Ichiro Suzuki became an MLB superstar in a very short time.
Ever since his arrival in 2001, he was a sight to behold on the baseball field.
He played 19 seasons in the big leagues, 14 of which were with the Seattle Mariners, with stops in New York and Miami in between.
He is arguably the best hitter baseball has ever seen.
Depending on how you look at it, he could be considered the all-time hits leader in baseball.
Many of his hits did come while he was playing in Japan, but if you combine his stats in Japan with his stats in the majors, he has more hits than Pete Rose, the all-time MLB hits leader.
There was something special about Ichiro the second he stepped on the field for the first time, and he gave fans a reason to watch baseball, even in Seattle, where the Mariners have not reached the postseason since 2001.
A True Legend
As the tweet shows, it didn’t take long for Ichiro to become a legend.
There’s no doubt that Ichiro will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown.
After all, he was an MVP, Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-Star, two-time batting champ, 10-time Gold Glove award winner, and three-time Silver Slugger.
There’s a lot to be said for a guy who had close to 4,000 hits in the big leagues.
It’s rare for somebody to even come close what Rose accomplished in his time in the big leagues.
Ichiro caught him and passed him.
And for him to play all the way until he was 45 years old speaks volumes to his heart, his hustle, and his durability.
Many are called, but there is only one Ichiro.
He will become eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2024, and it’s hard to imagine him not being elected unanimously.
More must-reads: