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Ichiro Suzuki is having a special season
Tuesday’s Say Hey, Baseball recognizes Ichiro’s wonderful campaign and chance at history, as well as AL East roster questions and trading draft picks.
Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images
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Ichiro Suzuki is 42 years old. He looked like he was at the end of an amazing career following a disappointing 2015 season, but he stuck around and signed on for 2016 with the Marlins in spite of that campaign. It’s paid off for both Miami and Ichiro so far, as he’s batting .350/.414/.392 for a 124 OPS+ -- his highest since 2009 when he was still with the Mariners -- and now finds himself just 23 career hits shy of 3,000 after a three-hit night. More notably, Ichiro is also just one hit shy of tying Pete Rose’s all-time mark of 4,256.
Sure, Ichiro’s 4,255 major-league hits don’t line up exactly with Rose’s Major League hits in the MLB record books, as 1,278 of Suzuki’s came in Nippon Professional Baseball over nine seasons. Think about that, though: Ichiro didn’t even come to MLB until 2001, when he was already 27 years old. He’s now just 23 hits shy of becoming just the 30th hitter in the history of MLB to record 3,000 in his career. Ichiro got started three years older than Wade Boggs did in his own career. He got started seven years older than Rickey Henderson did. And yet, he’s about to enter the same club as them all the same.
Ichiro is 42, but he’s still got it. Who knows how long he’ll continue to have it, but he’s worth remembering -- and is an eventual Hall of Fame induction -- regardless of when he’s done. If he can get to 3,000 hits, great. If he can get well past it, even better. Ichiro has already given us 16 incredible years just here in MLB, though.
- Ichiro also gave us an Ichiro Impersonator, so he deserves credit for that.
- Juan Uribe used a testicular contusion to humblebrag about his genitals.
- The Blue Jays are playing well, and they have to, because this roster is likely the one they’re rolling with.
- The Yankees signed Ike Davis, and Pinstripe Alley tried to figure out what adjustments he needs to make in order to help.
- Shin-Soo Choo is back with the Rangers, but now Yu Darvish is back on the disabled list.
- Trading draft picks is about the only way MLB can make their draft more interesting.
- The Red Sox can likely sign their first pick, Jason Groome, who was considered to one of one of the draft’s top two or three talents, but they didn’t bet their whole draft on that idea. If they do manage to sign him, he’ll fit right in with Yoan Moncada, Anderson Espinoza, and the rest of Boston's top prospects.
- The Orioles thought Miguel Gonzalez was done at the end of spring training. It turns out he wasn’t, and now the O's are probably wishing they hadn’t released him.
- The Indians might have more pressing needs than an outfield upgrade, even with Michael Brantley’s shoulder a continued question mark.
- A’s starter Sean Manaea exited Monday’s start with a forearm strain that caused his velocity to dip.
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