Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki etched his own piece of baseball history on Wednesday, surpassing Pete Rose’s fabled record for hits during a 6-3 defeat against the San Diego Padres.
The 42-year-old Japanese star took his hit count in professional baseball to 4,257, one past Rose’s longstanding Major League Baseball mark of 4,256 set between 1963 and 1986.
Suzuki’s pursuit of Rose’s total has been followed avidly in his native Japan.
However the significance of his milestone has not generated the same level of attention in the United States, mostly because 1,278 of Suzuki’s hits came while playing in Japan.
Rose himself had played down Suzuki’s achievement in comments to US media this week, saying the total did not deserve to be ranked alongside his own record.
Suzuki, meanwhile, shrugged off the controversial nature of Rose’s comments.
“Obviously, I’ve heard Pete Rose’s comments that he wasn’t very happy about me and the record,” Suzuki said.
“But this wasn’t some kind of a goal. It was just a weird situation to be in,” added Suzuki, who is now closing in on 3,000 major league hits with his total at 2,979.
“The 3,000 hits is a no-doubter ... that is a goal I want to achieve,” he said.
The outfielder was a legend in Japan before he ever stepped on US soil. He debuted in the Japanese professional ranks at 18 and set the Nippon Professional Baseball record for hits in a season (since broken) with 210 in 1994, at just 20 years old. It was the first 200-hit season in Japan. He would go on to win three Pacific League MVP awards and a Japan Series title with Kobe-based Orix Blue Wave. (The club merged with Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2005 and are now based in Osaka and known as Orix Buffaloes.)
Ichiro arrived in the US in 2001 at 27 years old, and immediately won over fans with his unique, elegant batting style and blinding speed. He hit .350 and won both the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in his first season for the record 116-win Seattle Mariners.
He went on to record 10 straight 200-hit seasons with Seattle, including a Major Leagues record 264 in 2004, batting over .300 and getting named an all-star in each of those years.
He left the Mariners in a trade to the Yankees in 2012 and spent two-and-a-half seasons in New York. He signed with Miami before the 2015 season.
Ichiro is now just 21 hits away from the esteemed 3,000 mark in MLB. He would be the 30th member of the club, with 26 of the current 29 enshrined in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Only Rafael Palmeiro, who tested positive for steroids use late in his career, has not been inducted after reaching the milestone. Alex Rodriguez (still active) and Derek Jeter (not yet eligible) are the other members not yet in the Hall of Fame.
Ichiro is currently thriving in his part-time role with the Marlins, batting .349 in 55 games for the team this season. He is also the active career stolen bases leader with 504.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly, meanwhile, praised the veteran’s achievement.
“Ichiro is a really special player and I love seeing him get this and keep his march toward 3,000 hits,” Mattingly said.
“It says a lot about him, how he prepares and his love for the game.
“You play to win the game and that is how he plays. I wish more people would do that during their careers. The numbers would end up being there at the end.”
Suzuki brought up his tally after doubling to rightfield with two outs in the ninth inning.
He tagged closing relief pitcher Fernando Rodney of the host San Diego Padres for his 4,257th combined professional hit in North American and Japanese top-level games.
Ichiro matched Rose’s total with a lead-off infield single in the first inning.
Two pitches into the game, Ichiro tapped a rolling infield hit off a 93mph fastball from Padres’ right-hander Luis Perdomo.
After that hit and again after his double in the ninth, Ichiro was rewarded with huge applause from the rival ballpark fans.
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