Birthdate: October 22, 1973
Birthplace: Kasugai, Japan
Known simply as "Ichiro" in baseball circles, Ichiro Suzuki is one of the most talented, well-rounded players in the big leagues. After a standout career in Japan, Ichiro now stars for the Seattle Mariners!
Ichiro Suzuki - Hard Worker
Ichiro Suzuki worked tirelessly as a kid to make the major leagues. At the age of 12, Ichiro and his father worked on his game for hours a day. Aside from long throwing and catching drills, he also hit around 300 balls a day! His father also made him do abnormal drills like throwing tires and hitting wiffleballs with a shovel in order to get stronger. It must have worked because Ichiro was drafted to the Japanese professional leagues right out of high school.
Ichiro Suzuki - Japanese Career
As a member of the Orix Blue Wave, Ichiro set the single-season Pacific League record with 210 hits in 1994. That year, he also batted .385 and won the first of his three straight MVP awards. In his career in Japan, he won seven straight batting titles and seven gold gloves. Ichiro also led the Blue Wave to their first Pacific League pennant in 12 years.
Ichiro Suzuki - From Orix to Seattle
Prior to the 2001 season, Ichiro Suzuki left the Blue Wave and signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Mariners of the MLB. Ichiro's impact was almost immediate as he re-wrote the record books with his hitting. As a rookie, he led the majors with a .350 batting average and was the first rookie to be the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game. In 2004, Ichiro set the single season record for hits with an unheard of 262 hits! As great of an offensive weapon as Ichiro is, he is equally as impressive on the defensive end. In each of his six seasons as a pro, Ichiro has earned the Gold Glove Award for his outstanding fielding ability. Some say that Ichiro has the strongest throwing arm in baseball, and this is coming from somebody who is just 5'9" and 170 lbs!
Ichiro Suzuki - Did U Know?
- Ichiro Suzuki was the first non-pitching Japanese player to ever play in MLB.
- Ichiro Suzuki is ambidextrous. Although he throws with his right hand, he bats left-handed.
- Ichiro Suzuki makes his off-season home in Kobe, Japan with his wife Yumiko.
- Ichiro Suzuki played on the Japanese national team for the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.
Ichiro Suzuki Says...
"Personally, I don't like the term "success." It's too arbitrary and too relative a thing. It's usually someone else's definition, not yours."
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