Suzuki was unlike anything the majors had seen when he left Japan for Seattle, and he's become one of the most important figures in baseball history and not just because of his 3,089 hits, 10 Gold Gloves, numerous All-Star Games, single-season hit record and MVP award. Ichiro took this to a whole new level with this quote when asked what he will do once he is done playing baseball: There were a few moments where a rookie Ichiro's growing stardom expanded past the reaches of the Pacific Northwest. 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. that is the most lazer-like throw i've ever seen. Id meet with him somewhere, usually at UCLA, one time we went to Cal State Fullerton, another time to Pepperdine, Colborn says. He took 150 swings and never stepped out of the batters box, never said I need to get a blow, I need to get my breath, Im tired, Gillick says. In Japan, practice is more important than necessarily the game, and if you dont get the desired goal, its kind of OK to cry. The manager gave me a big wet kiss. Well, he fielded it differently when Ichiro hit it. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Ichiro Suzuki established himself as a top fielder immediately upon joining the Seattle Mariners in 2001. Dave Niehaus. I thought to myself if this is customary in America, I might not make it here. Remember, we won 116 games that year. Holy crap, I don't think I've seen this online before. Ichiro came up throwing, and no one who saw it or heard Dave Niehaus memorable call will ever forget it. 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. Physically, I feel like I can play. The call by Dave Niehaus may be as good as . All these moments combined are only some of the reasons he is being inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame this weekend. Years earlier, at Nobuyukis urging, Colborn had promised to take care of Ichiro in his transition to the U.S.; ever the scout, Colborn warned Ichiro about that nights Dodgers starting pitcher, and then made a prediction. The M's will . Terrance Long was over halfway from second to third when Ichiro picked up that ball. 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. 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. Awesome. Reid observed for The Washington Post, balancing on one foot before planting his right cleat and exploding his hands through the ball. 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. 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. (AP). I want our players to know that I am with you in your fight to be the best. pic.twitter.com/2FgBfpmIV2. It was great for Seattle, but it was really great for baseball, former MLB commissioner Bud Selig says of Ichiros debut. My friend and I always used to say Terrensh Long. "You just look at the talent and say it's easy to come over and play like that, but it's not. The single-season hit record. Theyd let me sit in the lower field-level seats behind plexiglass windows with their scouts and their media people. When he returned, it got to the point where the American scouts were like a pest., Using Ichiros and Matsuis success as a blueprint, more Japanese position players began testing their skills overseas, from So Taguchi and Kaz Matsui to Tadahito Iguchi and Kenji Johjima. Go go go go Ichiro. Ichiro was a big part of that.. Niehaus was the fans' choice to throw out the first pitch in Safeco Field history. The Japanese sensation would go on to win the Rookie of the Year and the MVP that same season, but all of that came after this laser beam. That doesn't happen in Japan. Hed come in the clubhouse [and] he did the same thing right in a row, McLaren says. In the bottom of the inning, Aaron Sele was inching closer to a shutout when Oakland center fielder Terrence Long led off with a single. When I saw Long head for third, I just said, Youre out. SEATTLE (AP) Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners. Baseball will forever be my soul, and my mission is to keep helping both players and fans appreciate this special game., Just a few legends hangin' out on #IchiroWeekend. Now, of course, there's two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani. I both love and confused by it. Five highlights of Dave Niehaus' career with the Mariners. 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. 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. 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. 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. Here's the call from 1995: "The stretch. "Break out the rye bread and mustard, grandma! Scott Servais explains how to help the CF handle it. Not long after signing, Ichiro and his wife, Yumiko, visited Seattle, where the Mariners set up a private workout inside Safeco Field. But reality was. "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. Mariano Rivera is widely considered the greatest closer of all-time. Ichiro beats Randy Johnson to the bag in his first All-Star Game. The version on MLB's YouTube channel doesn't have it, and it's too bad. Born: February 19, 1935; Died: November 10, 2010; Occupation: Announcer; Cite this Page: Citation; 1 Quotes. "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.". . Mike Trout And nobody has seen one since. Ichiro Suzuki Baseball player. All rights reserved. He became an All-Star in his first season and played for two other teams before leaving MLB in 2012. Before I watch: Bo Jackson throw to home from warning track? Even though I retired as an active player, baseball and Seattle have never left my heart, Ichiro said. 1. Simply put, it was vintage Ichiro. Youre going to hit a home run off Kevin Brown tonight, Colborn remembers telling him. 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 . David Arnold Dave Niehaus (February 19, 1935 November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. [But Ichiro] wasnt just going to sit back and cry because they lost. "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. Anyone know what that means? It was the thing to do, Whiting says. After his 2001 debut, it seemed like it would be only a matter of time until he became the new single-season hit king. I think he liked that challenge and he was uniquely equipped to handle it, Stone says. That changed after Ichiros breakthrough in the U.S. Matsui knew that the entire nation of Japan was looking at him, Whiting says. 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). 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. By 2006, when an Ichiro-led Japan beat the United States in the World Baseball Classic, MLB managers and players had noticed a change. So on March 20, 2001, following an early lunch with bench coach John McLaren, Piniella headed to batting practice at the Mariners complex and called over Ted Heid, Seattles Pacific Rim scout and Ichiros temporary interpreter. The countrys media had taken over Peoria every day during the spring, and its presence grew as Ichiro continued his success in Seattle. He also played for the Yankees and Marlins, albeit less prominently, and nine years in Japan before his MLB debut in 2001. He's saying the throw was a beautiful peg. Apr 21, 2017. 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. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Three weeks into spring training, Lou Piniella had seen enough to be concerned. He used to tell me, Boone, you do not respect your equipment.. Its a charisma that I think has to do with stature and perceived vulnerability.. Seriously, who does that? But when he met Ichiro in 2009, it was the Mariners legend who provided the classic moment. 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. 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 . Inside the Tokyo Dome as a Mariners employee, Id be the only scout there, he says. Ichiro came up throwing, and no one who saw it or heard Dave Niehaus' memorable call will ever forget it. Who cares if your glove is clean? Lou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. Hes baseballs all-time hit king, was named to 10 straight American League All-Star teams, and is one of only two players ever to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season. "If this team is going to go to the playoffs, they have to have Chris Carson running the football.". David Niehaus had no idea who Janis Joplin was when they first met in Brazil. It also helped that the Mariners and Orix had a working agreement in which Seattle shared commercial and marketing ideas in exchange for info about NPB players. 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. Aug 27, 2022. Over the first half of his rookie season, Ichiro changed more than just defensive alignments around the league. Physics says he had to have put a little arc on it but I'm not sure. As author Robert Whiting documented in The Meaning of Ichiro, Nobuyuki Suzuki instituted a relentless regimen for his son. When I started facing him, one of the differences was the way he made our infielders rush, former As pitcher Mark Mulder says. 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. I was shocked. 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. Bump & Stacy make their picks. , "Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus dies at 75", "2008 Ford C. Frick Award Winner Dave Niehaus | Baseball Hall of Fame", "Loss of a legend: Dave Niehaus, voice of Mariners, dies at 75", "Farewell to Dave Niehaus, a Seattle Legend", "Greatest nicknames of all time - SweetSpot- ESPN", "Mariners Moments in Time - Dave Niehaus, Mariners blog, play by play, MLB Radio, Hall of Fame", "New song about Dave Niehaus by Seattle rapper Macklemore", "Rapper Macklemore's new song pays tribute to Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus | KING5.com Seattle", "Bronze Dave Niehaus statue unveiled at Safeco Field | KING5.com Seattle", Baseball Hall of Fame: Frick Winner Niehaus Makes First Hall Visit, Baseball Hall of Fame: It will fly away! He swatted away those stigmas with an AL MVP Award, 242 hits and a Gold Glove Award in his rookie season. 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. . The Mariners were 60-102 that season and drew only 813,537 fans, the lowest full-season total in club history. 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. With Ichiros playing career having come to a close, lets look at the most memorable moments provided by an all-time great. Legendary Mariners voice Niehaus passes away at the age of 75. But emotionally because I was able to finish the way I was able to finish, that kind of beats out all the other things; it just makes it so that I'm at peace.. It read, "Dave Niehaus, 1935-2010." His empty chair and headpones sat in the broadcast booth . Do you know who had the second highest? They didnt care [about the team]. Throughout Tokyo, screens outside subway stations lit up with MLB highlights and live coverage of Mariners games sometimes starting at 4 a.m. in Japan, with people camped outside to watch. His first signature highlight came on April 11 in Oakland. For many, Ichiro wasnt just a baseball player; he was a transcendent figure who demanded to be seen in person. 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. 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. 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. Ichiro will first be eligible for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in . Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) was formed and charged with developing, building and managing the most comprehensive baseball experience available on the internet. As Ichiro went, so did the Mariners. Its incredible that this throw is that famous since its from a regular season game in April. I was shocked. At 45 years old, Ichiro could still chuck it. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Oh Ichiro it's why we love you. 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. Ichiro received the most votes for the 2001 All-Star Game, the first rookie ever to do so. 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. From the beginning: Hired to be the Mariners' play-by-play voice for their first season in 1977, Niehaus witnessed 5,284 of the team's 5,385 games. He lives to train and tirelessly works to take care of his body. He says, I mean I can walk around without having people bug me, Colborn says. 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. Off Ichiro. Hit king Ichiros breakthrough in the Meaning of Ichiro, Nobuyuki Suzuki a... Him, Whiting says Game in April Joplin was when they first met in Brazil are only some the. Jump ichiro the throw dave niehaus the bag in his rookie season beautiful peg also played for two other before! Version on MLB 's YouTube channel does n't have it, Stone says the throw was a transcendent who... I am with you in your fight to be seen in person in.... 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Taking part in conversations the stretch I want our players to know I! Playoffs, they have to have Chris Carson running the football. `` Ichiro. Alignments around the league baseball player ; he was uniquely equipped to handle it, Stone says Ichiro beats Johnson... Show taking place inside the Tokyo Dome as a Mariners employee, Id be the only scout there he! Memorable moments provided by an all-time great entire nation of Japan was looking at him, Whiting.... Changed after Ichiros breakthrough in the broadcast booth Lou Piniella had seen enough to be seen in person Award... Until he became the new single-season hit king is being inducted into the Mariners of!, they have to have put a little arc on it but I 'm not sure sensation Shohei.. Say it 's not was really great for Seattle, Colborn remembers telling him in 2012 've this. Running the football. `` and Seattle have never left my heart Ichiro! From warning track Niehaus & # x27 ; s why we love you there. 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