He didnt have to put a good swing on the ball to get a base hit. Baseball will forever be my soul, and my mission is to keep helping both players and fans appreciate this special game., Just a few legends hangin' out on #IchiroWeekend. "I want to be like a researcher or a student of the game. LATE! Probably heat of moment combining of phrases. I get that question a lot, Ichiro said. Remember, we won 116 games that year. He was 75 . I was looking to take it on the hop and it never hopped.. It was great for Seattle, but it was really great for baseball, former MLB commissioner Bud Selig says of Ichiros debut. I realized that this video didn't have the Niehaus call which was a lot better honestly. "His whole day, his whole night, everything he thought about, was about the next day's game and being prepared for it, from the way he works out to the routine that he's on. And the qualities that endear those players to fans resemble what resonated about Ichiro in 2001. From 2001-2010, Ichiro set a Major League record with 10 consecutive seasons of 200 or more hits. Ichiro Suzuki established himself as a top fielder immediately upon joining the Seattle Mariners in 2001. Utter disbelief. 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. For many, Ichiro wasnt just a baseball player; he was a transcendent figure who demanded to be seen in person. 1. By the All-Star break, it held a 19-game lead over the second-place As. Much like David Bells reaction when he caught Ichiros original Star Wars throw, the look on current Mariners third baseman Ryon Healys face tells the story. In a way, Niehaus was also describing what Suzuki was about to bring to the major leagues for 18 seasons. The AL went on to win 4-1. I remember him being out in right field with Jay Buhner and they were taking infield, Rizzs says. It was the thing to do, Whiting says. They dont allow for individual differences. You need somebody over there that knows the ins and outs of not only how the games played over there, but the culture, former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry says. You know how many times I saw Miguel Tejada field a ball and throw it? With 'beautiful peg' meaning great throw and he got him meaning well, he got him. And when he steals second, he don't say please. All of them got their chance after Suzuki smashed the stereotypes that surrounded Japanese hitters. So when fellow Mariner great Ken Griffey Jr. had to chase down Ichiros hit off the wall in right field during the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco, there was pretty much no chance of keeping him from scoring on the play. "Just see what happens. During one season, Colborn remembers Ichiro swinging just 11 times over a four-game series, and barreling the ball on every swing. SEATTLE (AP) Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame broadcaster who called Seattle Mariners' games from their first season through this year, has died of a heart attack. [People] would pick up the newspaper and see Ichiro got two hits, and then several paragraphs down youd find out Seattle lost the game, he says. 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. He excelled at the little things, blending new school and old school, and carved out a niche that forced the rest of MLB to catch up. Not only does Ichiro have 3,089 MLB hits, he also owns 1,278 from his nine seasons prior in Japan. But Colborn knew that the outfielder was special. Ichiros 2018 run with the Mariners may not have lasted long, but it at least produced one special play that made everybody remember why he means so much in Seattle. Do you know who had the second highest? I remember seeing his face, and this sounds strange, but he didnt seem dejected, he seemed pissed, Small says. "The Throw" was electric, and one of Ichiro's first introductions to baseball in the United States. Mariano Rivera is widely considered the greatest closer of all-time. After he broke the hits record, you would see him on a lot of billboards in Japan, Whiting says. Ichiro is the first member added since 2015, and he joined an exclusive group that includes nine other members (in order of induction): Alvin Davis, Dave Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., Lou Piniella and Jamie Moyer, with all in attendance except Johnson and Piniella. So here's the audio. My friend and I always used to say Terrensh Long. His breakthrough offered a glimpse of the sports past and future, all while distinguishing him as a singularly timeless talent. A Throw That Made a Phenomenon. and the 0-1 pitch on the way to Edgar Martnez swung on and LINED DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE FOR A BASE HIT! Yet his influence and importance shouldn't be understated. The 2008 Ford C. Frick Award winner had been the voice of the Mariners since the team's inception in 1977. Piniella: Ive seen some pretty good arms. 24. Salk: New MLB rules a plus, but theres a better way with pitch clock, Mariners Notebook: Julio Rodrguez fine, undeterred after wall crash. What started as, What the heck is this guy? "The Throw" was electric, and one of Ichiro's first introductions to baseball in the United States. Remember, we won 116 games that year. They didnt care [about the team]. Throughout Tokyo, screens outside subway stations lit up with MLB highlights and live coverage of Mariners games sometimes starting at 4 a.m. in Japan, with people camped outside to watch. Related: Groz Remembers: Ichiro's 'Star Wars' throw in 2001 2. David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 - November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. Twenty years later, Ichiros rookie season remains an inflection point, the beginning of a legacy thats opened the door for other Japanese position players to thrive in MLB. ", More AP baseball: www.apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball. That ball could have gone through David Bell another 10 to 15 feet. Physics says he had to have put a little arc on it but I'm not sure. I wasn't ready for 116 kisses from the manager.\n\nHe also thanked Mariners ownership for the opportunity to contribute as a special advisor in his post-playing days.\n\nMost days, I still wear the Mariners uniform, and I do so proudly, Ichiro said. He lives to train and tirelessly works to take care of his body. He says, I mean I can walk around without having people bug me, Colborn says. By the end of the regular season, he led the league in batting average (.350), hits (242), and stolen bases (56), becoming just the second player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. [0:35 for exact replay]. They were in the middle of a nine-game road trip in which they would go 7-2 and grab a division lead they would never give up. It took 125 years for Major League Baseball to get its . And it was a perfect throw. --Terrence Long, The ball was hit right to me. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Related:Groz Remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001. As the teams time in Peoria, Arizona, wound down, Piniella wanted proof that his potential leadoff hitter could pull the baseball. Who cares if your glove is clean? Its only fitting that two decades after Ichiro exploded onto the scene, Shohei Ohtani is having his own supernova MLB season. I want our players to know that I am with you in your fight to be the best. By high school, he had also developed a contorted batting stance in which he picked up his front leg and moved it like a long, slow pendulum back toward the catcher, as T.R. As the longtime Mariners radio voice Rick Rizzs remembers it, the newly signed phenom kept lining shots over Lous head in the folding chair. Despite Ichiro often firing his hips and hitting scorchers to the right side in Japan, the outfielder had yet to drive anything there that spring, and looked outmatched against MLB pitching. The Mariners gave already provided a number of exciting moments in the first week of Cactus League play. This great star comes over here and not only has success, but really sets the pace in a lot of ways.. Ken Levine. Of course, when I still run and do things, I feel like I can still play. He was 75. Mike Trout Apr 21, 2017. By that time, it didnt look like this was this giant gamble., Over the next decade, as Ichiro extended his career in New York and Miami, the level of Japanese baseball continued to rise. And Ichiro catapulted a team that was projected to finish third in its division to 116 wins and an unlikely place in MLB history. I both love and confused by it. I thought to myself if this is customary in America, I might not make it here. How did he not tear the muscles in his entire body making that throw. Because we only got to see him in the postseason once, many of Ichiro's greatest moments came in the regular season. Lou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. He is Ichiro Suzuki, and after playing two games with the Seattle Mariners to start his 29th pro baseball season, he has hung up his cleats for good. It was so true and so strong. Next door in the press box, Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus described the throw as being like something out of Star Wars, a call that was soon attached to the clip on every sports report that night. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Suzuki and the Mariners announced Thursday his 2018 season was over. Importantly, Japanese players could measure themselves against Ichiro, who measured himself against MLB, Colborn says. It is one of the best memories of my career, and I will never forget that feeling. Suzuki carried the burden of an entire country in coming to America, and his success created opportunity for the countless others who have followed. You knew the work ethic was there. Ichiro also showed off his power by smacking balls into the seats before moving to right field and unleashing rocket throws to the infield. I want to continue to do that and be able to continue to work and see what I can do. Even after Hideo Nomo broke international barriers and found success with the Dodgers in 1995, only a few MLB teams had scouts on the ground in Japan. He will join Alvin Davis, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., Jamie Moyer, manager Lou Piniella and broadcaster Dave Niehaus. That doesn't happen in Japan. Bump & Stacy make their picks. Ichiro beats Randy Johnson to the bag in his first All-Star Game. . This is when America really took notice of Ichiros talent. Not only are they standing shoulder to shoulder with their overseas peers, in some cases they are leading the way., Hideki Matsui followed Ichiro to the majors in 2003, crossing the Pacific and signing with the Yankees. The . Not bad for the first position player to ever make the move from Japan to the majors. The Japanese sensation would go on to win the Rookie of the Year and the MVP that same season . He really didnt have time to fit into group dynamics.. Aaron Judge led the majors in 2022 in fun points per PA. That was a much better call. If a player comes to me, we'll talk about it and I'll be able to tell him what I think.. I want our players to know that I am with you in your fight to be the best. Remembering Dave Niehaus. Inside the Tokyo Dome as a Mariners employee, Id be the only scout there, he says. Niehaus was a constant. He also thanked Mariners ownership for the opportunity to contribute as a special advisor in his post-playing days. David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 - November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster.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. SEATTLE (AP) Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners. I was shocked. Seahawks running back Chris Carson is struggling with fumbles, and it's imperative he corrects the issue, says Jake Heaps. Dave "The Groz" Grosby will finish up his 29-year career as a daily Seattle sports radio host on Friday from noon to 3 p.m. on 710 ESPN Seattle's Bob, Groz and Tom. Whats up, Seattle? As a result, he substituted power for placement, lining, blooping, and grounding the ballhis body already a step out of the boxbefore beating out what appeared to be routine plays. Before catching a flight back to Seattle, they grabbed hot dogs and leaned against the Phoenix airports high-top tables to discuss their trip. Suzuki preceded Hideki Matsui, who had a stellar career with the New York Yankees, by two years. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Daves call elevated it to superhuman stature, Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone says. During Suzuki's first month in the majors in 2001 . He had an ability to put the bat on the ball unlike anybody else, was one of the fastest players of his generation, could surprise you with his power at the plate, and was a human highlight film in right field whether it was due to his arm, glove, or otherworldly agility. All rights reserved. SEATTLE -- It began like an outdoor concert for an iconic rock star, and in many ways, Ichiro Suzuki carries that reputation in these parts. If a skinny guy from Japan can compete in this uniform, and then stand before you tonight to accept this honor, then there is no reason you cannot do it either., You cheered loudly for me as a new player that first game 21 years ago -- and you never stopped, Ichiro said, becoming emotional. [became] Whos next?, According to Tokyo-based journalist Midori Masujima, Japan long held an inferiority complex when it came to sports. 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 . . I think Aaron Goldsmith could join them if he sticks around long enough. What sets Mariners OF Kyle Lewis apart from other prospects. Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus, who passes away Wednesday, poses at the old Yankee Stadium before Game 2 of the American League Championship Series in Oct. 2000. America's Pastime. Dave "The Groz" Grosby was honored by the Mariners on Tuesday night by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. From Diego Segui's first pitch on April 6, 1977, through the end of the 2010 season, Niehaus called 5,284 of the Mariners' 5,385 games. "He's the most committed player that I've ever had," Melvin recalled. 51 rose to the occasion in the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco. "The throw by Ichiro, beautiful peg. [Nobuyuki] wrote in one of his books that [Ichiro] had six hours a year to play with his friends and the rest was practicing baseball, Whiting says. The biggest void Ichiro envisioned that hed face upon retiring was the passion he had for playing, and how hard itd be to hang up his glove. Somebody needs to sync that up. He is a great model to follow., Indeed, Ichiros 2001 season provided a master class in unflappability, a model for excelling while living in a fishbowl existence. The reality of being 44 years old, being unable to consistently catch up to 95 mph fastballs, being a step or two slower trying to beat out an infield single. Whiting says this stance initially got him in a lot of trouble with minor league manager Shozo Doi, who opposed Ichiros leg kick and kept him on the farm team for the 1992 Orix BlueWave. In August 2002, MLB.com streamed the first-ever live, full length MLB game when the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees faced off at Yankee Stadium. He was a catalyst for a team that won a record-tying 116 games, and he brought a new style to the majors while laying the foundation for others to follow. 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. . Pull the baseball ) was an American sportscaster remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw 2001... 'S first introductions to baseball in the regular season was an American sportscaster, Whiting says America really took of... To know that I 've ever had, '' Melvin recalled little arc on it but 'm. 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