I want to continue to do that and be able to continue to work and see what I can do. Fukudome might not have had the reputation that Ichiro had, but he was a really good hitter, and I think there was more of a comfort zone that even though he wasnt going to be a big power guy, everyone thought he was going to hit for a high average and hit for average power and play great defense in right field, which he did, Hendry says. Life Sports Mariners. His first signature highlight came on April 11 in Oakland. pic.twitter.com/2FgBfpmIV2. Mr. Niehaus was more than just an announcer, he was family to the Mariners players and management. 1. Once asked about comparing his body routine to NFL superstar Tom Brady, Ichiro responded with an all time quote: When baseball is your entire life, it may be difficult to find enjoyment in other things. . That is when fans started to pay attention to Ichiro., Pretty soon, everyone was paying attention to Ichiro. Aug 27, 2022. But because he wasnt a large, lumbering power hitter like Barry Bonds, and because he was capable of slapping hits in every direction, Ichiro made it nearly impossible to predict where was going to put the ball in play. Of course, when I still run and do things, I feel like I can still play. There was a sellout crowd on a summer Saturday night, and the introduction had all the parallels when the center of attention was finally introduced. He comes back to the dugout, getting ready to walk down the steps to take his helmet off, and he says, Is that turn on ball, Lou? McLaren says. Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com:Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced on January 19, 2000, that the 30 Major League club owners voted unanimously to centralize all of Baseball's internet operations into an independent technology company. After his 2001 debut, it seemed like it would be only a matter of time until he became the new single-season hit king. Every day from 3:30 to 7 p.m., Ichiro would hit soft toss and take fungo drills in a nearby park. The death of Dave Niehaus, 75, will be devastating for fans in the Northwest. Are you kidding me? And nobody has seen one since. I was looking to take it on the hop and it never hopped.. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. He would take it and place it in a spot where it would not be disturbed while they were hitting., Boone compared his personality to Ichiros like oil and water, but says from a sense of humor standpoint, we actually have a lot of similarities. Throughout the year, Boone often made fun of Ichiro for polishing his glove and making sure it was clean and pristine, while the infielder tossed his own leather on the dugout steps between innings. He was a legend before Id even seen him, Colborn says. Ichiro is famously baseball-obsessed with the entire process of getting ready to play the sport. his size limits his ability to throw over the intermediate middle, and hubris is preventing him from ceding control or reining in his preferred style of play (meaning he no longer runs with the football, and opts to take . Suzuki carried the burden of an entire country in coming to America, and his success created opportunity for the countless others who have followed. Seattles franchise icon was beginning a 16-minute speech -- which he gave in English -- in conjunction with being enshrined in the Mariners Hall of Fame. All these moments combined are only some of the reasons he is being inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame this weekend. With Ichiros playing career having come to a close, lets look at the most memorable moments provided by an all-time great. Mike Trout During the previous three years, he broke the countrys single-season hit record (he had 210 hits in 130 games), won the first of seven straight batting titles, and transcended the limits of the Pacific League. Love Raible. Cant wait to hear his excitement very soon! 4/11/01: Ichiro Suzuki nails Terrence Long trying to go first-to-third on a single to right field. Don't you know. This was most apparent during the 2001 All-Star Game in Seattle, when he told National League manager Bobby Valentine, Were going to kick your ass shortly after being introduced as the ALs leadoff hitter. Who cares if your glove is clean? Niehaus was one of the greats. He was just pissed., Small also reiterates how Ichiros rookie year had much bigger implications than just a championship. Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) was formed and charged with developing, building and managing the most comprehensive baseball experience available on the internet. Major League Baseball consists of 30 teams split between the American and National Leagues. Everything was just precise. On road trips, Ichiro distinguished himself by carrying his bat in a violin-case humidor and stowing it in the overhead compartment instead of the planes belly; on the field, he always made sure his glove was unharmed. Retirement wasn't the 'R' word used Thursday for the how and why of Suzuki moving off the field. I think Aaron Goldsmith could join them if he sticks around long enough. About an hour later, Ichiro led off the game by hitting Browns fourth pitch 400 feet and depositing it into the right-field bleachers. In the winter, when Ichiro shot Nissan commercials in the United States, Colborn would host him at his home in Ventura, California, where he helped the Japanese star stay in shape. So here's the audio. ROOT Sports analyst Mike Blowers talked to Bob, Groz and Tom about Lewis and what makes him stand out. Ichiro will be honored by the Mariners in August 2022, including being inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony on Aug. 27. . That doesn't happen in Japan. In Japan, practice is more important than necessarily the game, and if you dont get the desired goal, its kind of OK to cry. And the qualities that endear those players to fans resemble what resonated about Ichiro in 2001. Thus, over the next few years, Colborn found it easy to court Ichiro, bringing him jerseys of Griffey Jr., his favorite player. But reality was. David Arnold Dave Niehaus (February 19, 1935 November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. (Simmons/News) Physically, I feel like I can play. There was an arrogance there, like going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower.. Less than a decade after hed left Japan, he noticed a dramatic difference. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Colborn smiled. He then addressed the current team, which eagerly watched the ceremony from the home dugout rail. Niehaus died at his home in suburban Bellevue, according to his family. There are a lot of things to like with the new MLB rules for 2023, but Seattle Sports' Mike Salk can't get his mind off the pitch clock. He also addressed Piniella.\n\nLou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. But the way my career ended in Japan at the Tokyo Dome, and how the fans embrace me there, that is what makes this an easier exit. I think Ichiro and Matsui broke the ice, and from the Japanese players point of view, they wanted to come over here too, and prove they could play in the highest league in the world, Hendry says. That included his preparation and personality, which often caught Seattle teammates off guard. Ichiro received the most votes for the 2001 All-Star Game, the first rookie ever to do so. Here's the call from 1995: "The stretch. Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Ichiro Suzuki had already made a positive impression by the time he entered into legend status. Yet the idea of playing again is another maybe final challenge for Suzuki. And Ichiro catapulted a team that was projected to finish third in its division to 116 wins and an unlikely place in MLB history. So it was a mutual thing., The Cubs ultimately won negotiating rights for Fukudome, and the outfielder signed a four-year, $48 million contract. [0:35 for exact replay]. MLBlogs: He hit in the batting cage underneath and he ran around the concourse in the upper deck for his running, Colborn recalls, laughing. The M's will . I get that question a lot, Ichiro said. Do you know who had the second highest? He followed up with a steal of second base in what was his first exposure on a big national stage in America. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death in 2010. He says, I mean I can walk around without having people bug me, Colborn says. The call by Dave Niehaus may be as good as . Shift him all you want, Boone says. I love Terrence Long's reaction when he pops up. He made The Throw, "something out of Star Wars," as Mariners announcer Dave Niehaus exclaimed. When I threw a good split down and away, or when I threw a good sinker in, or when I threw a curveball down over the plate, he found a way to hit that ball harder than anyone else that I would face, says Mulder, who gave up 17 hits to Ichiro in 38 career encounters. Ichiro finished the year with 262 hits, a record that nobody has come close to touching since. When Ichiro was in third grade, his father began training him to be a star. I thought to myself if this is customary in America, I might not make it here. Ichiro was such an exciting player, and for the rest of the baseball world to get to see him do something like this on the national stage was so special. He elaborated on that with perspective after stepping away following the Japan Series that began the 2019 regular season. His 133 hits at the break marked a club record, and his league-leading 3.4 million votes made him an All-Star starter as a rookie. Period, man, you are out. And was he ever out., Bell: I knew he had a great arm, but I was a little surprised. Remember, we won 116 games that year. Before I watch: Bo Jackson throw to home from warning track? After being hampered by injuries in both 2018 and 2019, the Japanese star has now exceeded every expectation as a two-way player, leading the league in home runs (44) and total WAR (7.8) and posting a 3.36 ERA over 21 starts. Associated Press. He would become the first Japanese-born MLB player to be inducted. He was a goddamn special player to watch in his prime, and he was one of the few bright spots when the Mariners churned out forgettable team after . So on March 20, 2001, following an early lunch with bench coach John McLaren, Piniella headed to batting practice at the Mariners complex and called over Ted Heid, Seattles Pacific Rim scout and Ichiros temporary interpreter. "You just look at the talent and say it's easy to come over and play like that, but it's not. Scott Servais explains how to help the CF handle it. His defensive acumen and acrobaticshis speed, arm strength, and daring pursuit angles on fly ballsearned him a Gold Glove award in right field. SEATTLE (AP) Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners. (AP). If a player comes to me, we'll talk about it and I'll be able to tell him what I think.. Hed come in the clubhouse [and] he did the same thing right in a row, McLaren says. Charging a single by Ramon Hernandez into right field, Ichiro never broke stride and made a throw from about 200 feet away on the fly to David Bell that would have impressed William Tell. Though naturally right-handed, he learned to hit lefty by practicing with a coal shovel, a move that gained him valuable extra steps out of the batters box. Or maybe at this age what I can do is prepare myself, train and see what I can do and the work I put in, see what happens to my body and performance," Suzuki said. He opened the eyes of America to Japanese baseball, Small says. With one out and Oaklands Terrence Long at first base, catcher Ramn Hernndez grounded a single to right field. I love the call on that play - the fact that the announcer has the time and presence of mind to include the "look at the throw from right" as the ball's still in the air makes it so much better to me. 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