Ichiro completes a decade of 200-hit seasons
It was a hit 10 seasons in the making, one that looked like so many others in the singular career of Ichiro Suzuki.
Lining the first pitch he saw in the fifth inning from Toronto’s Shawn Hill to center field, Ichiro recorded his 200th hit of the season on Sept. 23, 2010. It was the 10th straight year Ichiro reached the 200-hit mark, extending his own MLB record and snapping a tie with Ty Cobb he shared for the American League record for most 200-hit seasons.
The milestone came during a season where the Seattle Mariners lost 101 games, causing Ichiro to wonder how the moment would be received. A standing ovation from the Rogers Centre crowd of 12,590 and the celebrating by his teammates answered that question.
“After I accomplished 200 hits and looked to the dugout, everyone was celebrating, everyone was very happy,” Ichiro told the Associated Press through a translator. “That’s when I finally could express my feelings in a good way and say I’m happy for what I’ve achieved.”
At 36 years old, Ichiro was entering the final years of his career that began with the Orix BlueWave of the Japan Pacific League at age 18 in 1992. He became the first Japanese position player to appear in the big leagues in 2001, winning the AL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards after recording 242 hits. He would lead the AL in hits that year, the first of seven times – including during the 2010 season – he finished first in that category.
His 10th 200-hit campaign would tie him with Pete Rose for the MLB record – a mark that still stands.
“In 2001, no one expected 200 hits from me,” Ichiro told the Tacoma (Wash.) News-Tribune after his record-setting hit in 2010. “If I’d had 168 hits, they’d have said: ‘Good job.’ Now in my shoes, it’s expected each year.
“I’m very happy to have made people feel that way.”
Though Ichiro would never again post a 200-hit season, his place in the game was secure. At that point in his career, Ichiro could have gone 0-for-his-next-716 at the plate and still held a .300 career batting average.
“Put it this way,” Mariners manager Daren Brown told the News-Tribune. “Name one guy who’s (had 200 hits) 10 years in a row. There isn’t anyone else. Nobody’s ever done it but Ichiro. He’s unique.”
Ichiro retired after playing two games for the Mariners in Tokyo at the start of the 2019 season, finishing with 3,089 hits, a .311 batting average, 1,420 runs scored and 509 stolen bases. Adding in his 1,278 hits in Japan, Ichiro totaled 4,367 professional hits.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2025.
“I’ve never experienced an easy hit,” Ichiro told the News-Tribune. “Never taken one for granted.”
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
