I was 27 years old when I came to Seattle. I want to continue to do that and be able to continue to work and see what I can do. In this outtake clip from Janis Joplin: Little Girl Blue . That is when fans started to pay attention to Ichiro., Pretty soon, everyone was paying attention to Ichiro. Within a couple of years, however, the teams leadership had come to embrace Ichiros unorthodox style. A laser beam, barely 10 feet off the ground, reached third baseman David Bell on the fly . Ichiro set the single-season record for most hits (262) in a season in 2004, breaking Hall of . Honestly, I was scared. 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. ROOT Sports analyst Mike Blowers talked to Bob, Groz and Tom about Lewis and what makes him stand out. He also addressed Piniella. That doesn't happen in Japan. Every day we present the best quotes! He would take it and place it in a spot where it would not be disturbed while they were hitting., Boone compared his personality to Ichiros like oil and water, but says from a sense of humor standpoint, we actually have a lot of similarities. Throughout the year, Boone often made fun of Ichiro for polishing his glove and making sure it was clean and pristine, while the infielder tossed his own leather on the dugout steps between innings. Fukudome might not have had the reputation that Ichiro had, but he was a really good hitter, and I think there was more of a comfort zone that even though he wasnt going to be a big power guy, everyone thought he was going to hit for a high average and hit for average power and play great defense in right field, which he did, Hendry says. It read, "Dave Niehaus, 1935-2010." His empty chair and headpones sat in the broadcast booth . 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. Related:Groz Remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001. Put them together and it makes him the all-time pro baseball hit king, a title he passed Pete Rose for in 2016. Lou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor for American baseball broadcasters. So that was a challenge. 4/11/01: Ichiro Suzuki nails Terrence Long trying to go first-to-third on a single to right field. I want our players to know that I am with you in your fight to be the best. By instigating at the top of the lineup, wreaking havoc on the basepaths, and turning each game into an electric environment, he added an element to our team that really sparked us in many different ways, Bell says. Shift him all you want, Boone says. Then Ichiro unleashed what would be dubbed The Throw, a laser beam that met David Bells glove knee-high and allowed the third baseman to gently apply a tag for the out. I think he liked that challenge and he was uniquely equipped to handle it, Stone says. pic.twitter.com/2FgBfpmIV2. So when fellow Mariner great Ken Griffey Jr. had to chase down Ichiros hit off the wall in right field during the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco, there was pretty much no chance of keeping him from scoring on the play. Ball-tracking angle of Ichiro's throw in 2001. A year later, Colborns extensive scouting reports and personal relationship with Ichiro convinced Pat Gillick, the Mariners new GM, to make a strong play for him after the 2000 season. I want our players to know that I am with you in your fight to be the best. He also thanked Mariners ownership for the opportunity to contribute as a special advisor in his post-playing days. If a skinny guy from Japan can compete in this uniform, and then stand before you tonight to accept this honor, then there is no reason you cannot do it either., You cheered loudly for me as a new player that first game 21 years ago -- and you never stopped, Ichiro said, becoming emotional. His first All-Star Game was one of those, coming in an at-bat against Randy Johnson. Ichiro was such an exciting player, and for the rest of the baseball world to get to see him do something like this on the national stage was so special. Ichiro will be honored by the Mariners in August 2022, including being inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony on Aug. 27. . Charging a single by Ramon Hernandez into right field, Ichiro never broke stride and made a throw from about 200 feet away on the fly to David Bell that would have impressed William Tell. I was 27 years old when I came to Seattle. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. That was the difference. (AP). After he broke the hits record, you would see him on a lot of billboards in Japan, Whiting says. That ball could have gone through David Bell another 10 to 15 feet. They tied MLBs regular-season record with 116 wins and had the third-highest bWAR in baseball history (67.1). David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 - November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. Two weeks into his rookie season, that would no longer be the case. 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. He stops the ball with the greatest of ease. During one season, Colborn remembers Ichiro swinging just 11 times over a four-game series, and barreling the ball on every swing. They show that replay of it all the time because it was such a great tag, Bell says jokingly. Likewise, the fans invited Dave into their homes as he brought to life on the radio the heroics of such Mariners legends as Alvin Davis, Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner, Randy Johnson, Ichiro, Felix Hernandez and the list goes on and on.. Dave was the voice of spring and summer in the Northwest . 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. Sitting on the horizon is Seattle's season-opening series in Tokyo next season, and the possibility for Suzuki to shine again in his home country. After his 2001 debut, it seemed like it would be only a matter of time until he became the new single-season hit king. That included his preparation and personality, which often caught Seattle teammates off guard. Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of v. 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. Over his first season in Seattle, the then-27-year-old erased any doubts about his transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB. The manager gave me a big wet kiss. 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. Daves call elevated it to superhuman stature, Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone says. Don't you know. As a result, he substituted power for placement, lining, blooping, and grounding the ballhis body already a step out of the boxbefore beating out what appeared to be routine plays. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. 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. But . ?Chuck Armstrong, Seattle Mariners president and COO, added, "Speaking for ourselves, our . He forced mistakes., Bret Boone, the Mariners second baseman from 2001 to 2005, says it was 50-50 whether Ichiro beat out a run-of-the-mill grounder in the infield. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor for American baseball broadcasters. Rarely do you see a throw start that low and carry that far. All these moments combined are only some of the reasons he is being inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame this weekend. Even though I retired as an active player, baseball and Seattle have never left my heart, Ichiro said. SEATTLE (AP) Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners. A Celebration of Life for Dave Niehaus; Podcasts; 2013 Seattle Seahawks Online Scrapbook; Daily Archives: February 24, . "Pow, he got him" combined with "pegged him". The Mariners were 60-102 that season and drew only 813,537 fans, the lowest full-season total in club history. Physically, I feel like I can play. The M's will . "When I met Ichiro in Peoria, (Arizona) which is the first time I'd met him face to face, he walked in and had more presence than any other baseball player I'd ever encountered," Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said. Yet his influence and importance shouldn't be understated. 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. 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 . "An absolute missile that was placed in the perfect spot to nail Terrance Long," Colby said of the play. SEATTLE King's Court will be back in session this summer. He became an All-Star in his first season and played for two other teams before leaving MLB in 2012. 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. Game after game, the Mariners skipper had watched Ichiro Suzuki slap and bloop and pepper fastballs everywhere between left field and the third-base dugout. Carrying all of the responsibilities that came with being the first Japanese-born MLB position player, he never wavered. I realized that this video didn't have the Niehaus call which was a lot better honestly. 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. Inside the Tokyo Dome as a Mariners employee, Id be the only scout there, he says. Aug 27, 2022. HERE COMES JOEY, HERE IS JUNIOR TO THIRD BASE, THEY'RE GOING TO WAVE HIM IN! "The throw by Ichiro, beautiful peg. I believe that they represent a new way of thinking, a new philosophy that has arisen within Japanese society, and that this new philosophy will have a tremendous influence., As Whiting notes, because Ichiro played every day, he became daily national news, a sort of baseball emissary beating up American pitchers. What started as, What the heck is this guy? With one out and Oaklands Terrence Long at first base, catcher Ramn Hernndez grounded a single to right field. Apr 21, 2017. SEATTLE -- It began like an outdoor concert for an iconic rock star, and in many ways, Ichiro Suzuki carries that reputation in these parts. The death of Dave Niehaus, 75, will be devastating for fans in the Northwest. When I returned in 2018, it was as if I never left. If they're not careful he'll take third too. Anyone know what that means? One by one, Ichiro shared a message with each, blending in his trademark quick-wit humor with heartfelt respect. October 2, 1995: On the Map. It's all about being prepared to play a major league baseball game. I remember how surreal it was on the bus just looking around like, Did that just happen? Boone says. 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. His first signature highlight came on April 11 in Oakland. 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. Its just an absurdly impressive throw. I saw this angle 20 years ago and have been looking for it ever since. 1500 PAs). Honestly, I was scared. The Japanese had been waiting their entire lives to compete against major league players, Small says. I was shocked. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with Hes going to beat you., McLaren laughs when thinking about how opponents shifted to account for Ichiros spray chart. Ichiro received the most votes for the 2001 All-Star Game, the first rookie ever to do so. When hes working, hes almost always in full uniform and going at maximum physical effort, whether running the bases, shagging fly balls or everything in between. The 2008 Ford C. Frick Award winner had been the voice of the Mariners since the team's inception in 1977. Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus, who passes away Wednesday, poses at the old Yankee Stadium before Game 2 of the American League Championship Series in Oct. 2000. Anybody who tried to copy Ichiro would have failed, Whiting says. In 2004, he broke a then-84 year record, logging 262 hits in a single season and surpassing George . #IchiroWeekend pic.twitter.com/Upl1XeSY48, Ichiro Girl reuniting with Ichiro is the most wholesome thing weve ever seen pic.twitter.com/vrM41SHLaB. ", Let's not forget this one either. same result as his first game as a member of the Mariners, Groz Remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001. Thank you for posting! He was a catalyst for a team that won a record-tying 116 games, and he brought a new style to the majors while laying the foundation for others to follow. Ichiro, whose arm could throw lasers "like something out of 'Star Wars,'" as late Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus famously said, retires as the active leader in outfield assists (123). Piniella: Ive seen some pretty good arms. 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. SEATTLE On Saturday night, the Mariners will honor one of their own when they induct outfielder Ichiro Suzuki into the team's Hall of Fame before a scheduled game against . Id throw him batting practice, Id hit him fly balls, hed throw the balland if I couldnt make it that day, Id have one of the local scouts in the area do the batting practice for him. During one of Ichiros trips to Seattle, Colborn remembers a boat show taking place inside the Kingdome. And so that's why I feel good about not playing.. Seattles franchise icon was beginning a 16-minute speech -- which he gave in English -- in conjunction with being enshrined in the Mariners Hall of Fame. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, The subreddit for the bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players. With a late-season surge that rivaled some of the greatest in baseball history, the Mariners came from three games below .500 and a 13-game deficit in early August to secure a tie for the AL West with the California Angelsleading to a one-game playoff to determine the outright divisional champion.. Mariners fever was already in full bloom among the fans with . Mike Trout Holy shit. "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. Mines just as gold as yours, Boone says. He is a great model to follow., Indeed, Ichiros 2001 season provided a master class in unflappability, a model for excelling while living in a fishbowl existence. Id never faced a guy who was a better bad ball hitter., The torrid start only made Ichiros spotlight brighter, especially in Japan. 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. Follow Unfollow. Somebody needs to sync that up. As Ichiro went, so did the Mariners. And nobody has seen one since. Bump & Stacy make their picks. He was just pissed., Small also reiterates how Ichiros rookie year had much bigger implications than just a championship. Salk: New MLB rules a plus, but theres a better way with pitch clock, Mariners Notebook: Julio Rodrguez fine, undeterred after wall crash. Or maybe at this age what I can do is prepare myself, train and see what I can do and the work I put in, see what happens to my body and performance," Suzuki said. 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. By the time Melvin arrived in Seattle in 2003, Suzuki was already established as a star. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. He didnt have to put a good swing on the ball to get a base hit. He was the instructor for a region void of the major league . The . Every day from 3:30 to 7 p.m., Ichiro would hit soft toss and take fungo drills in a nearby park. 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. It is my greatest honor to have played for you as a Seattle Mariner.. Paraphrasing the writer in his 2021 book Tokyo Junkie, Whiting explains this stemmed from an inability to prevail in international sports events, save for the odd marathon or judo triumph. Ken Griffey Jr., Jamie Moyer, manager Lou Piniella and broadcaster Dave Niehaus. "April 11, 2001: Ichiro throws an absolute rope from right field to gun down the A's' Terrence Long at third base. THE MARINERS ARE GOING TO PLAY FOR THE AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP! The Mariners players and coaches were blown away, as reflected in the game story in the Seattle Times written by Bob Finnegan. Naturally, in a matchup between Seattles current star and its former one, Ichiro singled off Randy Johnson in the bottom of the first. With Ichiros playing career having come to a close, lets look at the most memorable moments provided by an all-time great. 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