Ichiro deserves his own thread

[Gregory Pratt]

Raines, probably.

[greasywheels121]

Raines, probably.

 

Raines does have big SB numbers though. I want to go w/ Tony Phillips.

[NorthSideSox72]

Raines, probably.

 

Raines does have big SB numbers though. I want to go w/ Tony Phillips.

 

Nope and nope.

 

He played for the Sox in 1987 and 1988. But his batting averages were only .236 and .263 those years, so he was shipped off to Pittsburgh because that didn't cut it for a leadoff hitter (even if he was a prolific base-stealer).

 

During his Sox seasons, he stole 78 bases and was caught only 13 times (85.7% success rate).

[Kalapse]

Raines, probably.

Tim Raines was an incredibly high OBP hitter. He's easily one of the top 10 leadoff men of all time.

 

Nope and nope.

 

He played for the Sox in 1987 and 1988. But his batting averages were only .236 and .263 those years, so he was shipped off to Pittsburgh because that didn't cut it for a leadoff hitter (even if he was a prolific base-stealer).

 

During his Sox seasons, he stole 78 bases and was caught only 13 times (85.7% success rate).

Gary Redus

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

Here's an interesting tidbit about Ichiro and the Cubs

 

When Seattle was in town recently, I asked Ichiro, through a Japanese reporter, if he'd be interested in spending some quality time at Wrigley Field. The reporter told me Ichiro said he loves Wrigley Field, but thought the fans were a little too rough. In all probability he'll stay in Seattle, but Floyd is doing a nice job out there for now.

 

Link

 

Now the Cubs fans will probably boo him when he next comes to the north side.

[NorthSideSox72]

Tim Raines was an incredibly high OBP hitter. He's easily one of the top 10 leadoff men of all time.

Gary Redus

Ding ding ding!!!

[Harry Chappas]

Ding ding ding!!!

 

I was thinking more of Lance Johnson.

[Chisoxfn]

Raines does have big SB numbers though. I want to go w/ Tony Phillips.

I loved Tony Phillips. He was really fun to watch and really good at what he did.

 

Otis Nixon is another guy that should be mentioned.

[3E8]

Blanton shoved Ichiro out of the way of a ball today, prompting benches to clear. Maybe he will have some good quotes about this incident.

[KansasSoxFan]

Delurking to say that Ichiro is great. I didn't see any good quotes about the shoving match, but here are some others I've found:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stor...&id=2928938

On how his first visit to Wrigley Field reminded him of an old stadium from his youth in Japan: "It had a similar smell of fresh garbage."

 

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/s...ichiro0325.html

He was reacting to a question about what happened in another locker room after his first game in the major leagues with Seattle in 2001.

 

Ichiro laid down a perfect drag bunt that started a winning ninth-inning rally against the Oakland Athletics. During the postgame celebration, Piniella, his manager - arguably most exuberant and extroverted manager in baseball since Billy Martin - rushed up with a bear hug and a big ol' smooch on the cheek.

 

Ichiro didn't say much at the time but later told a Japanese TV crew: "It's something that makes most Japanese men want to throw up."

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/320207_mbok18.html

It was just another day at the office for Ichiro, who quietly went 4-for-5 and became the first player in baseball to reach 100 hits this season. He's on pace for 246 hits.

 

Is the century mark important to the human hit machine? "In one way I feel it's important, because if I don't get to 100, I can't get to 101," he said.

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/spor...90_stone10.html

But that was before a 49-36 first half that seem to have wiped out the gloom that informed last year's All-Star metaphor by Ichiro. His words back then were cryptic — if not a little tortured — but unquestionably hinted at a perception by Ichiro that the Mariners were a troubled organization.

 

"If there is a problem," he said at last year's All-Star Game in Pittsburgh, "we need to notice it, what creates the problem. The problem usually isn't just on the cover. You need to look much deeper.

 

"For example, if we're talking about a tree, and the tree has a problem, you need to look at the root. But you cannot see the root. The mistake is to keep watering the fruit. That's not going to solve anything. You need to find where the problem is first."

 

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al...er-ichiro_N.htm

"Many people have this image of me. For a long time, I cared about that," the center fielder tells USA TODAY through an interpreter, during a rare extended interview. "I often thought about what I could do to please them. I was always chasing after that Ichiro. It became a struggle. I think I was scared of what people were thinking of me.

 

"After 2004, I realized it was impossible to please them. I discovered I needed to do what I needed to, (and) if people like it, that's good. I became more confident. And that Ichiro became a part of me, instead of me chasing after him.

 

"When people get placed upon a pedestal — when they start chasing after that person on the pedestal — they become mannequin-like. People striving for approval from others become phony. You should seek approval from yourself."

 

Edited to add: Lot of other good quotes in the USAToday article, too.

Edited July 10, 2007 by KansasSoxFan

[T R U]

My friend just said Ichiro got a 5 year 100 million deal from Seattle

[MHizzle85]

My friend just said Ichiro got a 5 year 100 million deal from Seattle

SportsCenter just reported that it's almost a done deal.

[NorthSideSox72]

SportsCenter just reported that it's almost a done deal.

WTF? 20M a year?!

 

For that price, forget about it.

[SoxFanForever]

That's a little steep for Ichiro. He is good but he isn't $20MM a year good.

[Chisoxfn]

The thing with Ichiro is he's almost worth more because of the additional revenue he can draw a franchise (just having him means you get so much more international money).

[Brian]

Up on rotoworld.

 

According to the Seattle Times, the Mariners and Ichiro Suzuki are on the verge of agreeing to an extension that will approach $100 million.

Ken Rosenthal's $75 million-$90 million figure seems more realistic. Rosenthal and the Times both believe it will be a five-year extension. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer also says a deal is close and could be announced as soon as Thursday.

 

I have a feeling Rowand will be back next year.

[briguy27]

INSIDE THE PARK HR! HE DOES DESERVE HIS OWN THREAD!

 

There go my dreams on him playing on the South Side next year

 

Oh well, maybe Rowand or Hunter will be there instead...

Edited July 11, 2007 by briguy27

[LVSoxFan]

I love Ichiro, and that ITP homer was badass.

 

I'd think some of his goofy quotes are due to translation being at a loss. If you speak two languages, you realize that attempting to translate english/whatever and back, you can't do it literally and have it make sense.

 

That said, Seattle's got him. He ain't comin to the South Side. Forget it. Too bad; that was my dream for 2008.

 

Oh well! What a character though!

[AssHatSoxFan]

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/07/12/...-ruin-baseball/

[Chisoxfn]

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/07/12/...-ruin-baseball/

I was listening to the radio blurb from Sampson (president of the Marlins) and he was just ripping into how this contract would ruin baseball and how awful it is to give 5 years and 20 million to a player of Ichiro's caliber. He also said no player in baseball is worth that type of money (so that gives you a bit of an understanding of where he is coming from).

 

Still I think from a purely baseball standpoint, anything over 15 mill a year for 3-4 years would have been severly overpaying (and I always tend to think 10 mill players should be special guys but I've also came to realize in this day and age it just isn't always the case).

[chimpy2121]

Then asked whose counsel he valued most during contract negotiations that began in January, he said, "Ikky, my dog."

 

"He said, 'Ruff, ruff, ruff,"' a smiling Suzuki said through an interpreter. "That means, 'Stay, stay, stay."'

 

[Gregory Pratt]

(and I always tend to think 10 mill players should be special guys but I've also came to realize in this day and age it just isn't always the case)

 

Ichiro's the best hitter in baseball. People always talk about his inevitable decline as he gets older because of his legs, and there's certainly some truth to that concer, but they're missing what truly makes Ichiro special: bat control.

 

Ichiro could hit more homers if he wanted. Ichiro could do a lot of things, if he wanted. What Ichiro wants is to get well over two hundred hits a year and play Gold Glove Defense.

 

Ichiro is most definitely a "special" player. Ichiro's the most unique player in the game, and I have difficulty believing that he isn't the best all-around player in the game. He's most definitely top five and has been for a long time now. And then when you take into consideration the attraction he is at the ballpark, he's a huge player to have.

[greasywheels121]

The M's are deferring this contract through 2032.

[KansasSoxFan]

This story explains what the youtube clip on the first page of this thread is about:

 

Ichiro matches wits on own TV show

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/spor...ichirotv21.html

[Gregory Pratt]

http://www.slate.com/id/2171520/