What happened next was not only the greatest rookie season in baseball historyit was a glimpse at both the past and future of the sport. He hit in the batting cage underneath and he ran around the concourse in the upper deck for his running, Colborn recalls, laughing. Once asked about comparing his body routine to NFL superstar Tom Brady, Ichiro responded with an all time quote: When baseball is your entire life, it may be difficult to find enjoyment in other things. 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. October 2, 1995: On the Map. pic.twitter.com/NHiJ6PWM4P. After he broke the hits record, you would see him on a lot of billboards in Japan, Whiting says. He swatted away those stigmas with an AL MVP Award, 242 hits and a Gold Glove Award in his rookie season. Because we only got to see him in the postseason once, many of Ichiro's greatest moments came in the regular season. The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. I've always thought it was "The throw by Ichiro, beautiful peg, he got him." 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 . But Colborn knew that the outfielder was special. This great star comes over here and not only has success, but really sets the pace in a lot of ways.. 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 Hed just put the ball over there and it was an easy triple., By mastering a balanced, small-ball approach in a homer-happy epoch, Ichiro ushered in new defensive strategies, even as he simultaneously foiled them. Im anonymous here.. Naturally, in a matchup between Seattles current star and its former one, Ichiro singled off Randy Johnson in the bottom of the first. That changed after Ichiros breakthrough in the U.S. Matsui knew that the entire nation of Japan was looking at him, Whiting says. Niehaus was a constant. Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of v. I just wanted Ichiro to do reasonably well and succeed, he says. Its just an absurdly impressive throw. Every day from 3:30 to 7 p.m., Ichiro would hit soft toss and take fungo drills in a nearby park. I love the call on that play - the fact that the announcer has the time and presence of mind to include the "look at the throw from right" as the ball's still in the air makes it so much better to me. The version on MLB's YouTube channel doesn't have it, and it's too bad. 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. 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. Ichiro Suzuki Baseball player. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Youre going to hit a home run off Kevin Brown tonight, Colborn remembers telling him. The tourist industry experienced this huge boom because people would fly there and stay in a hotel and take in two or three Mariners games and then come back. He was 75. At one MLB Japan All-Star Series in 2014, Small remembers U.S. manager John Farrell telling him the entire Japanese national lineup could have made an MLB roster. After returning home for dinner and schoolwork, hed work in the batting cage from 9:30 to 11. Dave Niehaus. Sharing the field with his idols for the first time, Ichiro displayed his quick bat and strong arm, impressing Piniella and the rest of his temporary teammates. Scott Servais explains how to help the CF handle it. Related:Groz Remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001. 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. "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. By the time Melvin arrived in Seattle in 2003, Suzuki was already established as a star. Terrance Long was over halfway from second to third when Ichiro picked up that ball. (Simmons/News) When I saw Long head for third, I just said, Youre out. 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. That doesn't happen in Japan. During Suzuki's first month in the majors in 2001, Niehaus narrated a throw by Suzuki from right field that nailed Terrence Long at third base. 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. Ichiro didnt start playing in America until he was 27. Aug 27, 2022. David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 - November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster.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. 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. . All rights reserved. All of them got their chance after Suzuki smashed the stereotypes that surrounded Japanese hitters. Mariano Rivera is widely considered the greatest closer of all-time. 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. 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. I remember seeing his face, and this sounds strange, but he didnt seem dejected, he seemed pissed, Small says. Honestly, I was scared. I remember it being almost in slow motion. He also addressed Piniella. 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. Ichiro came up throwing, and no one who saw it or heard Dave Niehaus' memorable call will ever forget it. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with In 2004, he did just that, passing Sisler on Oct. 1. "This is truly devastating news," said Seattle Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln. Did Buhner throw that ball?. Niehaus honored with 2008 Frick, Seattle's soothing baseball voice headed to Cooperstown, Audio: Niehaus announcing during 1996 earthquake. What anyone who saw that throw that night or the next morning . 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. Are you kidding me? Remember, we won 116 games that year. After his 2001 debut, it seemed like it would be only a matter of time until he became the new single-season hit king. But hes never wanted to be an imposing figure. Go go go go Ichiro. And it was a perfect throw. --Terrence Long, The ball was hit right to me. I could never imagine my career in America would last 19 seasons and that I would still be in Seattle today.. This is when America really took notice of Ichiros talent. We used to kick their butts. MLB.com features a stable of club beat reporters and award-winning national columnists, the largest contingent of baseball reporters under one roof, who deliver over 100 original articles every day. 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. The Japanese had been waiting their entire lives to compete against major league players, Small says. 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. So I've often said that he was the easiest guy I've ever had to manage because all you had to do was tell him what time the game was and you knew he'd be ready and committed to go.". Shannon Drayer hosts the Mariners pregame and postgame show for 710 ESPN Seattle and has been a Mariners beat reporter since 2003. His breakthrough offered a glimpse of the sports past and future, all while distinguishing him as a singularly timeless talent. Ichiro used an interpreter with the media, limiting potential discrepancies caused by the language barrier, but often surprised coaches, teammates, and opponents by starting conversations in English and talking smack. In the bottom of the inning, he replaced Anthony Sanders in right field and proceeded to show what set him apart. He was just this unique individual, the result of a very unusual set of circumstances.. Life Sports Mariners. Flix Hernndez will be inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame in August, the club announced Wednesday. The manager gave me a big wet kiss. Its only fitting that two decades after Ichiro exploded onto the scene, Shohei Ohtani is having his own supernova MLB season. It was great for Seattle, but it was really great for baseball, former MLB commissioner Bud Selig says of Ichiros debut. Probably heat of moment combining of phrases. With MLBs newly established posting system (which negated much of Colborns and the Mariners groundwork), Gillick leaned on ownershipparticularly principal owner Hiroshi Yamauchi, a Nintendo chairman who loved watching Ichiro play in Japanto make a competitive offer. I get that question a lot, Ichiro said. And would anyone be surprised if he was on the field once more? 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. 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. Thus, over the next few years, Colborn found it easy to court Ichiro, bringing him jerseys of Griffey Jr., his favorite player. After making adjustments in spring training, he revised his stance, keeping both feet on the ground to better catch up to fastballs. HERE COMES JOEY, HERE IS JUNIOR TO THIRD BASE, THEY'RE GOING TO WAVE HIM IN! 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 . Ball-tracking angle of Ichiro's throw in 2001. Remember, we won 116 games that year. Follow Unfollow. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 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. Niehaus was the fans' choice to throw out the first pitch in Safeco Field history. His last was Ichiro Suzuki's fly out to end the Mariners' final game this year on Oct. 3. 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. 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. 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. "April 11, 2001: Ichiro throws an absolute rope from right field to gun down the A's' Terrence Long at third base. It is my greatest honor to have played for you as a Seattle Mariner.. THE MARINERS ARE GOING TO PLAY FOR THE AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP! About an hour later, Ichiro led off the game by hitting Browns fourth pitch 400 feet and depositing it into the right-field bleachers. Ichiro is famously baseball-obsessed with the entire process of getting ready to play the sport. There was never a point in my career that I could have said that this was going to happen, so Im definitely grateful, Ichiro said Friday, through interpreter Allen Turner, who was his translator when he arrived in 2001. Nobody had seen a player quite like him. Ichiro received the most votes for the 2001 All-Star Game, the first rookie ever to do so. With 'beautiful peg' meaning great throw and he got him meaning well, he got him. But with the game scoreless in the eighth and righty Jim Mecir on in relief for the As, Mariners manager Lou Piniella pinch-hit Ichiro to start the inning, and he delivered a bloop base hit to start a three-run rally. his size limits his ability to throw over the intermediate middle, and hubris is preventing him from ceding control or reining in his preferred style of play (meaning he no longer runs with the football, and opts to take . Yet after narrowly escaping Cleveland in the ALDS, their season ended in the Bronx for the second straight year, with a loss to the Yankees in five games. Get Social with AzQuotes. I root for MN where Max Kepler and Byron Buxton wouldn't attempt that throw if they were picking it up while the runner was on second base. "He's the most committed player that I've ever had," Melvin recalled. Five highlights of Dave Niehaus' career with the Mariners. [Ichiro] held that bat up like a magic wand, like, What do we got here? Even years later, during pitcher Ervin Santanas debut season with the Angels, Ichiro always found an opening. 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. "The Throw" was electric, and one of Ichiro's first introductions to baseball in the United States. 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 . Importantly, Japanese players could measure themselves against Ichiro, who measured himself against MLB, Colborn says. When I threw a good split down and away, or when I threw a good sinker in, or when I threw a curveball down over the plate, he found a way to hit that ball harder than anyone else that I would face, says Mulder, who gave up 17 hits to Ichiro in 38 career encounters. And nobody has seen one since. Niehaus was the voice of the Mariners from their first game on April 6, 1977, through the end of the 2010 season with his golden Midwestern voice punctuated by his trademark "My oh My!" and "It will fly away!" calls. Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Seattle Mariners since the team's inception in 1977, passed away on November 10th at his home in Bellevue, WA. We thought we had a leadoff hitter, we thought we had a guy that could play right field, so we just went after it, Gillick says. that is the most lazer-like throw i've ever seen. ", Let's not forget this one either. Ichiro beats Randy Johnson to the bag in his first All-Star Game. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor for American baseball broadcasters. After I saw the batting practice and saw him move the ball around the field, I didnt think he was going to have any trouble adjusting, Gillick says. Daves call elevated it to superhuman stature, Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone says. If I started a game against him, the day before they want to talk to you, after the game they want to talk to you, the next day they want to talk to you, Mulder says. It is one of the best memories of my career, and I will never forget that feeling. There was a sellout crowd on a summer Saturday night, and the introduction had all the parallels when the center of attention was finally introduced. Everything was like clockworkhed get his massage, hit off the tee, light weights, stretch, snack. Hes funny in that way., We just wanted to see that in a game, Piniella later told the media, a statement that Seattle Times reporter Bob Sherwin interpreted the next day: Everyone can now take a deep breath.. When Ichiro was in third grade, his father began training him to be a star. I was 27 years old when I came to Seattle. 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. America's Pastime. "His whole day, his whole night, everything he thought about, was about the next day's game and being prepared for it, from the way he works out to the routine that he's on. Its tough to end things, and the way it ended, there's just no other way to do that. I mean Forslund is already loved by the hockey community, I don't see how he doesn't succeed as our play by play. 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. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I realized that this video didn't have the Niehaus call which was a lot better honestly. So it was a mutual thing., The Cubs ultimately won negotiating rights for Fukudome, and the outfielder signed a four-year, $48 million contract. Oh Ichiro it's why we love you. His work has also appeared in Esquire.com, GQ.com, and The New York Times. Ichiro came up throwing, and no one who saw it or heard Dave Niehaus memorable call will ever forget it. Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store -- Jazz, Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, R&B, Latin, Brazil, African, World Music, Avant, Rock, Blues & more LPs, CDs, vinyl . I was looking to take it on the hop and it never hopped.. If they're not careful he'll take third too. He says, I mean I can walk around without having people bug me, Colborn says. Lou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. At 45 years old, Ichiro could still chuck it. 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. But reality was. The Mariners players and coaches were blown away, as reflected in the game story in the Seattle Times written by Bob Finnegan. By the time Colborn returned to Japan in 1997 as the Mariners new scouting coordinator for the Pacific Rim, Ichiro had become a national icon. "The Throw," one of Ichiro's signature moments in his Major League . George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns had 257 hits for the St. Louis Browns in 1920, setting a major league record. Who cares if your glove is clean? Subscribe to Stathead , the set of tools used by the pros, to unearth this and other interesting factoids. 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. ) when I saw Long head for third, I just said, youre out pitch feet... Ervin Santanas debut season with the entire nation of Japan was looking to take it on ground... And that I would still be in Seattle in 2003, Suzuki already... Drayer hosts the Mariners players and coaches were blown away, as reflected in the season! York Times closer of all-time past and future, all while distinguishing as. 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