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[Musky_Cheese]

Ichiro Suzuki has retired from Major League Baseball Today.

Lifetime Batting Average
.311

Lifetime Hits Total
3,089

His first year in MLB (Age 27!!!) He hit .350. He also was the A.L. MVP, Rookie of the Year, and won both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.

He would go on to also to win over his MLB career...
10 All Star selections
2 Batting Titles
10 Gold Gloves
3 Silver Sluggers

9 Seasons in Japan
.353 Batting Average
1,278 Total Hits

Played Professional Baseball for 27 years!!! Total hits between the 2 leagues... 4,367!!!





“I have achieved so many of my dreams in baseball, both in my career in Japan and, since 2001, in Major League Baseball. I am honored to end my big league career where it started, with Seattle, and think it is fitting that my last games as a professional were played in my home country of Japan. I want to thank not only the Mariners, but the Yankees and Marlins, for the opportunity to play in MLB, and I want to thank the fans in both the U.S. and Japan for all the support they have always given me.”​

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

An absolutely outstanding player and a credit to the game. A true treasure. Go back and watch some of the highlights from his prime. He was electric.

He’s my Hit King.

 

[Rock And Roll]

He would have no doubt smashed Pete Rose's record if he was a MLBer his whole career. He deserves the title of hit King and I have my doubts that it will ever be broken. Congrats Ichiro, it's been a blast

 

[daveonezero]

Awesome I was a Mariners fan all my child hood and I was there for one of his first games or at least in the first season.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

He would have no doubt smashed Pete Rose's record if he was a MLBer his whole career. He deserves the title of hit King and I have my doubts that it will ever be broken. Congrats Ichiro, it's been a blast

I agree with you.

I made this argument years ago, and I haven’t rechecked the stats so maybe I was wrong/am wrong, but a number of Ichiro’s stats went up during prime years in MLB compared to his Japan numbers.

Not just in the “play more games” go up, I mean over time averages/percentages

 

[synchronicity]

To me, Ichiro is the epitome of a baseball player. He could do it all. I would love to see his counting stats in MLB had he played here from the beginning. It's pretty easy to make assumptions, but what a resume it would be! (and is regardless, of course)

I do feel for him because he has a bit of a dark personal life in relation to his father / upbringing. But he wouldn't be who he is without it.

 

[Rock And Roll]

Awesome I was a Mariners fan all my child hood and I was there for one of his first games or at least in the first season.

Last time I saw him was here in Toronto I think in 2015 when he was with the Marlins. He beat out an infield single at what, 41 or 42 years old? I couldn't believe how fast that dude got down the line even that late into his career playing on astroturf!

I was going to see him again last year when the Mariners came to town, but he retired a few days before and I decided not to go. Then Paxton threw a no hitter. Pretty crappy week for me baseball-wise.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

Yeah he would have broke the hits record if he was in MLB at a younger age.

Keep in mind he made his debut... and took the league in hitting at the end of the steroid era.

 

[triplestation]

Hell yeah motherfucker. Modern legend.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

And honestly, I’m sorry but Fuck Pete Rose.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

Two of his milestones happened against each of my “home town” teams





No glitz or glamour, just a true Baseball Man.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

And honestly, I’m sorry but Fuck Pete Rose.

What. Why?

 

[Rock And Roll]

Yeah he would have broke the hits record if he was in MLB at a younger age.

Keep in mind he made his debut... and took the league in hitting at the end of the steroid era.

He spent 9 seasons in Japan. Let's pretend he's signed out of school, spends 2 years in the minors and get called up during his 3rd year and gets acclimated to the league. He's still got 6 years at that point. He had 200+ hit seasons for 10 years in a row. So say Ichiro averages 200 per season when he gets called up full time, 200 x, 6 = 1200. Add that to his current total and he's got 4289.

Agreed with JareBear: Remastered Pete Rose can go kick rocks. Ichiro destroyed his record (played less games in Japan as well) and is baseball's true hit King.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

10 straight 200+ hit seasons, good lord.

His stat lines are amazing.

I grew up with Tony Gwynn as my local hero and I marveled at how Gwynn would have seasons like when he went 600+ ABs, 200+ hits, and only 23 strikeouts. That’s absolutely absurd. Seriously wrap your head around striking out TWENTY THREE times in a whole season.

Ichiro wasn’t quite at that ratio but his contact percentages are probably some of the best we’ve seen since my man Tony

 

[Rock And Roll]

Also, in 2006 he stole 45 bases and got caught twice. In 2008 he stole 43 and got caught 4 times. That's just insanity. Those must be records.

 

[Musky_Cheese]

Also, in 2006 he stole 45 bases and got caught twice. In 2008 he stole 43 and got caught 4 times. That's just insanity. Those must be records.

Ichiro is just one of those players you can put in any era, 100 years ago or 100 years from now, and be the elite top 1% of players.