Ichiro Suzuki News

Ichiro helps Mariners get started in 9-3 victory over Padres
"The Mariners polished off another of baseball's worst teams Thursday afternoon behind a leadoff home run from their best hitter, Ichiro; a game-breaking double from one of their most frustrated hitters, Rob Johnson; and the first win in two months from their hardest-luck starter, Jarrod Washburn. The Mariners left Safeco Field with a 9-3 victory over San Diego that finished a 5-1 homestand against teams in baseball's basement - the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. But where the Mariners (37-35) are headed could be largely determined by the next nine games, all on the road against three of the best teams in baseball. "We'll see how we stack up," manager Don Wakamatsu said. On a 10-day, ..."
Ichiro breaks Japanese hits record
"A record that perhaps only one person in Japan thought would ever be broken was toppled at Safeco Field on Thursday night. A little more than 27 years after Isao Harimoto delivered his 3,085th career hit, Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki went one better, getting his 3,086th with a single to right field in the fourth inning of Seattle's series finale against the Angels. The 18,528 fans gave Ichiro a prolonged ovation. He removed his helmet and waved it to the crowd. After the game, which the Mariners lost, 5-1, Ichiro reflected on his latest hits record, recalling a conversation he had in 1995 with the now former all-time hits leader in Japan. "Mr. Harimoto told me, 'The only guy who ..."
Ichiro remains hot in rehab stint
"Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki had another busy offensive day in Peoria, Ariz., on Friday afternoon, going 5-for-10 in a five-inning Minor League intrasquad game, and running the bases for the first time. His workload could increase a little more on Saturday. "We're going to see how he feels in the morning," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said prior to Seattle's game against Oakland, "and he might play some outfield tomorrow. We expect him to be on a plane on Sunday going to Seattle and he would join the team for Monday's workout." The Mariners are scheduled to work out at Safeco Field on Monday afternoon in preparation for Tuesday afternoon's home opener against the Angels. Ichiro won't play ..."
Mariners' Ichiro will see action in Peoria
"Ichiro's blood test results are back, and the team says he's improving from the bleeding ulcer that landed him on the disabled list. The plan is to use him as a designated hitter in an extended spring game today in Peoria, Ariz. Ichiro could get as many as 10 at-bats. A rehabbing player can often lead off every inning or be used more than once in a frame. After that, he'll be re-evaluated. Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said he'd like to get Ichiro into at least three games before he returns to the team. "We'll take each day and see how it progresses," Wakamatsu said. "We're going to start him off slow, give him some at-bats [today], re-evaluate him. But his energy level seems to be coming ..."
Ichiro set for blood test on Wednesday
"A blood test that Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki will have on Wednesday morning in Arizona will determine the next step on his road to recovery from a bleeding ulcer that put him on the disabled list for the first time in his career. "He's doing real well and will have a blood test at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning," Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said on Monday prior to the Mariners' regular-season opener against the Twins here. "We'll know something by the middle of the day and make some decisions on what we're going to do." The test results would be an indicator of how the medication is working and allow the organization to accelerate his daily activities. The Mariners remain ..."
Ichiro on track to rejoin team Friday
"Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said Saturday that "everything is going good" with outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, and he indicated that there is a good chance the right fielder will join the team in Oakland on Friday. Ichiro, who will begin his ninth Major League season on the 15-day disabled list, is in Arizona rebuilding strength he lost while battling the effects of a bleeding ulcer. He is eligible to come off the DL on April 15. Wakamatsu gave Seattle-area media an update on Ichiro prior to Saturday afternoon's game against the Rockies. "He's increasing his workload down there [in Arizona]," Wakamatsu said, "and if everything goes as planned and he keeps progressing, he'll probably meet us ..."
Ichiro had bleeding ulcer, will start season on disabled list
"Ichiro went on the disabled list Friday for the first time in his Mariners career, but not without a fight. The 35-year-old outfielder, diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer that has caused extreme fatigue in recent days, pleaded with team officials to remain on the active roster for Monday's season opener against the Twins in Minneapolis. "He wanted to negotiate," Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "We said, 'Ichiro, we have to do what's right for you. We have to do what's right for the ballclub.' "He's such a competitor. In sitting across from him and discussing this with him, it was so evident he did not want to do this." But the Mariners decided to shut down their leadoff hitter ..."
Ichiro had bleeding ulcer, will start season on disabled list
"The Mariners won't have Ichiro when they open the season Monday in Minneapolis against the Twins. Ichiro, diagnosed as having had a bleeding ulcer, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to March 31. It marks the first career DL appearance for Ichiro, who had played in 197 consecutive games, and 807 of the Mariners' past 810 games over the past five seasons. The ulcer is no longer bleeding, but doctors have ordered restricted activity for Ichiro. He is eligible to come off the disabled list on April 15 — one day after the Mariners' home opener against the Angels — and the club hopes he will be ready to play by then. "It was a very difficult decision to place Ichiro on ..."
Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki to be placed on 15-day DL
"Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik announced today that All-Star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 31, and will miss the first week of the regular season. Ichiro had been suffering from severe fatigue, causing him to miss the Mariners' last three Cactus League games (March 30-April 1). He was examined by doctors in Arizona who determined that he had suffered a bleeding ulcer. The ulcer is not bleeding now, but in the interim, doctors have ordered restricted activity. "It was a very difficult decision to place Ichiro on the disabled list," Zduriencik said, "especially ..."
Ichiro exam results expected Friday
"Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki was examined by doctors on Thursday to determine the cause of the fatigue that has kept him out of Seattle's past three exhibition games. Mariners executive vice president and general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement Thursday night that the club expected to learn the results of the exam on Friday, and that an update would be released at that time. Mariners team physician Dr. Mitch Storey was among the doctors who examined the eight-time All-Star. Suzuki experienced a light-headed feeling on Monday. He went 1-for-2 in a game against the Braves that day, but did not go to the Mariners' Spring Training camp in Peoria, Ariz., on Tuesday, and has not ..."
Light-headed Ichiro given day off
"The light-headed feeling that right fielder Ichiro Suzuki experienced on Monday kept him away from the Mariners' Spring Training facility on Tuesday. "I think it has something to do with all the travel during the World Baseball Classic," manager Don Wakamatsu said during his pre-practice media session. "We're going to give him today off and then re-evaluate on whether or not to put him in the lineup tomorrow." Ichiro, who helped Team Japan capture its second straight Classic championship, said when he reported to camp last week that the tournament was much more difficult this time because the expectations in his homeland were so high. The three-week tournament apparently wore him out. "I ..."
And the biggest baseball star in the U.S. is ... Ichiro?
"The most popular player at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night was not from New York City or Chicago or Miami or even Kalamazoo, Mich. Wasn't Ryan Braun of Granada Hills or Evan Longoria of Downey. Wasn't even an American. Walking into the stadium before the game, there's a Derek Jeter jersey here and a Jake Peavy jersey there. And there are Ichiro Suzuki jerseys everywhere. Ichiro is the key ingredient in the melting pot that is baseball in the melting pot that is Los Angeles in the melting pot that is the United States. He is a national icon not just in Japan, but over here, as well. On Sunday, he was on display. His pre-game introduction elicited a roar, louder than any U.S. player and far ..."
Ichiro, Dice-K on Japan roster
"Japan set its roster yesterday for the 2009 World Baseball Classic with Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka among five major league players on the 28-man squad. Suzuki and Matsuzaka were key members of the team that won the inaugural WBC in 2006. Other major league players selected to the 2009 team were catcher Kenji Johjima of the Mariners, infielder Akinori Iwamura of the Tampa Bay Rays and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome of the Chicago Cubs. Japan, led by Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara, will begin the defence of its title when the tourney begins on March 5 at the Tokyo Dome."
Ichiro, Beltre win Gold Gloves
"The Mariners had much go wrong from start to finish in 2008, but they got a couple of postseason honors when third baseman Adrian Beltre and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki were honored with Gold Gloves, tokens of defensive excellence. It was the second consecutive Gold Glove for Beltre, who spent the season battling thumb and shoulder pain and who ended his season early to have two surgeries. For Ichiro, it is the eighth time in eight years he has earned a Gold Glove. And it was the second time in three years that he'd won after changing positions midseason. He began the season in center field, then moved to right field about 10 weeks into the season. "I take it to heart that this award is given ..."
Hunter, Ichiro among AL Gold Glovers
"Torii Hunter and Ichiro Suzuki began collecting Gold Gloves in 2001 and they're still going strong. Some of the names and faces change, but Hunter and Suzuki remain constants among American League Gold Glovers. When the AL Rawlings Gold Glove squad was announced on Thursday, Hunter and Suzuki were recognized for the eighth consecutive year. Whether it's Suzuki racking up an outfield assist for Seattle with his laser-like right arm or Hunter leaping at the wall for a highlight reel catch to help the Angels, the pattern of defensive excellence among those AL West outfielders is well established. The remainder of the 2008 AL Gold Gloves squad includes pitcher Mike Mussina of the Yankees, ..."
Ichiro to play for Team Japan in WBC
"Don't plan on seeing much of Ichiro Suzuki at spring training next year. Ichiro told the Kyodo News Service on Sunday that he plans on playing for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic next spring. "I will try to win the WBC in earnest again," Ichiro told Kyodo. Three years ago, when Japan won the inaugural WBC, Ichiro started the year in Japan and not in Peoria, Ariz., with the Mariners. With Japan advancing to the finals, the right fielder didn't join the Mariners until the last two weeks of March. This year, Major League Baseball is handling the World Baseball Classic differently, starting spring training earlier and having Cactus League games stretch into the first week of April ..."
Ichiro a problem? Put him in charge
"What are the Mariners to do with Ichiro Suzuki? He's reached the end of his eighth season in the States - there's a strong chance he'll become the team's first Hall of Famer to have spent his entire career in Seattle - yet he remains more a lightning rod than a fulcrum. His studious pregame rituals are the stuff of legend, yet at least one of his teammates - as reported in a Seattle Times story on Thursday - became so agitated at Ichiro's self-absorbed approach to baseball that it nearly led to a physical confrontation. His managers, for the most part, have always been Ichiro's most public defenders, but it's impossible not to note a trend that recalls the gradual dearth of customers at ..."
Ichiro paving his way to the Cooperstown shrine
"Edgar Martinez faces an uphill battle in his quest to get voted into the Hall of Fame when he makes his first appearance on the ballot after the 2009 season. But Edgar's former teammate, Ichiro, is looking increasingly like a Cooperstown lock. For a while, the big debate was whether Ichiro's Japanese accomplishments should be used by voters to bolster his credentials. But as Ichiro keeps adding to his résumé, as he did Wednesday by reaching 200 hits for the eighth consecutive season, his deeds in Japan are becoming a moot point. Ichiro is very close to establishing himself as a Hall of Famer purely on his Mariners body of work - if he's not already there. It's hard to deny that Ichiro has ..."
Ichiro collects 200th hit, ties MLB record in 5-2 loss to Royals
"Ichiro's 200th hit this season came in fitting fashion Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. He beat out a ground ball to Royals shortstop Mike Aviles in the top of the eighth inning. It takes a few infield hits to reach 200 hits eight straight seasons. Ichiro is the master of infield hits and there's a reason for it. "I was talking with our interpreter on what's Ichiro's general plan for the offseason and he said last year Ichiro took about five or six days off and then reported down to the stadium and started working out," Seattle manager Jim Riggleman said. "He was hitting, running in the outfield at the stadium. It was a year-round preparation to play. "When you are talking about Ichiro ..."
Ichiro's feat tainted by loss
"The Mariners were gifted with two tremendously satisfying performances Wednesday night. That they lost the game, anyway, says everything about their season. Ryan Rowland-Smith turned in his sixth consecutive quality start, and Ichiro Suzuki went where only one man had gone before by getting 200 hits for the eighth consecutive year. It added up to another Mariners loss, 5-2 to the Royals. It's the Mariners' seventh consecutive loss on the final road trip of the year. It would have been nice for Ichiro, Rowland-Smith and their teammates to pull this one out and enjoy a sense of shared accomplishment for one night. It didn't happen. Rowland-Smith's six innings of one-run ball gave the ..."
Ichiro ties Keeler's record with 8th straight 200-hit season
"Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki matched Willie Keeler's major league record of eight straight 200-hit seasons Wednesday night, beating out on infield single in the eighth inning for his third hit against Kansas City. The Japanese star came into the game three hits short of the record set by Keeler from 1894-1901. After walking to lead off the game, he hit a double just inside first base in the third and had a bloop single over third in the fifth. Suzuki matched Keeler in the eighth when he hit a ground ball up the middle then beat shortstop Mike Aviles' throw by a half-step. "It has been roughly 100 years since Wee Willie Keeler -- in normal circumstances, there's no way I would associate with ..."
Ibanez pushing Ichiro to limit for club batting title
"Ichiro Suzuki doesn't have a closer friend on the Mariners than Raul Ibanez. Their lockers are adjacent in the Safeco Field clubhouse. Ichiro has taught Ibanez some Japanese. Ibanez has taught Ichiro some Spanish. And as the 2008 season runs into its final two weeks, Ichiro doesn't have a closer competitor on the roster, either. Ichiro has finished each of his first seven seasons as the Mariners' leader in batting average. The discrepancy between Ichiro and whoever was in second was seldom close. This year, however, Ibanez enters the final two weeks with a .312 batting average after going 1-for-5 on Sunday. Ichiro, also 1-for-5 on Sunday, is at .311. And while Ichiro is almost certain to ..."
Ichiro more selective about stealing bases
"In the past month, Ichiro Suzuki has stolen exactly one base, hardly what you expect from someone who at one point was on pace to steal 60-plus bases. The Seattle right fielder makes a joke of it, saying "I've put on weight" since picking up his 34th stolen base on July 5. It's clear that the American League doesn't joke around when Ichiro is on first base. Pitchers are quickening their deliveries to the plate and using a slidestep motion to try to deter him from running. "It's almost like a memo went out to all the other clubs," manager Jim Riggleman said. "They're all doing the same, pitching quick and slidestepping." Ichiro, who has been caught just three times in 38 attempts, prides ..."
Mets should make a run at Ichiro
"The countdown to the trade deadline is almost at 24 hours, just enough time for Omar Minaya to pick up the phone, dial the Mariners' interim general manager and blow his mind away with these words. "Forget about Ibanez. We want Ichiro." Yes, interim GM Lee Pelekoudas will probably laugh, but his cackling might stop once Minaya mentions the names Fernando Martinez and Jon Neise. Yes, give them both untouchables, the top two prospects in the Mets' system. And you know what? If throwing in Binghamton reliever Eddie Kunz seals the deal, I'd do that, too. No doubt every Mets fan will disagree with me, and probably Pelekoudas wouldn't do that deal, either. Heck, this is the same guy that has ..."
3,000th hit for Ichiro
"A flare into left-center field by Ichiro on the first pitch of Tuesday night's game kicked the latest debate over him into full throttle. As with most debates Ichiro, it's rather unique to the sport of baseball. Whether his 1,722nd hit in the major leagues should be combined with the 1,278 he had in the Japanese League to create a 3,000-hit milestone now reached. Some baseball purists, not to mention current and ex-big-leaguers, bristle at the suggestion that the biggest Mariners highlight of a wild, 11-10 loss to the Texas Rangers was on a par with the career accomplishments of Tony Gwynn, Paul Molitor, Carl Yastrzemski, George Brett and others. They say that Japanese baseball, while ..."
Next hit for Ichiro will be his 3,000th
"Ichiro Suzuki still needs one hit to reach 3,000 for his professional career. The Mariners' perennial All-Star outfielder finished a nine-year run in Japan with 1,889 hits before coming to Seattle in November 2000. Now in his eighth big league season, Suzuki, 34, has gotten at least 200 hits each year, leading the American League on four occasions, and has the most total hits in the majors since joining the Mariners. "It's a tremendous accomplishment," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said. "The short time he's been over here, to have this many hits in the states is amazing. In the history of the game, and everybody who has ever played the game, to play this many games and have this many ..."
Hall of Famers high on prospects for Edgar, Ichiro
"The Mariners were out in full force Sunday as one of their own, Dave Niehaus, was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame. The question might rightly be asked, when will they be back in such numbers again? It's possible it will happen in 2010. That's the year Edgar Martinez first becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame. Or it could happen sometimes in the next decade, when Ichiro's reign as the most successful Japanese transplant has been over for the requisite five years and his turn to be on the ballot that's sent to the Baseball Writers Association of America each December. Although it's the writers who do the voting, it's the members of the Hall of Fame who best know what it takes to get a ..."
Milestones remain in Mariners season
"Barring the unforeseen, Ichiro Suzuki will notch the 3,000th hit of his professional baseball career at some point during the Seattle Mariners%u2019 seven-game road trip that begins today in Toronto. After a 1-for-6 performance in Wednesday's 6-3 12-inning loss to the Boston Red Sox, Ichiro was just five hits shy of the magical milestone. Of course, much like Ichiro the player, his accumulation of 3,000 career hits will be unique considering he will have done it in two different professional leagues. During a nine-year career with the Orix Blue Wave of the Japanese professional league, Ichiro racked up 1,278 hits. It's an impressive number, especially considering Japanese seasons are ..."
Suzuki's salty pep talk not lost in translation
"Even with cameras in the All-Star clubhouses, Fox couldn't have shown the traditional pregame pep talk given the American League by perennial All-Star right fielder Ichiro Suzuki. Not only do his anti-National League diatribes work like WD-40 – the AL hasn't lost an All-Star Game since he first made one as a “rookie” in 2001 – but they reveal that Ichiro knows a lot more English than he lets on. Most of it unprintable. Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is the one who always orders the normally low-key but mischievous Ichiro to make what Larry Stone of the Seattle Times calls his “Win One for the Bleeper” speech. This year's wild-eyed, obscenity-filled rant was thusly recalled ..."
Trade Ichiro? It's a bold but sensible proposition
"During last month's news conference announcing the firing of general manager Bill Bavasi, Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln said he was open to trading anyone on the team. If that's the case, the Mariners should deal Ichiro Suzuki by the July 31 deadline. If I'm Lincoln, I'm telling interim GM Lee Pelekoudas to gauge the interest in his All-Star right fielder to see if he can get an ace and/or prospects in return. Nothing against Ichiro, but isn't it time to blow this thing up and start over? Realizing they had no shot at an NBA championship, the Sonics dealt Ray Allen to Boston and began a process that will someday turn Oklahoma City into a perennial contender. When you blow things up, ..."
Ichiro relishes moments at All-Star Game
"Ichiro had a stirring All-Star moment before Tuesday's game at Yankee Stadium — and it didn't even involve his now-traditional motivational speech to his American League teammates. Oh, Ichiro delivered the obscenity-laced screed, invoking the AL to cream the National League, as he has now done in all eight of his All-Star Game appearances. "They made me do it," Ichiro said with a wide smile, speaking through interpreter Ken Barron. But that wasn't the pregame moment that thrilled Ichiro the most. It was the ceremony honoring 49 Hall of Famers, and especially what happened afterward. "Everyone came by the dugout and stopped by to say hello to me," Ichiro said. "That was a very ..."
Ichiro will try to rally AL teammates to another win
"It was at Yankee Stadium in 1928 that Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne, at halftime of the Army game, famously exhorted his team to "win one for the Gipper." Shortly before the first pitch of tonight's All-Star Game at the same hallowed venue — which will be abandoned by the Yankees after this season for a sparkling new baseball palace already rising next door — Ichiro will be called upon to rally his American League teammates. Yeah, Ichiro. The quiet guy who has been criticized by some for shunning a leadership role in the Mariners' clubhouse."
Suzuki keeps AL loose with colorful pregame pep talk
"Yankee Stadium has been home to several famous speeches, from Knute Rockne's "Win one for the Gipper," to Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest man on the face of the Earth." Tonight, Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki could add to the lore. His pregame pep talks apparently have become a staple for the American League. Twins first baseman Justin Morneau described the scene from last year in San Francisco. "[Suzuki] was sitting in the locker back there, and David Ortiz said, 'Ichi's got something to say.' "And then he pops out and everybody started dying. I had no idea it was coming. It was hilarious. If you've never seen it, it's definitely something pretty funny." Anything printable? "No," Morneau said."
Fukudome, Ichiro headed in different directions
"Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and the Cubs' Kosuke Fukudome are the only Japanese All-Stars this year. And though Suzuki saw Fukudome in spring training, he hasn't kept up with the Cubs outfielder's progress. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but it's been a really tough season for me as an individual and as a team, so I haven't had enough time in my heart to be able to watch other players during the season, especially because he's in another league," Suzuki said through an interpreter."
Aching hamstring leads Ichiro to pass on Derby
"Ichiro had said upon being selected to the American League All-Star team that he would participate in the Home Run Derby if asked. Well, he was indeed asked last week by Major League Baseball officials if he would make his first Derby appearance. But after reflecting on it for a few days, he decided to decline the invitation because of lingering concerns about a tight hamstring that prevented him from starting a game in Oakland last Wednesday. "Yes, I was asked," Ichiro confirmed on Saturday, through interpreter Ken Barron. "But because of my hamstring, I decided not to participate." Ichiro still plans to play in the All-Star Game."
Ichiro's hit parade ends slump
"A half-season "slump" by Ichiro may finally have been laid to waste by the barrel of his bat. That barrel got good wood on all five singles notched by the 34-year-old leadoff man in Sunday's rout of the San Diego Padres. It was the seventh five-hit game of Ichiro's major-league career and his first since early last season. The hit barrage helped Ichiro push his batting average from .286 up to .297 as the Mariners reached the halfway point in their 162-game schedule. That still lags below his .333 career batting average heading into the season, while his on-base plus slugging percentage of .730 is also well below his career norm of .816."
Suzuki's next hit: the road
"Seattle fired general manager Bill Bavasi on Monday. Manager John McLaren was let go Thursday. Who's next? The Mariners would love to unload the contracts of underachieving pitchers Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva. And the M's are apt to eat what remains on Richie Sexson's $14 million salary from this season, the final year of his contract."
Right felt right for Ichiro
"A stoic-looking Ichiro made a brief stop inside the Mariners' dugout while manager John McLaren held court with reporters before batting practice. "Right field, huh?" McLaren called out to Ichiro. "Yeah," Ichiro said, his eyes growing wide and face lighting up in a smile. McLaren turned back to the assembled media members. "That's what he did, right there," McLaren said, recounting the day last month, following a trip to Detroit and New York, when he first broached the subject of Ichiro returning from center field to right. "That's exactly what he did right there. ... As soon as the question was presented to him and I saw his eyes, I knew it was right.""
Ichiro move Mac's call
"Ichiro Suzuki's sudden return to right field this week has raised plenty of questions, but on Wednesday, Mariners manager John McLaren emphatically answered one of the more prevalent ones: Coming as it did on the day general manager Bill Bavasi was fired, was the move directed by the team? "Nothing whatsoever has been dictated from up top. Nothing. Ever," McLaren said. "They've left me alone, and I respect that and I appreciate that. The Ichiro thing is something I've been thinking about a long time, and I just went with it.""
Mariners Notebook: Even Ichiro struggles
"Ichiro Suzuki had two hits Sunday, the only Mariners hitter to do so. He drove in a run, the only Mariner to do so. And yet for the center fielder, it was another day on which his game didn't measure up to his expectations. Part of that is because his expectations are tied in with his expectations for his team, and the Mariners just got swept by Washington, the worst team in the National League. Ichiro is hitting .295, good for most hitters but, based on his history, not good for Ichiro."
Suzuki Is Nearing Milestones at an Unprecedented Pace
"With baseball players from the famous to the fringe coming under a performance-enhancing cloud, Ichiro Suzuki is the antidrug."
Mariners' Ichiro wants to make the play, not look good doing it
"By the end of the 2009 season — two years into the five-year extension he signed three days after being named most valuable player of the All-Star Game — Ichiro will have played precisely half his 18-year professional career in the North American major leagues."
Doctor: "Ichiro has a very fine prefrontal cortex"
"Countless attempts have been made over the years to try to pinpoint Ichiro's prowess, but Dr. Kenichiro Mogi may have trumped all explanations. "Ichiro," he says with confidence, "has a very fine prefrontal cortex.""
Ichiro still looking for a hit
"The nightmare continues. OK, not a nightmare. More like a curiosity, eliciting increasing levels of incredulity. Ichiro hitless? It's like Paris Hilton going dateless, Jon Stewart going quipless, Eliot Spitzer going escortless."
Ichiro is 0 for 14 in spring training
"Let's just say it. Ichiro is 0 for 14 in spring training. And his teammates are starting to feel sorry for him. But if the red flags are up and the warning signs and alerts are sounding across the Pacific in Japan, there's no sense of concern about Ichiro's slump in the Mariners' camp. At least on the surface. And not one from Ichiro himself, either."
3,000 career hits on radar for Ichiro
"If he stays healthy and productive, Ichiro Suzuki will become the youngest player to reach 3,000 career hits. He had 1,278 hits in Japan before coming to the Mariners in 2001, and he has 1,592 hits since journeying across the Pacific."
Ichiro applauds M's risk with Erik Bedard trade
"The leaving part was settled last summer with a long-term contract extension. And now, in Ichiro's words at least, the commitment-to-winning issue has been answered by the team's recent trade for starting pitcher Erik Bedard. "We made a big trade, something that is the biggest of my career with the Seattle Mariners," Ichiro said, through interpreter Ken Baron. "What I mean by that is, it was a trade in which we didn't try to avoid risk."
Mariners' moves, direction leave Ichiro hopeful
"When he agreed at the 2007 All-Star break to a five-year contract extension, Ichiro Suzuki did it with an implicit understanding the front office would make the Mariners a better team. He was more than willing to stay, but he didn't want to play for a losing franchise. To that point, the Mariners had had three consecutive losing seasons but were halfway through a season that ended with them 14 games over .500."
When Ichiro talks, media listens
"When Ichiro Suzuki arrived at the Mariners’ spring training complex Tuesday afternoon, he went straight in for his mandatory physical and chose to do some hitting in the batting cages, forgoing the sizable media contingent, who were hoping for a few comments. Instead, he chose to address all media – Japanese, then the English-speaking journalists – Wednesday afternoon. It’s becoming a bit of a tradition."
Walking Or Swinging, Suzuki Is A Force On Offense
"Suzuki, the multitalented center fielder for the Seattle Mariners, rarely wastes a minute. He rumbles through the clubhouse like a man trying to catch a plane. He is always moving, always on a mission."
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