Ichiro Suzuki Gets 4000th Hit of His Professional Career
With all the drama and melodrama playing out with the New York Yankees this season, it’s nice to acknowledge a milestone achievement for a player who has not a trace of scandal. Ichiro Suzuki’s first inning single off of Toronto’s R.A. Dickey at Yankee Stadium on August 21st was the 4000 hit of his professional career. The first 1278 were in the Japan Pacific League, and the other 2722 were in the American League with the Seattle Mariners and Yankees. That’s not the same as getting all 4000 in the majors of course, something only Pete Rose (4256) and Ty Cobb (4189) have done. Still, it’s quite an accomplishment.
At age 39, Ichiro isn’t the player he once was but he’s still good enough to be a regular in the Yankee’s lineup, and has a decent shot at reaching 3000 hits in the majors before he retires. If he gets 3000 hits he’ll essentially be a lock for the Hall of Fame, if he isn’t already. He’s had over 200 hits in seven of his 13 big league seasons, including the single season record of 262 back in 2004, when he won the A.L batting title with a .372 average (his lifetime average is .320). Ichiro didn’t make his major league debut until 2001 when he was 27 years old. He was the A.L. Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player, leading the A.L. in hits (242), batting average (.350) and stolen bases (56). If he had made it over here a few years earlier, he could have been a threat to break Rose’s record.
One thing Ichiro hasn’t done is play in a World Series. Though the Yankees are still a long shot for the post season at this point, they have shown signs of life, winning eight of their last 10 games. They’re still in fourth place in the A.L East, but are now only 6 ½ games behind the division leading Red Sox.
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You know what would really be ironic, dirty, low, hipocrite, unfair, unjust and simply racist? That ultimately Alex Rodriguez gets voted into the Hall of Fame, (baseball’s that is, not the bigger cheats Hall of Fame where he belongs) and Ichiro don’t. Let’s wait and see, although I really think Americans, real Americans are waking up to all these cheats who are coming here, breaking every record there is and HOW??? cheating! The Babe, Ty, Lou, Dimaggio, Ted, Aaron, Robinson, Clemente with his 3K hits, Marichal with his strength, etc, etc, they all must be disgusted with how it was allowed for some to do this cheating over and over. Then, how come you don’t give a chance to Pete? Hah? (Rose).
We all know that those hits he got in Japan he would have gotten them here too, easily. So he does deserve the Hall. But, honestly, are YOU saying that he might not get inducted? Sometimes I wish we were invaded by a race of aliens from
Planet X who go around obliterating anyone who DOESN’T “LOOK” like them!
He’ll get in the Hall, it’s a question of when. The Hall voters can be unpredictable at times, and deserving players sometimes have to wait years to get in. We think Ichiro is worthy of being voted into the Hall in his first year of eligibility, and hope the voters will agree.