Ichiro’s legacy preserved forever in Cooperstown
Ichiro Suzuki became the 30th player in MLB history to join the 3,000-hit club with a triple on Sunday in Denver. He joins a list of 25 Hall of Fame members, plus Pete Rose, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.
But what differentiates Ichiro from the other players in this exclusive club is the path he took. After all, he entered the major leagues at a later age than any of the players on the list after spending the first seven seasons of his professional career in his native Japan. Yet he became just the second big leaguer – after Rose – to achieve his 3,000th hit in his 16th big league season. No one has done it in fewer than 16 seasons.
Ichiro always has been a different kind of player, often noted for his unique pre-at-bat routine and uncanny flexibility.
It's the mystery behind Ichiro that makes him such an intriguing and transformative figure in baseball lore. He is widely renowned for his pre-game displays of home runs, but he never has hit more than 15 big flys in a season. At last week’s Legends of the Game Roundtable at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Inductee Ken Griffey Jr., who played with Ichiro in Seattle in 2009 and 2010, referred to Ichiro as a "magician with a bat," a compliment screaming of otherworldly hitting powers.
He primarily speaks through a translator, although he possesses the knowledge and familiarity of the English language that have come with playing 15 seasons in the United States. Despite the social media revolution and playing in major media markets such as New York and Miami, Ichiro has maintained a low profile. He isn't an everyday player for the Marlins because of their depth of young outfield talent, but at age 42, his batting average has hovered around .330 all season and he is seemingly as lively and nimble as ever.
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And while he maintains his on-the-field skills, Ichiro is a baseball historian with a true appreciation for the game, which is why he has maintained a strong relationship with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum throughout his legendary career. He has generously donated 21 items to the Museum’s vast collection, including:
• Bat used with Orix Blue Wave.
• Seattle Mariners road jersey worn during 2004 season.
• Bat used to record 200th hit of season, 2004.
• Bat, batting gloves, wristbands, cleats, sunglasses, elbow guard worn while recording 261st and 262nd hits of 2004 season.
• Batting helmet worn playing for Team Japan, 2006 World Baseball Classic.
• Seattle cap worn during 2007 All-Star Game.
• Ball hit for an inside-the-park home run during the 2007 All-Star Game.
• Spikes worn as he reached his 3,000th total career hit, which include the 1,278 he tallied in Japan.
• Batting helmet worn when he recorded his 200th hit in the 2008 season.
• Seattle road jersey worn when he reached 200 hits in the 2009 season.
As a historian of the game, Ichiro recognizes how important it is for the Museum to preserve these jewels of baseball history. Every artifact in the Museum tells a story, and Ichiro decided it best to give the items to those who will tell these stories for generations to come.
Troy Farkas is the 2016 multimedia intern in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
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