“You can’t go home again.”
That’s an old saying which was once used by American author Thomas Wolfe for a title of one of his books.
Truth is, you really can.
Future Baseball Hall of Fame legend Ichiro Suzuki found that out today as the Seattle Mariners were on their way to a 5-4 12-inning victory over the Oakland A’s in the Tokyo Dome.
Just two games into the 2019 season, Ichiro announced his retirement as he finished his illustrious career in his home country of Japan.
Ichiro was removed from the game by Mariners manager Scott Servais in the bottom of the eighth, which led to a delay that had the fans, teammates and opponents applauding the one of the all-time greats.
Who Knew?
Maybe Ichiro and the Mariners did.
However, it’s a probably pretty safe bet that back in November of 2000 no one really knew a day like this would happen.
Ichiro was quoted in an Associated Press story published by the New York Times at that time, which announced the signing of the 27-year old that would give him the opportunity to become the first Japanese player who was not a pitcher to make the big leagues.
“I’m confident, or I wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” he stated in the article.
According to the story, the Mariners paid the Orix Blue Wave $13,125,000 as they outbid the New York Mets and two other teams for the right to “negotiate” with him.
It turned out to be a great move. He was the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year in 2001. He went on to be a 10-time all-star and Gold Glove winner with two batting titles and three Silver Sluggers.
The Stats
Ichiro’s career numbers are massive as he played professionally in 28 seasons, if you count his final two games.
Overall, his 4,367 hits is an incredible total. In in the majors, he reached a treasured plateau with 3,089 hits and a career average of .311.
Stolen Bases
One of the stats that sometimes gets lost is that Ichiro is one of seven players in major league history to have over 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases.
With 509 steals, Ichiro joins Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins, Lou Brock, Paul Molitor and Rickey Henderson on that list.
If a .300 career batting average is added to the Mix, it narrows to five as Brock and Henderon drop from the list.
The Moment
All of the stats are great, but watching his farewell as he hugged teammates reminds us of similar moments that are etched in baseball history.
Seeing Ichiro’s Japanese teammate, Yusei Kikuchi, get emotional was pretty special. How can anyone process making your major league debut as a starting pitcher in your home country on the day Ichiro retired?
Other Legends
Remember Cal Ripken, Jr. running around the field in Baltimore the night he passed Lou Gehrig as he played in his 2,131st straight game? How about Ted Williams at the 1999 all-star game in Boston?
Those moments are timeless in baseball history.
However for Japanese baseball fans, this is their indelible moment in the history of the game.
Watching a legend say goodbye on his own terms was awesome.
Can’t wait to see him in Cooperstown.