielder, and soon, his permanent leadoff hitter, and Ichiro became a supertar. In that breakout season, Ichiro's.385 average set a Pacific League record, and his 210 hits set an NPB record. (No previous Japanese player ever had 200 hits in a season, which lasts a relatively short 130 games.) He also led the leage with a .445 on-base percentage, and reached base safely in 69 consecutive games. Along with 13 home runs, 54 runs batted in, and 29 stolen bases, Ichiro easily won the Pacific League MVP award, as well as a Gold Glove award and the Matsutaro Shoriki award, annually given to a player who greatly contributes to the development of Japanese professional baseball. 1995: Orix Blue Wave Ichiro again led the league with a .342 batting average, and had career highs of 25 home runs and 49 steals. With his 80 runs batted in, he won his second consecutive MVP, Gold Glove, and Matsutaro Shoriki awards, and and led the Blue Wave to its first Pacific League pennant in twelve years.

1996: Orix Blue Wave Ichiro led the Pacific Leage for the third straight season with a .356 average, won his third straight MVP award, and he led the Blue Wave to the Japan Series title, beating the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants. Following the season, and after playing in an exhibition series against visting American Major League all-stars, Ichiro decided that he too wanted to one day play in America. 1997: Orix Blue Wave Besides playing in his fourth consecutive all-star game, Ichiro's .345 average led the Pacific League for fourth straight season, he won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove award, and he set an NPB record of 216 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout. 1998: Orix Blue Wave The model of consistency, Ichiro won his fith straight Gold Glove and batting crown (hitting .358), and played in his fifth all-star game. He also notched more walks than strikeouts for his fourth season straight. 1999: Orix Blue Wave Before the NPB season began, Ichiro traveled to Arizona to work out with the Seattle Mariners (and his favorite player, Ken Griffey Jr.) at Seattle's spring training camp... After returning to Japan, Ichiro won his sixth batting title (hitting .356) and sixth Gold Glove, and his .412 on-base percentage led the Pacific League for the fourth time. He also tallied his 1,000th career hit and 100th career home run, but his season was cut short in late August after getting hit by pitch, breaking a bone in his right hand. 2000: Orix Blue Wave In his seventh and final full major league season in Japan, Ichiro's .387 batting average was not only his career best, but also set the Japanese record with seven straight Pacific League batting titles. He won his seventh consecutive Gold Glove award, played in his seventh straight all-star game, was named to his seventh straight "Best Nine" end-of-season All-Star team, and his .460 on-base percentage led the league for the fifth time. Though his season was again cut short (this time with a rib-cage injury), Ichiro played in the Blue Wave's final game of the season, and ultimately his final game in Japan. Altogether, in his nine NPB seasons, Ichiro amassed 1,278 hits and a .353 batting average, and became the most-recognized person in the nation. After the season, Orix felt they could soon no longer afford to keep their superstar, and allowed him to negotiate with Major League teams. Through the posting system, the Seattle Mariners won the right to negotiate with him, and on November 18, 2000, the M's signed him to a three-year, $14 million contract, making Ichiro the first-ever Japanese position player to sign with a Major League club.

2001: Seattle Mariners Ichiro's American debut with the 2001 Seattle Mariners was not only one of the greatest seasons any player has ever recorded, but it was also one of the most-watched, as the Japanese media sensation quickly gained superstardom in the U.S. The leadoff hitter's .350 batting average led the majors, as did his 242 hits (a rookie record, and the most by any player in 71 years), as well as his 56 stolen bases. He also dazzled with his defensive prowess in right field; in his first week in Seattle, his putout of Oakland's Terrence Long at third base gained legendary status as "The Throw." Ichiromania was in full swing by the All-Star break, as he was the first rookie ever to lead all players in All-Star balloting, with 3,373,035 votes. (Coincidentally, the game was held in Seattle.) Ichiro was a major contributor to Seattle's 116-win season, tying 1906 Chicago Cubs for the regular-season win record, though the M's fell short of the World Series, losing to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Ultimately, Ichiro stifled those critics who claimed he would be too small and frail to make it in the American majors. Instead, he won both the American League's Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards, the only player besides Fred Lynn to do so. 2002: Seattle Mariners After his 2001 onslaught, Ichiro experienced a relative sophomore slump, but he still had a .321 batting average and 208 hits. He became the sixth player in MLB history with 200 hits in each of his first two seasons, and those combined 450 hits were the most for any player's first two seasons. He was again among the league leaders in several offensive categories, and he led All-Star balloting for second straight year. 2003: Seattle Mariners With his .312 batting average and 212 hits, he became the third player with 200 hits in his first three seasons. He was yet again among the league leaders in several offensive categories, and he led All-Star balloting for third straight year. 2004: Seattle Mariners Ichiro's 262 hits set the all-time Major League single-season hits record, breaking George Sisler's 84-year-old record of 257. Ichiro also set season records for singles (225, breaking Wee Willie Keeler's record of 206 in 1898), road hits (145, breaking Harry Heilmann's record of 134 in 1925), and 50-hit months (three). He became the first player in MLB history to reach 200 hits in each of his four seasons; his 922 hits during that period were more than anyone during any four-year period. And, having amassed 2,000 career hits between NPB and MLB, he joined the Meikyukai, Japan's exclusive Golden Players Club. Unsurprisingly, he again led the majors with his .372 batting average. 2005: Seattle Mariners Ichiro experienced his "worst" season to date, batting .303 with 206 hits. Still, he became just the sixth player to collect 200 hits in five consecutive seasons, but was the first to do it in his first five seasons. He also hit 15 home runs, his MLB career-best.

2006: Team Japan Ichiro led Japan to a gold medal in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, an international baseball tournament played over 17 days in March 2006. Japan had a 5-3 record in eight tournament games, including a 10-6 win over Cuba in the final contest in San Diego. Ichiro hit in every game, going 12-for-33 for a .364 average, with seven runs, four stolen bases, and one home run.

2006: Seattle Mariners Back in Seattle, Ichiro led the majors with 224 hits, extending his 200-hit season streak to six, joining Wade Boggs and Wee Willie Keeler as the only players ever to do so. He batted .322 and stole 49 bases, including 39 in a row. 2007: Seattle Mariners Ichiro racked up a league-leading 238 hits, becoming only one of eight players to collect 200 hits in seven career seasons, and the only player besides Wee Willie Keeler to do it in consecutive years (Keeler had eight). While compiling his .351 average, he set the Mariner record with a 25-game hitting streak, and set the American League records with 45 steals without getting caught. On July 10 he won the All-Star Game's MVP award, going 3-for-3 with an inside-the-park home run. Three days later, he signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension, keeping him in Seattle through 2012. 2008: Seattle Mariners Ichiro's 213 hits extended his streak of consecutive 200-hit seasons to eight, tying Wee Willie Keeler's record. On July 29, he collected his 3,000th professional hit (combining his 1,278 career hits in Japan with 1,722 such hits in the U.S.). The 34-year-old reached the milestone at a younger age than the previous record-holder, Ty Cobb.

2009: Team Japan In March, Ichiro and Team Japan won their second gold medal in the second-ever World Baseball Classic. Over nine games, Ichiro batted .280 (12-for-44), with seven runs and five runs batted in, including a tenth-inning, two-out, two-run single, leading Japan to a 5-3 victory over Korea in the championship game at Dodger Stadium. 2009: Seattle Mariners Due to the stress of defending Japan's WBC title, Ichiro missed the first eight Mariner games of 2009 with a bleeding ulcer, making his first-ever trip to the disabled list. (In his first eight seasons, he had never missed even two consecutive games.) Returning to the lineup on April 15, Ichiro's grand slam tied him with Isao Harimoto as the all-time Japanese-born hits leader, and he broke the record the following night with his 3,086th professional hit (1,278 in Japan, 1,808 in the U.S.). From May 6 to June 5, his 27-game hitting streak set both personal and team records. On September 6, Ichiro became the second-fastest player in history to collect 2,000 MLB hits. On September 13, he surpassed Wee Willie Keeler to became the only Major League player with at least 200 hits in nine consecutive seasons. (Keeler's streak ended in 1901, exactly a century before Ichiro's streak began.) Ichiro also joined Pete Rose and Ty Cobb as the only players to have nine career 200-hit seasons overall, though Rose took 15 seasons to reach the milestone, while Cobb needed 20. Ichiro also has more hits over a nine-year period than anyone in MLB history. He missed another eight games near season's end (sitting out 16 overall in 2009), but he still led the majors with 225 hits. He batted .352, but it was the first season he failed to score at least 100 runs or steal at least 30 bases. He had his first career walk-off home run, but he also received his first ejection for arguing balls and strikes.

The Future Assuming Ichiro remains healthy and continues to get at least 200 hits per season for the next five years -- not too far-fetched -- here's what'll happen: 2010: Ichiro would tie Pete Rose's record of ten career 200-hit seasons, which took Rose 17 seasons to reach. If he gets 218 hits for the season, he would also set the Mariner career hits record, currently held by Edgar Martinez with 2,247. 2011: Ichiro would set the record with 11 career 200-hit seasons. 2012: Ichiro would set the record with 12 career 200-hit seasons. It will be the last year of his current contract with the M's, when he'll be 38. 2013: Ichiro would set the record with 13 career 200-hit seasons. With at least 2,830 hits in his MLB career, plus 1,278 hits in his Japanese career, he would have 4,108 career hits. He would also likely play for Team Japan in the third World Baseball Classic. 2014: Ichiro would set the record with 14 career 200-hit seasons. With at least 3,030 hits in his MLB career, plus 1,278 hits in his NPB career, he would have 4,308 career hits, passing Pete Rose's MLB career mark of 4,255 (and Julio Franco's international career record of 4,229 career hits). Ichiro will be 40 during the 2014 season. Though Rose's MLB record appears out of reach, he would become roughly the 30th player with 3,000 career MLB hits. Hall of Fame? Ichiro's ten Major League seasons through 2010 will have met the minimum required for Hall of Fame eligibility. Five years after his retirement, he will need to be approved for the Hall by a screening committee made up of members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Ichiro's numbers alone should make him a shoo-in as the first Asian HoFer, but his role as the MLB's first Asian position player, opening the door for more such players, and thereby giving the American game a more international appeal, should guarantee his induction.

Uniforms
1938 Seattle Rainiers road uniform.		1939 Seattle Rainiers home uniform.		1969 Seattle Pilots home uniform.

1977 Seattle Mariners home uniform.

1978 Mariners road uniform.

1989 Mariners home uniform.

1989 M's home uni.

Above are some uniforms Ichiro has worn for various Mariner turn-back-the-clock games; most of the other uniform conbos he's worn throughout his professional career appear elsewhere on this page. So why only his first name on his uniform? During the 1994 season, when Ichiro was one of four Orix players named Suzuki, Blue Wave manager Akira Ogi had him replace the last name on his jersey to his first name, a publicity stunt to promote the rising star. Ichiro was initially embarrassed by it, but the name caught on in Japan, and later, in the U.S. While "Ichiro" means "first son," he actually has an older brother, fashion designer Kazuyasu Suzuki. As for his uniform number, Ichiro wore 51 for Orix, and he was also issued the number when he joined the Mariners. At first he was reluctant to wear 51, since it was previously worn by former Mariner pitching sensation Randy Johnson, but he agreed to it anyhow: "I'm very fortunate the Mariners would let me wear 51, and I'll work hard not to damage the repuation of the number." Like many other major leaguers in the 2000s, Ichiro routinely wore long pants. Then, in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, he began wearing short pants to expose his navy socks, a look that he's sported ever since.

Equipment

Ichiro wears Mizuno ball gloves (handmade for him by legendary leather craftsman Yoshi Tsubota), Mizuno batting gloves and wrist bands, and he uses Mizuno bats, which he keeps in a humidor. He also wears Asics spikes and Oakley Ichiro Juliet Signature Series sunglasses (more on those here). "When a person gives a gift to another, it is expected the gift will be treated well. But baseball players throw and kick their baseball gloves that have been given to them by makers of baseball equipment. I feel that is a contradiction... Equipment -- bats, glove, and spikes -- should look cool and get kids who play baseball want to wear them."

Memorabilia

Topps Heritage #3, 2003.

Topps #FF16, 2007.

Topps Heritage #30, 2007.

Topps #TCH24, 2008.

Action figure, 1999.

Starbucks card, 2005.

Pocket schedule, 2005.

Toy hydroplane.

McFarlane Series 1, 2002.

McFarlane Series 4, 2003.

McFarlane Series 22, 2008.

Much more memorabilia may be found at CollectingIchiro.com, IchiroCollectables.com, IchiroCollection on flickr and, of course, eBay.

Comics
Read Ichiro-Man here.

Ichiro meets Bigfoot.

2005 Bazooka #13.

Dokaben.

By the Korean baseball cartoonist Choi Hoon.

To tell the truth, I'm not excited to go to Cleveland. If I ever saw myself saying I'm excited going to Cleveland, I'd punch myself in the face.

Magazines
Japanese magazine, 1990s.		Sports Graphic Number 376.		Japanese magazine, 1990s.		Japanese magazine, 1990s.

Sports Illustrated, May 28, 2001.

ESPN, July 23, 2001.

Beckett Baseball, November '01.

The Grand Salami, July 2008.

Although it is a tradition to shake hands in America, people don't wash their hands when they go to the bathroom.

Books

Baseball Is Just Baseball: The Understated Ichiro by David Shields (TNI, 2001). A photo-less collection of Ichiro's quotes gathered from various sources during his rookie season that takes about 20 minutes to read. Baseball Samurais: Ichiro Suzuki and the Asian Invasion by Rob Rains (St. Martin's, 2001). A slapped-together, 200-page paperback that also features Hideo Nomo and other Japanese MLBers. The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave from Japan and the Transformation of Our National Pastime by Robert Whiting (Warner, 2004). The author of 1989's You Gotta Have Wa, examining the impact of Americans playing pro ball in Japan, follows it up with this look at Japanese ballplayers in America, with a particularly in-depth focus on Ichiro. Ichiro on Ichiro: Conversations with Narumi Komatsu (Sasquatch, 2004). Killer book-length interview touching on many aspects of Ichiro's life and career, with a generous number of black-and-white and color photos, including some from his personal collection. Baseball Superstars: Ichiro Suzuki by Judith Levin (Chelsea House, 2007). Among the heap of Ichiro books aimed at kids, this is easily the best one. For the record, here are the others... Dear Ichiro by Jean Davies Okimoto (Kumagi Press, 2002)... Ichiro Magic! by Jim Allen (Kodansha International, 2001)... Ichiro Suzuki: Best in the West by Mark Stewart (Milbrook Press, 2002)... Ichiro: The Making of an American Hero by Roland Lazenby (Triumph, 2002)... At the Plate With ... Ichiro by Matt Christopher (Little, Brown and Company, 2003)... Ichiro Suzuki (Awesome Athletes Set III) by Terri Dougherty (ABDO, 2003)... Super Sports Star Ichiro Suzuki by Ken Rappaport (Enslow, 2004)... Sports Heroes and Legends: Ichiro Suzuki by David S. Leigh (Barnes & Noble, 2004)... Ichiro's Art of Playing Baseball: Learn How to Hit, Steal, and Field Like an All-Star by Jim Rosenthal (St. Martin's Griffin, 2006)... Amazing Athletes: Ichiro Suzuki by Jeff Savage (Lerner Publications, 2007).

TV/Video
Ichiro-Mondow: Two Chairs.		Rising Sons.		Furuhata Ninzaburo.

On the weekly half-hour show Ichiro-Mondow: Two Chairs ("Ichiro Versus"), he interviewed various well-known figures on a largely barren set (save for the titular chairs). During the show, which aired on Saturday nights beginning in 2006, the host also played word-association games with his diverse guests: athletes, actors, models, scientists, lawyers, and Peter, a popular Japanese drag queen... The DVDs Rising Sons (2002) and Rising Sons Return (2003) document Ichiro's first two seasons with the Mariners, along with some fellow Japanese players... He played himself on the January 4, 2006 episode of Furuhata Ninzaburo, a Fuju TV police detective drama series, in which he kills a guy who blackmailed his brother... When asked, "Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?", Ichiro said Brad Pitt.

Endorsements
Asahi Soft Drinks.		NTT mobile phones.		Kirin beer, though he reportedly doesn't drink -- video.

Besides the above brands and the aforementioned Mizuno, Asics and Oakley, Ichiro also pitches for Yunker energy drink, Nikko Cordial Securities, Nissan, and Nippon Oil (watch him interact with the animated Dr. Drive).

If you were to meet a beautiful girl and go bowling, if she's an ugly bowler, you are going to be disappointed.

Fans

Check out this kickass Ichiro-Obama summit video.

Yumiko & Ikkyu

Ichiro is married to former Japanese TV sports reporter Yumiko Fukushima. They wed on December 3, 1999, in a private ceremony at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, avoiding a certain media crush in Japan. During the season, they live in their Medina home, in an affluent Seattle suburb on Lake Washington. In the off-season, they live in Kobe. Though they have no children, they do have a Shiba Inu named Ikkyu. When Ichiro first arrived in Seattle, he refused to divulge Ikkyu's name to the media: "I would not wish to say without first asking his permission." During a 2007 press conference, while explaining his decision to sign a contract extension with the Mariners and stay in Seattle, he claimed he was persuaded by Ikkyu: "He said, 'Woof, woof, woof,' which meant, 'Stay, stay, stay.' Of course, I listened." Yumiko and Ikkyu supposedly high-five each other whenever they see Ichiro get a hit on TV.

Favorites
Food: Curry rice, pickled plum, okaka Pre-game food: Rice ball Comfort food: "My wife's cookies" Snack: Eclair Ice cream: Cookies 'n' cream, vanilla with dark chocolate Meal to make: Bananas foster Dessert: Tiramisu Drink: Pepsi Coffee drink: Frappucino with whipped cream Restaurant: Saito's, El Gaucho,Veil, Shiro's Least favorite food: "Anything that smells bad" High school class: history Childhood sports team: Chunichi Dragons Baseball player: Ken Griffey, Jr. Sport other than baseball: car racing, track & field Vacation spot: Milan, Los Angeles Thing about Seattle: "You can see water everywhere you go, which is very unique for an urban area in the States."		Movie: Love Actually, Miss Congeniality Baseball movie: Mr. 3000 Comedy movie: The Full Monty Actor: Hugh Grant Actress: Sandra Bullock TV Channel: BET, Animal Planet TV Show: Lost, Prison Break Cartoon: Dragon Ball Z Music: "I very much like hip-hop and rap -- my older brother's influence." Music artist: Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Fergie Song: "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" Video game: Dragon Quest, Mario Bros. Clothing: "T-shirts, jeans, and suits designed by Yohji Yamamoto." Hobbies: Collecting paintings, shopping for antique furniture, driving his Porsche, coin collecting, playing go, playing golf, growing bonsai trees American expression: "August in Kansas City is hotter than two rats in a fucking wool sock" -- video.

Fashion

Ichiro fancies himself a sharp dresser, whether in garish hiphop gear, Italian suits, or the threads he wore in the May 2007 GQ (above). He also has his own Ichiro Suzuki Levi's in Japan. The fashion sense Americans have is a crime. Perhaps, but I'd call this a felony.

Miscellany
With the Mariner Moose.		Fisher Plaza.		Ichiroll.		Ichiroach.

Ichiro Official Web Site. Another official site is 519200 Project, tracking in detail Ichiro's 2009 quest to get 200 hits in nine consecutive seasons. For general, current reference, check out MLB.com, ESPN.com, Baseball-Reference.com, and Wikipedia. Find cool images on Google , Bing, and Flickr. Watch Ichiro on YouTube. Ichiro Fangirl's blog and photo collection. Another fan blog, and another . Scandal on TMZ.com.

Ichiro! CD single by Xola (2002).

Ichiro fights Darth Maul.

Carve an Ichiro jack o' lantern.

Stay tuned for more. Back to Top

Last updated on October 5, 2009.

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© 2004-2010 Steve Mandich