Ichiro Immortalized

By: Mahal Domingo-Anderson

A career slash of .311/.355/.402; 3,089 career hits; 509 career SB; 780 career RBI; 2001 American League Rookie of the Year; 2001 American League MVP; 10 Gold Gloves; A 10 time All Star; 3 Silver Sluggers; 10 200+ hit seasons (most in MLB history). 

Ichiro Suzuki, a name immortalized in Mariners, Seattle, baseball, and Japanese history for his impact on and off the field. 

Coming over in 2001, Ichiro was unique. He was the first Japanese position player to cross the Pacific and play in MLB, and one of the first Japanese players to come to the United States at all. However even with that pressure, Ichiro found immediate success. In his debut with the Seattle Mariners on April 2, 2001, Ichiro went 2-5 with 2 singles and a run scored. Four days later on April 6, 2001, Ichiro had his first of 50 career 4-hit games and his first career home run against the Texas Rangers. Ichiro would continue his success that year leading him to win not only the American League Rookie of the Year award but also the American League MVP (Most Valuable Player) award. From that season on Ichiro’s legacy grew.

In 2004, Ichiro set the single season hit record with 262 hits that season. Ichiro also would win a Gold Glove award for his defense in right field in all of his first 10 seasons, finishing top 25 in MVP voting in all but one of those seasons, and winning the Silver Slugger award in 3 of those 10 seasons.

While the stats speak for themselves Ichiro was much more than just a baseball player on a sheet of paper. Growing up in Seattle during Ichiro’s stardom on the Mariners made him an idol for myself and many of my peers. From the moment I could hold a bat I would replicate his iconic batting stance; a few random stretches before reaching my right arm forward with the bat pointed to the sky. Ichiro was truly iconic and the batting stance was just the start for me. During my early childhood years I had the number 51 on every piece of Mariners merchandise I owned, this included my Mariners jerseys, t-shirts, and most memorably my Mariners starter jacket that had the number 51 on the back below my name as if it were a jersey. I still look at this jacket from time to time and while it’s too small for me now, it reminds me of Ichiro and the impact he had on the city of Seattle and myself.

Shortly after 3:00 PM PST on January 21, 2025 it was announced that Ichiro would, as expected, join the club of baseball legends. Falling one vote short of unanimity, Ichiro received 99.7% of the vote from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), granting him a spot in Cooperstown, New York at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ichiro will join Mariners legends Ken Griffey Jr., and Edgar Martinez as the third member of the Hall to be inducted as a Seattle Mariner. The induction ceremony will take place on July 27, 2025 in Cooperstown, New York at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Joining Ichiro as 2025 inductees that day will be former Guardians (Indians at the time), Brewers, and Yankees starting pitcher, CC Sabathia, and former Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox, and Braves reliever, Billy Wagner.

Mariners fans will also be happy to hear that former Mariners starting pitcher, Félix Hernández received 20.6% of the vote and will stay on the ballot for at least another year as he exceeded the 5% needed to stay on the ballot. The 20.6% is also a solid benchmark for Hernández as he and fans hope to eventually reach the 75% needed to be inducted into Cooperstown. 

Today provided a source of good news and excitement for Mariners fans when it was sorely needed as the offseason has thus far been one of frustration for fans.