Miami Marlins’ outfielder Ichiro Suzuki had a record-setting night last night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, earning hit number 2,873, which ties Babe Ruth for 38th place on the all time hits list. The 41 year old went 2 for 4 in the game and was the only Marlin to have multiple base hits. It really is impressive how he’s still been able to produce like an every day player, is average is now at .287 on the season.
Ichiro came over from Japan and began his Major League career in 2001 with the Seattle Mariners and exploded onto the scene with 242 hits, hit for an average of .350, and stole 56 bases. This earned himself rookie of the year, the American League’s Most Valuable Player award, as well as the batting title. He also changed the game during an era that was more revolved around the long ball, aka the steroid era, and brought the value of a lead-off hitter or a table-setter back into the sport.
The funny thing about Ichiro is that he came into the league as a 27 year old kid. Had he had started in his early 20s, there would be a great chance that he would give current all time hit leader Pete Rose a run for his money. It seems like a long shot right now, but add seven years to Ichiro’s career. He averaged over 200 hits per year so when you think about it, 4,256 might not have been so outlandish for him.
Ichiro Suzuki is most likely the greatest pure contact hitter I’ve ever seen, his career average is at .317, he was an OBP machine, and he was always a terror for opposing pitchers on the basepaths. He can still fly down the line at 41 years old. He will soon pass Babe Ruth, and then he’s only three hits behind Hall of Famer Mel Ott, so he is far from finished. Ichiro has played for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and now the Miami Marlins in his 15 year Hall of Fame bound career.
