It's grand sa-lami time! It was awesome., A few years before shifting became more commonand later, embedded into the fabric of the leagueIchiro forced managers to get creative and devise new defensive tactics to keep him from reaching base. The influence of people like Ichiro and Matsui raised the reputation of Japanese fielders. Earlier in the decade, Hendry had leaned on Pacific Rim scout Leon Lee to take the temperature of players eligible to be posted, and as the franchises international staff expanded, he found Fukudome fit a need in right field. WALLA WALLA - As I listened to a Mariners pregame radio broadcast over my headphones recently as I jogged up Tieton Street, I was reminded of He also addressed Piniella.\n\nLou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. ! Ichiro shouted, after which he allowed the eager audience to roar back and take in the moment. By the time Melvin arrived in Seattle in 2003, Suzuki was already established as a star. Ichiro Suzuki had already made a positive impression by the time he entered into legend status. Its just an absurdly impressive throw. He also thanked Mariners ownership for the opportunity to contribute as a special advisor in his post-playing days. He excelled at the little things, blending new school and old school, and carved out a niche that forced the rest of MLB to catch up. Aaron Judge led the majors in 2022 in fun points per PA. I wasn't ready for 116 kisses from the manager.. Wednesday night, a photo of Niehaus could be seen on the big screen from outside an empty Safeco Field. [Ichiro] is somebody I have followed most of my life, especially as another left-handed hitter, Ohtani told ESPN in 2019, before Ichiro finished his Hall of Fame career in Japan. Go go go go Ichiro. Ichiro didnt start playing in America until he was 27. In Japan, practice is more important than necessarily the game, and if you dont get the desired goal, its kind of OK to cry. "To come over here and pave the way for a lot of Japanese players, what he and (Hideo) Nomo did, that's not an easy thing to do," said Oakland manager Bob Melvin, who managed Suzuki for two seasons in Seattle. He broke records, rebranded the Mariners into must-see TV, and proved that international players could not only succeed in MLB, but also become the face of the entire sport. After smacking two doubles to left field, he stepped to the plate in the seventh inning, surveyed the diamond with his right arm perpendicular to the ground, and whipped his hands through a low fastball to lift a home run into the bullpen beyond the right-field wall. Whats up, Seattle? The Japanese approach to hitting is such a cookie-cutter approachthey all hit the same, Whiting says. He got him. Twenty years later, Ichiros rookie season remains an inflection point, the beginning of a legacy thats opened the door for other Japanese position players to thrive in MLB. There are a lot of things to like with the new MLB rules for 2023, but Seattle Sports' Mike Salk can't get his mind off the pitch clock. He elaborated on that with perspective after stepping away following the Japan Series that began the 2019 regular season. Ichiro charged the ball, fielded it, and transferred it to his throwing hand as Long rounded second and ran toward third. Ichiro was showing signs of what he can do at the plate, hitting .371 at the time, but this was a sign of what the Mariners truly had. After his 2001 debut, it seemed like it would be only a matter of time until he became the new single-season hit king. It prompted a memorable call by Mariners Hall of Fame announcer Dave Niehaus and was just one of several great moments in a season in which Ichiro was an All-Star and took home both the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP awards. "And I've been doing this my entire adult life, been in the game close to 30 years and met and played with and against every great in my lifetime really and never met one quite like Ichiro.". Carrying all of the responsibilities that came with being the first Japanese-born MLB position player, he never wavered. Its harder to get a handle on it from your own chair in Chicago or your own domestic scouts. Colborn could attest, and after spending seven years as an MLB pitching coach, he returned to Japan in 2008 as the Rangers Pacific Rim scouting coordinator. By 2006, when an Ichiro-led Japan beat the United States in the World Baseball Classic, MLB managers and players had noticed a change. **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death in 2010. America's Pastime. I knew it was going to be special., Earlier in his courtship, Colborn had taken Ichiro to Peoria to tour the Mariners facility and visit Griffeys locker. It was so true and so strong. Next door in the press box, Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus described the throw as being like something out of Star Wars, a call that was soon attached to the clip on every sports report that night. Simply put, it was vintage Ichiro. Theyre taking some of our weight training regimens and the way we approach the game in the States and applying it to what theyre doing, says Small, who lived in Japan from 2003 to 2019. http://www.courtsidetweets.comRookie Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners shows off his cannon in right field by throwing out Terrence Long of the Oakland A. He became an All-Star in his first season and played for two other teams before leaving MLB in 2012. It is my greatest honor to have played for you as a Seattle Mariner.. Before I watch: Bo Jackson throw to home from warning track? Oh Ichiro it's why we love you. Shannon Drayer hosts the Mariners pregame and postgame show for 710 ESPN Seattle and has been a Mariners beat reporter since 2003. Whos most important on the Mariners besides Julio Rodrguez? [Nobuyuki] wrote in one of his books that [Ichiro] had six hours a year to play with his friends and the rest was practicing baseball, Whiting says. MLB.com also provides an array of mobile apps for fans to choose from, including At Bat, the highest-grossing iOS sports app of all-time. And when he steals second, he don't say please. But because he wasnt a large, lumbering power hitter like Barry Bonds, and because he was capable of slapping hits in every direction, Ichiro made it nearly impossible to predict where was going to put the ball in play. "Just see what happens. In 1983, Niehaus hired Rizzs to join the Mariners' broadcast team. Im anonymous here.. His 133 hits at the break marked a club record, and his league-leading 3.4 million votes made him an All-Star starter as a rookie. Remember, we won 116 games that year. But Colborn knew that the outfielder was special. Julio Rodrguez had a brief moment that caused concern when he crashed into the wall in center field on Monday's Mariners spring trainng game. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dave_Niehaus&oldid=1131339054, College basketball announcers in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2008, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Owner: Baseball Club of Seattle, LP, represented by CEO, This page was last edited on 3 January 2023, at 18:27. He had a cannon of an arm, could swipe bases like a ninja, and could put just about any pitch in play, regardless of how crappy it was. Seahawks running back Chris Carson is struggling with fumbles, and it's imperative he corrects the issue, says Jake Heaps. It lasted an incredible 84 years until Ichiro came along. A laser beam, barely 10 feet off the ground, reached third baseman David Bell on the fly with Long a good five feet from the bag. In August 2002, MLB.com streamed the first-ever live, full length MLB game when the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees faced off at Yankee Stadium. Every time I faced him, our team would shift and theyd leave the gap between left and center, and that was easy money for him, says Santana, who now plays for the Royals and allowed the third most hits to Ichiro of any pitcher. The American League, originally founded in 1901, consists of the following teams: Baltimore Orioles; Boston Red Sox; Chicago White Sox; Cleveland Indians; Detroit Tigers; Houston Astros; Kansas City Royals; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Minnesota Twins; New York Yankees; Oakland Athletics; Seattle Mariners; Tampa Bay Rays; Texas Rangers; and Toronto Blue Jays. SEATTLE (AP) Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners. I think Aaron Goldsmith could join them if he sticks around long enough. Ichiro set the single-season record for most hits (262) in a season in 2004, breaking Hall of . Daves call elevated it to superhuman stature, Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone says. Seahawks need him running to make playoffs, Watch: The Groz throws out the 1st pitch before Mariners-Astros game, Highlights from The Grozs last show on Bob, Groz and Tom, Watch: Members of the Seattle sports media pay tribute to The Groz, The Grozs final show on Bob, Groz and Tom airs Friday at noon. About an hour later, Ichiro led off the game by hitting Browns fourth pitch 400 feet and depositing it into the right-field bleachers. talent - Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki - with no World Series to show for it. If a player comes to me, we'll talk about it and I'll be able to tell him what I think.. That is absurd. Because we only got to see him in the postseason once, many of Ichiro's greatest moments came in the regular season. They tied MLBs regular-season record with 116 wins and had the third-highest bWAR in baseball history (67.1). Improve yourself, find your inspiration . "I want to be like a researcher or a student of the game. Feb 17, 2012 - Dave Niehaus. That was the difference. Subscribe to Stathead , the set of tools used by the pros, to unearth this and other interesting factoids. In his rookie season of 2001, he threw a frozen rope to nail Oaklands Terrence Long trying to go from first to third on a base hit. Ichiro came up throwing, and no one who saw it or heard Dave Niehaus memorable call will ever forget it. The 6 stages that come with each of his starts, Ichiro's April 11, 2001 throw in Oakland was the first of his many memorable defensive plays. But he comes to play every day and hes got a looseness to him, and you dont see any argumentative confrontations on the field that you want to cast him as the bad guy, Colborn says. He had a more avant-garde sense of fashion.. Niehaus honored with 2008 Frick, Seattle's soothing baseball voice headed to Cooperstown, Audio: Niehaus announcing during 1996 earthquake. Nicknamed Godzilla, the Yomiuri Giants outfielder had been Japans most prolific power hitter, superseding Ichiro in popularity thanks to his teams mainstream appeal. \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Ichiro is the first member added since 2015, and he joined an exclusive group that includes nine other members (in order of induction): Alvin Davis, Dave Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., Lou Piniella and Jamie Moyer, with all in attendance except Johnson and Piniella. And so that's why I feel good about not playing.. Ichiro announced his retirement Thursday in Tokyo after a 5-4 Mariners win over the As (the same result as his first game as a member of the Mariners), not far removed from a rousing ovation as manager Scott Servais took him out of his final game for a defensive replacement. What sets Mariners OF Kyle Lewis apart from other prospects. [Orix executives] would come to the Kingdome and watch games and go to the office during the day, Colborn says, but the real, ultimate goal was for us to have first choice of their players., In 1999, two years before Ichiro hit free agency, Orix expanded its agreement, allowing players to travel to Peoria to join the Mariners for spring training. that is the most lazer-like throw i've ever seen. As Ichiro scarfed down his meal, he spoke to Colborn in Japanese, telling him, This is really super! Colborn was confused. I thought to myself if this is customary in America, I might not make it here. But the way my career ended in Japan at the Tokyo Dome, and how the fans embrace me there, that is what makes this an easier exit. It was great for Seattle, but it was really great for baseball, former MLB commissioner Bud Selig says of Ichiros debut. Joe Fann details the six biggest. the Mariners did not say who would throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Probably heat of moment combining of phrases. Most ballplayers, theyd wear polo shirts and golf pants, but hed have baggy jeans and a cap on backwards. Suzuki carried the burden of an entire country in coming to America, and his success created opportunity for the countless others who have followed. During Suzuki's first month in the majors in 2001 . A laser beam, barely 10 feet off the ground, reached third baseman David Bell on the fly . I mean Forslund is already loved by the hockey community, I don't see how he doesn't succeed as our play by play. His first signature highlight came on April 11 in Oakland. "The Throw" was electric, and one of Ichiro's first introductions to baseball in the United States. **, Press J to jump to the feed. The first Japanese-born position player to make the majors also filled the Mariners celebrity void left by Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson, all of whom had recently departed Seattle. During the previous three years, he broke the countrys single-season hit record (he had 210 hits in 130 games), won the first of seven straight batting titles, and transcended the limits of the Pacific League. He didnt have to put a good swing on the ball to get a base hit. "I recorded [the 2001 All-Star Game] on VHS and watched it at least six or seven times as a kid, so Ichiro leading off by beating Randy to the bag stands out to me a lot," Ty said. These Japanese athletes had taken the Japanese sports inferiority complexthe sense that the Japanese are not physically or experientially ready for world competitionand proved it wrong. Masijuma added, I believe that these athletes are not just about athletic talent. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with 2023 Bonneville International. With one out and Oaklands Terrence Long at first base, catcher Ramn Hernndez grounded a single to right field. Heaps: Bench Chris Carson? Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of v. When I started facing him, one of the differences was the way he made our infielders rush, former As pitcher Mark Mulder says. Niehaus was the fans' choice to throw out the first pitch in Safeco Field history. He comes back to the dugout, getting ready to walk down the steps to take his helmet off, and he says, Is that turn on ball, Lou? McLaren says. Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The M's will . He is somebody I have tried to mimic, not just hitting but playing-wise, even how he handles the media. "If this team is going to go to the playoffs, they have to have Chris Carson running the football.". And would anyone be surprised if he was on the field once more? Holy shit. Ichiro, you ever turn on the ball?, Later that day, in a 7-4 loss to the Athletics, Ichiro took his managers hint. Flix Hernndez will be inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame in August, the club announced Wednesday. After making adjustments in spring training, he revised his stance, keeping both feet on the ground to better catch up to fastballs. But . Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus passed away on Wednesday in his Bellevue, Wash., home at the age of 75. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Ken Levine is a screenwriter and broadcaster, and he worked for many years on Mariners' games alongside the late Dave Niehaus, who died of a heart attack in 2010. When the Mariners were eliminated, current MLB vice president of international Jim Small couldnt help but notice Ichiros reaction on TV. Niehaus was one of the greats. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In this outtake clip from Janis Joplin: Little Girl Blue . Colborn predicted that a bid of $10 million would win Ichiros negotiating rights, but Yamauchi wanted a failsafe number and threw in a couple extra million of his own money. The former Orix pitching coach had taken the same job with the Dodgers that year, and embraced his friend in the dugout when the Mariners visited Los Angeles for a three-game series in July. That Wednesday afternoon has become folkloric, because its the last time Ichiros ability was ever openly questioned. While that ended up not being the case, he gave Mariners fans quite the thrill in his last at-bat of the series, drilling a home run to send the crowd into a frenzy. They were in the middle of a nine-game road trip in which they would go 7-2 and grab a division lead they would never give up. SEATTLE - Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners.During Suzuki's first month in Ball-tracking angle of Ichiro's throw in 2001. As the longtime Mariners radio voice Rick Rizzs remembers it, the newly signed phenom kept lining shots over Lous head in the folding chair. Despite Ichiro often firing his hips and hitting scorchers to the right side in Japan, the outfielder had yet to drive anything there that spring, and looked outmatched against MLB pitching. The Japanese sensation would go on to win the Rookie of the Year and the MVP that same season . Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com:Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced on January 19, 2000, that the 30 Major League club owners voted unanimously to centralize all of Baseball's internet operations into an independent technology company. Even though I retired as an active player, baseball and Seattle have never left my heart, Ichiro said. One by one, Ichiro shared a message with each, blending in his trademark quick-wit humor with heartfelt respect. His work has also appeared in Esquire.com, GQ.com, and The New York Times. This might actually be the greatest catch of all-time. Are you kidding me? So here's the audio. I want our players to know that I am with you in your fight to be the best. SEATTLE (AP) Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners. I remember seeing his face, and this sounds strange, but he didnt seem dejected, he seemed pissed, Small says. Ichiro played parts of 14 seasons for the Mariners before his dramatic retirement at age 45 in Tokyo three years ago. So embrace it by giving your best without imposing limits on yourself. When Ichiro was in third grade, his father began training him to be a star. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Somebody needs to sync that up. Here is the top fun points seasons since the introduction of division play and the lowering of the mound in 1969: Fun Points per PA*, 1969-2022, 502 PA per . The Mariners front office, led at the time by general manager Woody Woodward, was skeptical of how Ichiros skill set would translate to the U.S. Ichiro is famously baseball-obsessed with the entire process of getting ready to play the sport. Ichiro tips his cap to the Tokyo crowd as he leaves his last MLB game. I need Ichiro to take a little batting practice, Piniella told him, before turning to his future star. Utter disbelief. You need somebody over there that knows the ins and outs of not only how the games played over there, but the culture, former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry says. Watch: Ichiro finds old-time religion with HR-robbing catch. Dave "The Groz" Grosby signed off as a full-time Seattle sports radio host Friday on Bob, Groz and Tom with visits from several notable names from his career. There was an arrogance there, like going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower.. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Watch a special tribute to 710 ESPN Seattle's The Groz featuring messages from members of the Seattle sports media to commemorate his 29 years as a daily host in the market. Its only fitting that two decades after Ichiro exploded onto the scene, Shohei Ohtani is having his own supernova MLB season. Off Ichiro. Fann: 6 most important Mariners highlights from spring training so far, Servais: How Mariners are helping Julio handle superstar spotlight, Mariners Notebook: The plan to get even more out of Luis Castillo. I'll always remember his grand slam call from the Ken Griffey Jr game on Super Nintendo. Over the first half of his rookie season, Ichiro changed more than just defensive alignments around the league. Like theyd done in California, Colborn threw Ichiro batting practice beneath the closed roof, giving the dozen or so coaches and executives in attendance a front-row seat to observe his talent. He will join Alvin Davis, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., Jamie Moyer, manager Lou Piniella and broadcaster Dave Niehaus. Mike Trout By the end of the regular season, he led the league in batting average (.350), hits (242), and stolen bases (56), becoming just the second player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. What started as, What the heck is this guy? At the age of 42, he tripled off the wall in right field at Colorados Coors Field for his 3,000th hit. Yet his influence and importance shouldn't be understated. David Niehaus had no idea who Janis Joplin was when they met in 1970 on Ipanema beach in Brazil, where both had traveled for Rio Carnival. Apr 21, 2017. George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns had 257 hits for the St. Louis Browns in 1920, setting a major league record. Get Social with AzQuotes. Related:Groz Remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001. That is when fans started to pay attention to Ichiro., Pretty soon, everyone was paying attention to Ichiro. So it was a mutual thing., The Cubs ultimately won negotiating rights for Fukudome, and the outfielder signed a four-year, $48 million contract. Two weeks into his rookie season, that would no longer be the case. [0:35 for exact replay]. All of them got their chance after Suzuki smashed the stereotypes that surrounded Japanese hitters. The biggest void Ichiro envisioned that hed face upon retiring was the passion he had for playing, and how hard itd be to hang up his glove. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor for American baseball broadcasters. "It was the first moment where you saw Ichiro wasnt 'just another guy' and, of course, it was accompanied by one of Niehaus best calls.". Five highlights of Dave Niehaus' career with the Mariners. Most days, I still wear the Mariners uniform, and I do so proudly, Ichiro said. In 2001, Ichiro Suzuki made his MLB debut for the Seattle Mariners. David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 - November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. SEATTLE (AP) Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame broadcaster who called Seattle Mariners' games from their first season through this year, has died of a heart attack. 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