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ICHIRO FAQ
| 1. Why does Ichiro have his first name on his uniform? | In 1997, after Ichiro Suzuki had been playing for the Orix Blue Wave for 5 years, a new manager came in, Akira Ogi, and decided to have Ichiro use his first name only. Although Ichiro was embarrassed by this at first, he soon became accustomed to it, and the fans loved it. A contributing factor, according to an article in The Christian Science Monitor: ' ''Ichiro ...means ''fast man.'' While often given to a first-born son, it is nowhere near as common as ''Suzuki,'' which is akin to the American ''Jones,'' That's why ''Ichiro'' appears on his jersey.' |
2. Are there any books in English about Ichiro? | Here are two, which are available through Amazon.com. Click on the covers to purchase.
Other books about Japanese baseball are available at: Books. Purchase books through these secure links and help support the Ice Ice Ichiro website. |
3. Is Ichiro married? | Ichiro is married to a woman 7 years older than himself, a former sports announcer named Yumiko. Men marrying older women is not uncommon in Japan. | 4. Why does Ichiro bat left handed but throw right handed? | Ichiro is a natural right hander. His father started teaching Ichiro baseball at the age of 3 and decided that he'd be able to reach first base quicker if he started from the left hand side of the base. Ichiro practiced baseball on a daily basis from the age of three. | 5. How many batting titles did Ichiro win in Japan? | Ichiro won seven straight Pacific League batting titles in Japan, beginning in 1994. Last year (2000) was one of his best for the Orix Blue Wave. He finished with an impressive .387 average, 12 home runs, 73 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases. In nine seasons in Japan, he hit .353 with 118 homers and 529 RBI. | 6. What is unique about the shoes Ichiro wears to play? | Ichiro has his baseball shoes, an Asics Gel design made especially, and only, for him. Asics equipped Ichiro with his own shoe in Japan, and now the company has him wearing a spiffy pair of cleats festooned with very visible stripes of a neon green to match the Mariners' colors. | 7. What kind of sunglasses does he wear? | Ichiro wears Oakley sunglasses, the ultra-chic Juliet model. | 8. What kind of car does he drive? | In the States, he drives a Lexus sport-utility vehicle. | 9. What position did Ichiro play for Game 5 of the American League Championship, against the Yankees on October 22, 2001? | Jay Buhner started in right field, and Ichiro played in left field for the first eight innings. This was because there is more ground to cover in left field at Yankee Stadium then in right field, and Buhner had a sore leg. | 9. What did Ichiro accomplish in 1994 for the Orix Blue Wave? | He was named Pacific League MVP and won his first league batting title, hitting .385 and setting a Japanese baseball record with 210 hits in just 130 games. He reached base safely (hits or walks)in 69 consecutive games, from May 21-Aug 26, 1994. | 10. What did Ichiro accomplish in 1995 for the Orix Blue Wave? | He led the Pacific League with a career high 49 stolen bases, was named League MVP for the second consecutive year, and hit a career-high 25 home runs. | 11. What did Ichiro accomplish in 1996 for the Orix Blue Wave? | He won the MVP award for the third straight year. The Blue Wave won the Pacific League pennant this year and went on to defeat the Yomiuri Giants in the championship series. | 12. What did Ichiro accomplish in 1997 for the Orix Blue Wave? | He set a Japanese baseball record of 216 plate appearances without a strike out. Ichiro won his fifth straight batting title and the Blue Wave won the Pacific League pennant. | 13. What did Ichiro accomplish in 1998 for the Orix Blue Wave? | He earned his fifth straight batting title as the Blue Wave won the Pacific League pennant again. | 13. What did Ichiro accomplish in 1999 for the Orix Blue Wave? | He broke the ulna bone in his right hand when he was hit by a pitch in late August, yet he still led the league in average (.343) for a sixth straight season. He collected his 1000th hit on April 20 against Nippon at the Tokyo Dome, and hit his 100th home run on July 6 against the Seibu Lions. | 14. What did Ichiro accomplish in 2000 for the Orix Blue Wave? | He strained a right rib cage muscle on August 28, cutting short his season, but still led the league in on-base percentage. He was named to the Pacific League ''Best Nine'' end-of-season all-star team for the seventh consecutive year and won his seventh straight Gold Glove award. |
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