Here in Seattle, Edgar Martinez used to be the most popular Mariner, that was until Ichiro Susuki arrived
six seasons ago and today there is no better guy
in the lead off position and nobody more popular.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
Prior to a game against the Colorado Rockies at
Safeco Field, Ichiro sat in the dogout between yours truly and my broadcast partner, ex Mariner
secondbaseman Julio Cruz and began speaking a
few words in Spanish as he was trying new shoes.
Ichiro said “zapatos nuevos” which means ‘new
shoes’. As he smiled and was trying his new pair of shoes to go on the field and warm up for the game I asked him ‘how many pairs do you go through a
season’ he said “every 30 games or so I
break a new pair”. He has an interpreter but I have always communicated very well with Ichiro in
either English or Spanish. He is a very smart man.

Ichiro is the only player in Major League baseball
that has his name (not his last name)in his uniform,
he keeps his bats inside a trunk in his locker and
uses his bats like a magician. I call his bats
“magicos”(magic). He uses it like a symphony
conductor, with authority and with great skills.
Julio Cruz says over the air “his batting style is
nothing that you could teach, he is moving all the
time, yet he gets the job done”.
Some guys are born with this type of talent and
Ichiro is one of them. Ichiro works as hard as anybody in today’s game, he is a perfectionist,but first of all,he is somekind of athlete.

The record holder for most hits in a MLB season. He
is on pace to get at least 250 this season,or more
plus another Gold Glove and maybe a batting title
again. The great Rangers shortstop Michael Young
(probably the most underrated shortstop in baseball) won the batting title last season but is trailing Ichiro by a dozen hits or so. Only Joe Maurer the Twins catcher is hitting better than Ichiro these days.

Ichiro will be the first to bat for American League
this July 11th on the 77th MLB All Star Game.
I still consider Rickey Henderson the best lead off
hitter I have seen (and maybe the best of all time)but I have never seen anything like Ichiro as far
as spraying the ball around and getting a hit almost
at will when he wants to get a hit.

If you watch Ichiro during a whole season (and I have seen hit for all his games at home here in
Seattle) since the 2003 season you realize how good this guy really is. He is an ‘old school’type of
player, great defensive skills, superb batting skills, maybe the best arm in the outfield of anybody in either league and great speed.

No doubt about it, of all the Japanese players to have played in the majors so far, Ichiro is the
best, nobody is close. When you say ‘lead off’ in
Japanese they should have ICHIRO in the
Japanese dictionary next to it.

I have not taken an independet survey of the
Pacific Northwest but It would be easy to predict
that here his Jersey #51 is the most popular sold
all-over-the State. He is the most marketable
non-slugger in the game.

Is there is anybody that could hit.400 or more, it has to be Ichiro. He makes hitting look so easy
that he spoils you every time he comes to the plate. If he strikes out a couple of times during a
game people say “how come, what happened”as if it was a sin for Ichiro to strike out.

A couple of years ago Fox TV put a microphone on Ichiro during a game and I remember that after I asked him if he liked it. He responded with one
word(which he likes to use a lot in Spanish)
peligroso – which means dangerous. Ichiro has
a great sense of humor but what I most admire about this guy is his work rutine, his passion and
desire for the game. I wish more players here and everywhere had that “whateveritis” that
magic that Ichiro brings to the game.

Ichiro is Incredible = Increible !
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The Mariners are in Spanish for all their home games (81) from Safeco Field in Seattle since
the 2003 season on the Seattle Mariners Spanish
Radio Network.