That doesn't happen in Japan. It took 125 years for Major League Baseball to get its . same result as his first game as a member of the Mariners, Groz Remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001. I believe that they represent a new way of thinking, a new philosophy that has arisen within Japanese society, and that this new philosophy will have a tremendous influence., As Whiting notes, because Ichiro played every day, he became daily national news, a sort of baseball emissary beating up American pitchers. 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. Though naturally right-handed, he learned to hit lefty by practicing with a coal shovel, a move that gained him valuable extra steps out of the batters box. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. From Diego Segui's first pitch on April 6, 1977, through the end of the 2010 season, Niehaus called 5,284 of the Mariners' 5,385 games. By the time Melvin arrived in Seattle in 2003, Suzuki was already established as a star. I love the call on that play - the fact that the announcer has the time and presence of mind to include the "look at the throw from right" as the ball's still in the air makes it so much better to me. If a player comes to me, we'll talk about it and I'll be able to tell him what I think.. He hit in the batting cage underneath and he ran around the concourse in the upper deck for his running, Colborn recalls, laughing. During Suzuki's first month in the majors in 2001, Niehaus narrated a throw by Suzuki from right field that nailed Terrence Long at third base. What are you going to do now?, By then, MLB clubs couldnt afford to not have Pacific Rim scouts navigating both Japan and Korea. About an hour later, Ichiro led off the game by hitting Browns fourth pitch 400 feet and depositing it into the right-field bleachers. He also addressed Piniella.\n\nLou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. With Ichiros playing career having come to a close, lets look at the most memorable moments provided by an all-time great. Beats the throw. In a way, Niehaus was also describing what Suzuki was about to bring to the major leagues for 18 seasons. Ichiro is famously baseball-obsessed with the entire process of getting ready to play the sport. It's all about being prepared to play a major league baseball game. He was just pissed., Small also reiterates how Ichiros rookie year had much bigger implications than just a championship. Hed just put the ball over there and it was an easy triple., By mastering a balanced, small-ball approach in a homer-happy epoch, Ichiro ushered in new defensive strategies, even as he simultaneously foiled them. Well, he fielded it differently when Ichiro hit it. "This is truly devastating news," said Seattle Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln. After I saw the batting practice and saw him move the ball around the field, I didnt think he was going to have any trouble adjusting, Gillick says. Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus passed away on Wednesday in his Bellevue, Wash., home at the age of 75. Saturday, March 10, 2018 10:25pm. SEATTLE On Saturday night, the Mariners will honor one of their own when they induct outfielder Ichiro Suzuki into the team's Hall of Fame before a scheduled game against . As the teams time in Peoria, Arizona, wound down, Piniella wanted proof that his potential leadoff hitter could pull the baseball. Hes going to beat you., McLaren laughs when thinking about how opponents shifted to account for Ichiros spray chart. SEATTLE (AP) Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro came up throwing, and no one who saw it or heard Dave Niehaus' memorable call will ever forget it. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. 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. I remember it being almost in slow motion. Utter disbelief. Not long after signing, Ichiro and his wife, Yumiko, visited Seattle, where the Mariners set up a private workout inside Safeco Field. Are you kidding me? He needed just 15 years to meet a milestone that is pretty much automatic admission to Cooperstown. Dave "The Groz" Grosby was honored by the Mariners on Tuesday night by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. just drops and shakes his head, Ichiro was the only one in the video not surprised by that throw, It was going to take a perfect throw to get me. After superstar CF Julio Rodrguez, who is the Mariners' most important player heading into 2023? Naturally, in a matchup between Seattles current star and its former one, Ichiro singled off Randy Johnson in the bottom of the first. 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. Im anonymous here.. 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. David Niehaus had no idea who Janis Joplin was when they first met in Brazil. The influence of people like Ichiro and Matsui raised the reputation of Japanese fielders. Earlier in the decade, Hendry had leaned on Pacific Rim scout Leon Lee to take the temperature of players eligible to be posted, and as the franchises international staff expanded, he found Fukudome fit a need in right field. Facing Randy Johnson, another famous former No. He was a legend before Id even seen him, Colborn says. 0 Followers. Enfranchised in 1977, the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League.Safeco Field, now T-Mobile Park has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July 1999.From their 1977 inception until June 1999, the club's home park was the Kingdome. Niehaus honored with 2008 Frick, Seattle's soothing baseball voice headed to Cooperstown, Audio: Niehaus announcing during 1996 earthquake. Thus, over the next few years, Colborn found it easy to court Ichiro, bringing him jerseys of Griffey Jr., his favorite player. Ive been looking for this angle for a while. America's Pastime. He's saying the throw was a beautiful peg. Ichiro just defies what most athletes are capable of. "He's the most committed player that I've ever had," Melvin recalled. After being hampered by injuries in both 2018 and 2019, the Japanese star has now exceeded every expectation as a two-way player, leading the league in home runs (44) and total WAR (7.8) and posting a 3.36 ERA over 21 starts. WARNING: awesome, What the fuck? He was 75 . Anybody who tried to copy Ichiro would have failed, Whiting says. The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. He also addressed Piniella. I feel like ending is so important, Ichiro said. It's grand sa-lami time! If I started a game against him, the day before they want to talk to you, after the game they want to talk to you, the next day they want to talk to you, Mulder says. Aaron Judge led the majors in 2022 in fun points per PA. Follow Unfollow. When I returned in 2018, it was as if I never left. Mike Trout There was never a point in my career that I could have said that this was going to happen, so Im definitely grateful, Ichiro said Friday, through interpreter Allen Turner, who was his translator when he arrived in 2001. When I threw a good split down and away, or when I threw a good sinker in, or when I threw a curveball down over the plate, he found a way to hit that ball harder than anyone else that I would face, says Mulder, who gave up 17 hits to Ichiro in 38 career encounters. Former Mariners Alvin Davis, Jay Buhner, and team announcer Dave Niehaus of the Seattle Mariners throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game on. He lives to train and tirelessly works to take care of his body. He told me one time [that] a good carpenter has to take care of his saw and his hammer and his tools, and he said, This glove is one of my tools, Gillick recalls. Ichiro will first be eligible for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in . You need somebody over there that knows the ins and outs of not only how the games played over there, but the culture, former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry says. Twenty years later, Ichiros rookie season remains an inflection point, the beginning of a legacy thats opened the door for other Japanese position players to thrive in MLB. The 2008 Ford C. Frick Award winner had been the voice of the Mariners since the team's inception in 1977. (Simmons/News) A Throw That Made a Phenomenon. Legendary Mariners voice Niehaus passes away at the age of 75. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. That is when fans started to pay attention to Ichiro., Pretty soon, everyone was paying attention to Ichiro. He was just this unique individual, the result of a very unusual set of circumstances.. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dave_Niehaus&oldid=1131339054, College basketball announcers in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2008, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Owner: Baseball Club of Seattle, LP, represented by CEO, This page was last edited on 3 January 2023, at 18:27. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with Before I watch: Bo Jackson throw to home from warning track? Related:Groz Remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001. [Ichiro] held that bat up like a magic wand, like, What do we got here? Even years later, during pitcher Ervin Santanas debut season with the Angels, Ichiro always found an opening. "The throw by Ichiro, beautiful peg. I wasn't ready for 116 kisses from the manager.. Even after Hideo Nomo broke international barriers and found success with the Dodgers in 1995, only a few MLB teams had scouts on the ground in Japan. "I recorded [the 2001 All-Star Game] on VHS and watched it at least six or seven times as a kid, so Ichiro leading off by beating Randy to the bag stands out to me a lot," Ty said. Whether he wants to accept the label or not, Suzuki was a trailblazer. Lou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. He may never play another game in the majors. Looking back at Ichiros 2001, Colborn says one other memory stands out. Dave Niehaus passed away on Wednesday in his Bellevue, Wash., home at the age 75. League baseball game committed player that I 've ever had, '' Melvin recalled Ichiros 2001, Colborn says other!, Niehaus was also describing what Suzuki was a legend before Id seen...: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001 he was a beautiful peg throw was trailblazer! 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