by Kay Curry
Northwest Asia Weekly
Center Ichiro Suzuki reacts as Seattle Mariners applaud him in September 2019. (AP Photo/Stephen Brasher)
On August 27, famed Seattle Mariners player Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame, the tenth and first Asian on the list. Among the many festivities that weekend, the Nisei Veterans Council (NVC) hosted a panel discussion, “Ichiro’s Impact on Both Sides of the Pacific,” a few hours before induction, with those familiar with Ichiro and who played an important role in his When he came to Seattle, he talked about his legacy.
Being in the NVC’s conference hall feels like being on the field. Fans poured in in their Sailor gear (mostly for Ichiro) and with Ichiro memorabilia, hoping to get an autograph from one of Sailor’s management. Hot dogs and chips were served, and even the sailor moose mascot showed up for a few minutes, clowning with the audience.
Players like Ichiro are our heroes, just like Gilgamesh, Musashi or Mulan. Whether you like baseball or not, there’s no denying his mastery of the game. Like our ancestors who sat by the fire and listened to stories long ago, we love hearing about Ichiro’s exploits. How many seasons has he had more than 200 hits? Ten in a row. How many All-Star games did he play in? Also 10. Most hits in a season? 262. All-time high, breaking Pete Rose’s record. (There was a feud at the time, and as Ross said, Ichiro’s Japanese hits didn’t count—but that was the case at the time.) 4,257 was Ross’ record of 4,256 in 2016. When Ichiro retired in 2019, his total was 4,387.
The purpose of the gathering was to pay homage and better understand Ichiro’s influence on Japan-US relations. In his best “sports announcer” voice, NVC commander Mike Yaguchi introduced host Lori Matsukawa, retired KING 5 anchor and Japanese Consul General in Seattle Hisao Inagaki.
“Even if you’re not familiar with baseball, you’ve probably heard of Ichiro,” said Inagaki, who admitted he didn’t know the full extent of Ichiro’s influence and achievements. A refresher for viewers is also provided by Bob Whiting, who wrote a book devoted to Ichiro, in short, The Meaning of Ichiro.
Due to Ichiro’s influence and his “cool factor,” as Inagaki describes it, more Japanese players were brought to the United States, and Americans’ general conception of the Japanese changed. In return, Ichiro’s success here made American baseball more popular in Japan.
“I think Ichiro deserves credit for promoting exchanges between the U.S. and Japan in baseball,” said Inagaki, noting that this year’s induction into the Mariners Hall of Fame also aptly commemorates the 150th anniversary of the introduction of American baseball to Japan.
“Through baseball, Ichiro promotes grassroots cultural exchange between Japan and the United States,” Inagaki continued. “He laid the foundation for today’s deep cultural and economic ties that fostered the friendship between Japan and the United States.”
When he came to Seattle, he was called no small honor for his size, his unusual “crooked” posture and lack of English (ex-Marines international scout Ted Hyde defended Ichiro, explaining that Say he understands English; he just doesn’t want to make mistakes). One wonders, can he play the way American fans and players like it? When Ichiro joined the Mariners, there were no “position players” from Japan, only pitchers because the Americans thought “Japanese batters were incompetent,” Whiting shared. Let’s just say, Ichiro hit 90 mph at age 15 and has gotten better since then. The Mariners saw magic in Ichiro, as did then-owner Hiroshi Yamauchi, who insisted former Mariners president Chuck Armstrong, “If we don’t sign Ichiro, we’ll all be fired.”
Ichiro had what has been described as an “explosive rookie year” in Seattle.
“Literally, Ichiro shot to fame in 2001,” said 1997 Mariners Hall of Famer Alvin Davis. “All of us quickly got used to having this great idea with the Seattle Mariners.” Ichiro went on to break multiple records. But he is not the heroine. He is a team player, showing what the Japanese call “and”, or unity.
“He’ll do anything you ask him to do … He’s a very humble player and a humble guy,” said Tang Ruosong, a former Mariners manager and first Asian American Major League Baseball manager. “Even today…he’s working with young kids. He’s there…trying to give back…most Hall of Famers aren’t there to do what he’s doing. This Just showing his character and his love and dedication to the game. I don’t think I’ll ever see it again in my life.”
We love to hear that our heroes are Superman – but we also want to know what kind of people they are. Everyone in attendance could listen to Ichiro’s accomplishments repeated for hours, but the highlight of the party was the storytelling and love of games — and Ichiro — which shone on everyone’s faces.
Hyde, who served as Ichiro’s translator, humorously recounts when he mistakenly referred to the “continuation” home run, “sayonara” home run as the wrong term. “You have to be a better translator,” Ichiro told him candidly, and how “excited” Ichiro was, Heid told the media in the diplomatic liberty attitude that translators often take. Meanwhile, the Japanese media present were also speculating whether Hyde would “resign the next day” (no, he didn’t). Wakamatsu called Ichiro “poetry in motion,” and Armstrong recounted when Ichiro hit a home run to beat the Yankees because “that’s what we needed.”
The room is filled with admirers of Ichiro, young and old, like Sam Takahashi, owner of 84 Yesler, who wears his “lucky” Ichiro hat. What Ichiro and Mariners baseball means to Seattle was clear when another fan asked what the process was for Ichiro’s departure from the Mariners in 2012. Wearing a Mariners jersey and cap, he speculates, Armstrong confirmed that Ichiro was looking for — and deserved — a World Series opportunity, which the Mariners didn’t have at the time. (Ichiro came back and was with the Mariners when he retired).
“When Ichiro was traded to the New York Yankees, it was traumatic for the fans,” the questioner said, adding that Ichiro was “deeply ingrained in the hearts of all fans.”
Later that night, when fans chanted Ichiro’s name at the Mariners Hall of Fame inauguration, that never felt more true.
“You can’t achieve your dreams all at once,” Ichiro said. “You accumulate little things, and one day you’ll be able to gain incredible power.”
Kay can reach info@nwasianweekly.com.
