Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Ichiro Suzuki

Suzuki Ichiro runs to home plate. Suzuki Ichiro running on the field during the game vs. Los Angeles Angels. Photo taken and authorized by Derral Chen, a friend of the uploader – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro Suzuki passed Pete Rose for the most professional hits by a player in baseball history Wednesday when he doubled off San Diego Padres closer to Fernando Rodney for the 4,257th knock of his career.

Throughout the Japanese veteran’s storied career, he’s managed to make quite a name for himself with the bat, his legs, and some remarkable defense en route to an AL MVP award, two batting titles, and 10 All-Star appearances, and 10 Gold Gloves.

With some help from numbers guru Ace of MLB Stats, here are some of the most interesting stats from the 42-year-old’s historic run:

The Seattle Mariners announced Thursday that Ichiro Suzuki will transition into a front-office role with the club, effective immediately. Suzuki did not officially retire from playing and his agent left open the possibility that he could appear in the Mariners’ opening series in Japan in 2019, but the news almost undoubtedly signals the end of his long tenure as an MLB fixture.

Suzuki will certainly make the Hall of Fame as soon as he’s eligible, as he spent much of his time in the Majors establishing himself as the best in multiple facets of the game. Here are nine of them:

1. His ability to hit for contact at the big-league level stands out the most

Ichiro Suzuki. Photo by Erik Drost – Wikimedia Commons

Of all Ichiro’s prodigious baseball skills, none stands out as emphatically as his ability to hit for contact at the big-league level. Across his NPB and MLB careers, he collected more hits than MLB hit king Pete Rose, and his 3,089 stateside hits rank first among all players since 2000. He led the Majors in hits seven times, and his 262 knocks in 2004 broke an 84-year-old record held by George Sisler.

2. Ichiro’s rigorous offseason training led him to play in eight different Major League seasons

Ichiro Suzuki. Photo by Dave Sizer – Wikimedia Commons

An incredible ESPN.com feature published in March described Ichiro’s rigorous offseason training, but even without those details, his record speaks for itself: Suzuki played in at least 160 games in eight different Major League seasons — all after turning 30.

 In that category, he represents a massive outlier in an era in which players and teams recognize the value of occasional rest.

3. Ichiro was an exceptionally rangy outfielder with a great arm

Rear view of Ichiro Suzuki’s bat gesture. Seattle Mariners star right fielder Ichiro Suzuki makes his characteristic gesture to the right before settling his bat on his left shoulder. Playing against the Cleveland Indians at Seattle’s Safeco Field, 24 July 2009. Photo by Joe Mabel – Wikimedia Commons

At his best, Ichiro was an exceptionally rangy outfielder with a great arm. Since 2002, the first year UZR was calculated, his 125.9 mark in that stat is nearly 40 runs better than the next best right fielder, Jason Heyward.

4. He always had a knack for interesting and unusual quotes

Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (51) in action against the Baltimore Orioles on May 10, 2011, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Photo by Keith Allison – Wikimedia Commons

In addition to his exceptional on-field skills, Ichiro always had a knack for interesting and unusual quotes by the buttoned-up standards of Major League Baseball. In 2007, before a trip to Cleveland, he said, “To tell the truth, I’m not excited to go to Cleveland, but we have to.

 If I ever saw myself saying I’m excited going to Cleveland, I’d punch myself in the face, because I’m lying.”

5. Ichiro was not the most prodigious base stealer of his era

Ichiro Suzuki. Photo by BADBOY_1975 – Wikimedia Commons

Ichiro was not the most prodigious base stealer of his era, but he stole 509 bases in the Majors and rarely made mental mistakes on the basepaths. By Fangraphs’ baserunning runs, he added 95.6 runs with his legs — the most of any player since 2000, and third-best in history behind only Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines.

6. He talked with multilingual trash to opposing players from different cultures

Carlos Santana (left) and Ichiro Suzuki. Photo by Erik Daniel Drost – Wikimedia Commons

This is the best: A 2014 Wall Street Journal divulged that Ichiro learned Spanish so he could better talk trash to opposing players from different cultures. That’s just Jordanesque dedication to mentally defeating your adversaries.

7. His uniforms always looked exceptionally tailored to his lean physique

Ichiro Suzuki. Photo by David – Wikimedia Commons

This man came correct. Few in the game could rock a pair of baseball sunglasses as Ichiro could, and his uniforms always looked exceptionally tailored to his lean physique. His routine at the plate, from his setup to the swing, was as unmistakable as it was aesthetically thrilling.

There’s no way to quantify this, but For The Win feels comfortable declaring Ichiro the coolest-looking player of his generation.

8. Ichiro adapted to a new league and transited successfully

Ichiro Suzuki. Photo by Arturo Pardavila III – Wikimedia Commons

The Majors have seen an influx of professional players from Japan, Korea, and Cuba in recent seasons, but no one to date has made the transition as successfully as Ichiro. Differences in the ball, the schedule, and the amount of travel have thrown lesser players, but Ichiro won both the AL’s Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player award in his first season stateside in 2001.

9. He was known for impressive batting practice power

WBC2006 Ichiro Suzuki. Photo by Mori Chan on Flickr – Wikimedia Commons

In addition to all the amazing stuff, we could see Ichiro doing on the field every night, his guarded persona helped develop a mystique around his abilities unmatched in his era. He was known for impressive batting practice power displays and there was always talk that he could hit way more home runs if he wanted.

10. Ichiro warmed up by taking right-handed swings 

Ichiro Suzuki’s signature batting motivation 2016. Photo by Derral Chen on Flickr – Wikimedia Commons

Though a lefty swinger in games, he also warmed up by taking right-handed swings and looked good doing it. At times, it was easy to get the sense that Ichiro could do practically anything he wanted on a baseball field and that what he wanted to do was collect tons of hits and play spectacular defense and run the bases well. It worked out pretty well for him.