this man didn't make his MLB debut until he was 27 years old and he STILL RECORDED 3000 HITS. One of the more insane baseball stats imo

The fact that Ohtani would find Ichiro before games and bow to him says all you need to know. This man has earned every bit of respect he's gotten across baseball.

Even today, at 49, Ichiro could probably improve half the outfields in MLB.

If Ichiro had played his entire career in MLB then he’d be widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, up there with Ruth, Cobb, Mays, Williams, Aaron, etc. And he would have gotten over 4,000 hits and likely would have made a run a Rose’s all time record for hits. I’m from the Seattle area, so I had watched him in person on many occasions, and boy was it a sight to see. I’ve never seen another player in person with the all around baseball talent of Ichiro, he was nothing short of incredible.

Ichiro is worthy of the greatest respect. He approached baseball like a martial artist. He was relentlessly dedicated to his craft. He worked beyond tirelessly. He was always humble. He was a dedicated team player.

I grew up in the shadows of Yankee Stadium and had the good fortune of watching Mickey Mantle throughout his career, hitting the ball harder and further than any other player, thundering down the line like a Shelby Cobra, and elegantly patrolling a centerfield as big as Central Park. I've seen plenty of great ballplayers since then, but it wasn't until Ichiro that I paused and realized that I was observing a brilliance I'd never seen. Really?, I'd ask myself. Really. Props to Ichiro.

I only have 2 regrets of Ichiro’s career: - That he never got to play in a World Series - That he never participated in the home run derby!

"Ground ball, base hit into right field, heading for third is Terrence Long, the throw by Ichiro A BEAUTIFUL PEG HE GOT HIM! Holy smokes a laser beam strike by Ichiro to third baseman David Bell and Terrence Long is gunned down at third base. What a throw!"

One of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Easily one of the most respected baseballers in this generation

Ichiro was the truth, a technician with the bat and a wizard in the field. The fact that he did all of his MLB work in his late 20s and 30s means that American fans didnt see most of his early formative years. Could you imagine had he come up in the mid 90s with Seattle and played with Junior, A-Rod, Edgar and the Unit?

He was awesome. He threw out the first pitch at Seattle's home opener last year at 49 or 50 years old an it was clocked at 93mph. The dude is still incredible.... One of the best ever.... It's kind of blasphemous in Seattle to not pick Griffey Jr as Seattle's best player in history but for me Ichiro an Jr are neck an neck. Both are in the conversation of greatest ever players. I'm grateful to have saw both play live an saw both do incredible things at games I was at. Both had cannons for arms.

Ichiro is the reason I became a mariners fan from England

I grew up a Giants fan, but always loved watching Ichiro. I saw him hit the inside the park home run during the 2007 all star game. I really wanted him to be a Giant during the 2010-2016 era.

I'm a dodger fan but this guy was always my favorite player growing up. Fantastic on defense, arguably the best contact hitter ever, and would haul arse to first base on any kind of contact. My GOAT

I'm from and still live in Seattle and was 5 in 2001, too young to understand why Ichiro was so special. I do remember that people couldn't stop talking about him. My teachers talked about him. I didn't care about baseball, but I liked Ichiro. He was more than special, he was a phenomena.

Good vid. I lived in Seattle during Ichiro's time and that 2001 season was mind-boggling. The M's had just lost Griffey, ARod, and Randy Johnson and yet they went historical. Even if Bret Boone was probably juicing. But I digress, if even ONE of those players had stuck around Seattle (and with the addition of Ichiro) I think the Mariners would've not only won the World Series but they would've changed baseball forever.

Ichiro beating out the throw on bunts & weak infield hits was always hilarious. Sometimes they didn't even bother throwing. 😂🐐

Back in the early 2000s I got to see him come play at minute maid Park one time we got there early enough to see them doing batting practice before the game and I was in awe at how easily he could hit a home run while in batting practice. Yet seemingly never go for a home run during a game. This man was legendary on all parts of the field.

Watching Ichiro taking BP was one of the most surreal things out there. To watch him start hitting the balls to one field and basically just walk his hitting from one field to the other and then back sometimes if he took enough BP was just magical. You are correct, there will never be another Ichiro. And yes you cant technically add his Japanese hits into his hit total, I think it is pretty obvious that he was a better hitter than Pete Rose. Thank you for the video and thank you for not leaving out his CANNON of an arm. That Terrance Long gundown at third is by far one of the best ever, 3rd basemen didnt have to move his glove at all to make the tag of the sliding player.

I can speak for everyone in saying that we all deserve more Ichiro content.

Glad I found this channel! It’s really awesome! I ❤ baseball!!

I've been going to games since 1985, seen a lot of great players, and Ichiro is the best I've had the pleasure to witness live. I'll never forget how fast he was running to first.

I'm surprised they don't talk more about him. Probably the greatest player that I've ever seen and that saying a lot in my 60 years.

I’m a jays fan, whenever the jays are playing the mariners I always see this guy on base. It got real annoying when jays commentators would talk about him every time he’s on base or batting. Made me realize dude was already on legendary status (this was late 2000s). A true pest on opponent teams, nothing but admirations to this legend.

By now I am already familiar with Ichiro’s accolades but hearing it from someone else still make me shake my head in disbelief at how amazing this dude was. And I’m not even a baseball fan.

I remember going to a Detroit Tigers game, probably the last year Ichiro was playing for Seattle. He was in his late 30's, and hit a ball to the gap. I was shocked how fast he was stretching a single into a double. I looked over to my fried next to me and we were both thinking the same thing. Seeing that dude run like that at that age always stuck with me.

Ichiro is my all time baseball star! He was always fun to watch. You could never put Ichiro in a box. You never knew what he would do next. ❤️

Ichiro also hold a record of 522 straight victories in Street Fighter at the Club Sega in Shinjuku, only spending a single credit, and and played for 17 straight hours without even blinking once.

He was so good he basically chose what to be good at. Once in a lifetime talent, a true ambassador for the sport. Seattle loves him and always will.

Ichiro still throws BP for the M’s in full uniform. An absolute gem with a love for baseball that is unmatched.

I can remember hearing sports commentators, when Ichiro was going through the process of coming over, saying that they didn't think he was even strong enough to hit MLB pitchers. That his bat wouldn't be quick enough. That he was going to be overpowered.

Quite possibly the greatest player in baseball history. His numbers are mind-boggling.

One of a kind. A thinking man’s player.

One of my top three favorite MLB players of all time. There will never be another!

warched that man all of his mlb career. totally awesome!!!! ICHIRO is the best player I've ever watched!

Very thorough. The only thing you didn't mention was that Ichiro is the ONLY major leaguer in history to record 10 straight 200 hit seasons, and that he has the ONLY inside the park HR in All Star Game History. And the only player I can think of who wore their first name on their jersey was Vida Blue.

Don't be sad it's over but be glad it happened. I'm glad I was able to watch Ichiro play.

After leaving a Mariners game I realized Ichiro was in the vehicle behind us lol. Got to see the Kid up close and Ichiro driving behind us that day. I was there for my Cubs but I'll never forget seeing those two legends!!!

One of the greatest hitters of all-time, up there with Tony Gwynn and Ted Williams!! A beast of a baseball hitter!!

Ichiro is a shining example of baseball.

Still have my Ichiro foam finger. Its crazy how pumped everyone in Seattle would get when he entered the field. Just a deafening, “I-CHI-RO! I-CHI-RO!”

The fact that Ichiro still got 3,000 BH coming in as a 27yo is still mind boggling to Me . Simply Amazing . Single Season Hits 👑 ichiro All Time Hits 👑 ichiro MLB Hits 👑 Charlie Hustle It’s amazing Ichiro even broke 3,000 Let alone getting well over 4,000 combined .

Elite in every single facet of the game.

With his skills with the wood, leather, and a damn cannon for an arm…but when you consider his class and sportsmanship…damn right there won’t be another Ichiro!

The most surprising stats for me is 200+ hits for 10 consecutive years. His consistency is amazing!

In Japan, whoever make Best 11(9 + relief + closer) without Ichiro, we all think of them as baseball noobs. He has a lot of skills to annoy his opponents. Hitting, steeling bases,iron defense described as Area 51,a strong arm and mostly he is a clutch. Even if he is becoming older and older, I always listen to what Ichiro do. He is just beautiful.

Have waited for this Ichiro video to come out for a long time, well written , loving the channel ⚾️⚾️

Man wish he was in mlb a lot sooner. Love this man

Ichiro is the GOAT.

My favorite player when I was a kid

Ichiro was incredible. Arguably the all time right fielder, and perhaps the best natural hitter ever.

My no.1 favorite moment of Ichiro was his walk-off HR hit from Mariano Rivera.

Ichiro was so fun to watch and the very definition of a "Baseball legend" Funny because I got Ichiro and Bonds at top on my list 🐐 (two extremely different players who approached the game from opposite sides of baseball spectrum)

While Ichiro was winning the 2001 AL ROY, an unknown Albert Pujols won NL ROY. It was clear very early on they were both destined for greatness. They carried me to a dominating fantasy baseball championship.

Imagine he debuted when he was like 24 how many hits he’d have. Didn’t make his first appearance till 27 and he still had over 3000 hits . That is truly astonishing to me

One thing that is surprising about Ichiro's career. Despite all those amazing numbers, he only appeared in four post-season series. Two in 2001 and two in 2012. He is an amazing player, yet one player does not make a team.

13:07 I see myself in the stands lol

Hell yea Ichiro gave us small ball players hope at the plate

Well written. Nicely done.

Ichiro is the greatest player to ever play. Proof that precision beats power when applied correctly.

I've always been fascinated by Ichiro. My baseball buddies and I have all time teams of players we saw play. Ichiro is my right fielder and hits second. Rickey in left leading off. Griffey Jr hitting third. pretty good outfield

Great work on this video man !!

Love the content! New style!!!

Always loved Ichiro the game is gonna miss him.

Outstanding video. A most informative look into the indomitable Ichiro.

Great watch. Props🍻🍻

The only time I watched Ichiro play in person, he stole home from first on two pitches. This story is a bit long, but I promise it's worth it. It was 2010, I was 12 years old, and I was THRILLED to be in Seattle for the first time. We didn't have much money; my mom was a professor at a small state college who hadn't made tenure yet, so the only "vacations" we took were when the university would send her to speak at conferences and pay for travel expenses. This time, though, we stayed past the point where the university would pay for the hotel, because this conference happened to be about a week before my birthday. So as an early birthday present, we just went wild: eating at a bunch of great restaurants, going to cool museums, etc., but the best part was left as a surprise. She had tickets to a Mariners game. I was giddy. I was screaming, jumping on the bed of the hotel room, so overwhelmed with joy that I was acting like a damn toddler. Not only was it gonna be my first time seeing an MLB game live, but I was gonna see my favorite player: Ichiro Suzuki. I didn't grow much until my growth spurt later that summer, so seeing a small guy absolutely dominate the whole field was incredibly special to me. Furthermore, I knew that my mom didn't give a crap about baseball, so the fact that she had paid for two MLB tickets just for me meant so, so, so much, as well as the fact that she had looked up what position Ichiro played and made absolutely sure we had seats along the right field line. What can I say? It was an Ichiro game. He made a few diving catches that for most fielders would have been the highlight of their season, threw an absolute laser from deep right straight to home to cut a runner off at third, and used his legs to brute force one of the ballsiest doubles I've ever seen on a shallow left field hit. By the 5th inning, my mom got bored and started grading papers, so I had been talking to the guy next to me. He'd noticed I was new to watching baseball live and gave me some tips as to where I should keep my eyes so I didn't miss anything important, and was very sweet in listening to me absolutely gush about Ichiro. The 7th inning rolls around. Ichiro draws a walk with the bases empty. The guy next to me turns and says, "bet you a dollar he steals second." I reply, "no way! I bet he steals THIRD!" The guy laughs and we turn back to the game. Sure enough, first pitch to the next batter and Ichiro is off. Not only does he beat the throw by a mile, but the catcher threw over the 2nd baseman's head, and Ichiro is at third faster than you can blink. The guy next to me goes for his wallet, but then he snorts and points out that Ichiro is taking an absolutely obscene lead off, practically daring the pitcher to pick him off. And at this point, you gotta feel bad for this poor pitcher. He started that inning by walking one of the deadliest runners in baseball, and then after one more pitch he has a runner on third with no outs. He has every right in the world to be a bit nervous. Even from the stands, we could see that the pick off was way off target by the time it was halfway to third. It sailed by the third baseman, and Ichiro didn't even bother sliding into home. The crowd erupted, the energy in the stadium was electric. The guy next to me hands me a 5 dollar bill and says, "you won that bet even more than either of us expected." I used that $5 to help pay for a Mariners cap, and I wore that cap on every hike I went on until it couldn't fit on my head anymore. That's why Ichiro is a legend. Forget the fact that if you count his Japanese career, he has 100 more hits than Pete Rose despite 1,500 fewer plate appearances. Forget the fact that he has the highest single season hit record in MLB history. Forget the fact that since Statcast started tracking home to first time in 2015, he is one of 15 players to have a single season average of under 4 seconds, one of 3 to do so over 30, and one of one to do so over 40. Forget his impossible rookie season. The true magic of Ichiro is that he made smallball so thrilling that even kids could get it. At the height of the steroid era, he could make a crowd go as nuts for a base hit as they did for a home run. He could make people who thought baseball was boring, who could list maybe 5 players off the top of their head, stand up and cheer for a great catch. And he did all that while being one of the most charming, friendly, delightful players the league has ever seen. Sure, he probably would have been more effective if he played a bit more cautiously, if he focused more on drawing walks than on infield base hits. With his eye for balls and strikes, he probably could have averaged a .400 career On-Base %, and with his speed, that would have led to a higher total amount of runs. But then he wouldn't have been so special, so deeply thrilling to watch. He wouldn't be Ichiro.

I'm a simple man, I see a video on Ichiro, I hit like. Thanks for giving props to the goat (imo).

There are ten MLB players that played 28,000 games collectively without ever being ejected. Stan Musial and Willie Mays rank 1-2 among this extraordinary array of players; I don’t recall any of the remaining eight except Derek Jeter, but now that he’s been inducted, it can be said all ten are in the MLB Hall of Fame. Suzuki should be among these greats, except he was ejected once in the course of his career. Characteristically-possibly a first in professional sports history-he wrote a letter to the umpire apologizing for his conduct. It will be a travesty If he isn’t a unanimous HOF selection his first year of eligibility.

Made The Cut and Ichiro… I don’t think I’ve ever clicked so quickly on a recommended vid!

sick video. nice job . a masterpiece

We'll never see another Ichiro. But we might have the next closest thing right now in Steven Kwan. Best contact skills the league has seen in years, excellent defense and speed, never k's. If he maintains this success he could truly put up an Ichiro like career in the majors

Alot of people talk about being the greatest, but have little clue on how much work, focus, and dedication to said field is needed to be the greatest. Physical gifts do play a big part as well.

Great channel young man.

Amazing upload. Enough said…. 🔥 🔥 🔥

I was born in 1997 and I was raised in Seattle. Nothing else needs to be said to describe how important Ichiro was to me as a kid. He’s the ideal of a sportsman to me. As a kid, if someone brought up pro sports, I would think of Ichiro.

People can say what they want for rankings, but all I’m saying is if aliens threaten to blow up earth and we have to beat them in a game of baseball with any all time players, Ichiro is starting on my team

Great job man. You covered it all.

One of the interesting thing about Ichiro to me is that growing up with a niche source of information about baseball, Ichiro appeared like Charles Barkley or Shaq of Japanese baseball. Arrogant, fierce, competitive with a big mouth, big attitude and big talent to back up his trash talk, very far away from the "quiet, humble, hardworking" player image. I heard the same about Ohtani too. Big kids playing games is how I summarise it.

One of the greats!

No joke, I watched this video, and went to his br page, and noticed that today is his 49th birthday. You were a day too early

You failed to mention Ichiro's average with runners in scoring position his rookie season .449.....also established the rookie record for runs scored and total bases. Tied a rookie record for doubles and triples. Was the most difficult player to strike out and the hardest to double up. Led MLB in multi hit games. Established the rookie record for hitting in 28 consecutive games, and tied a record for Rookies for best fielding percentage, .997. Yeah, that's not happening again. 62 home runs, sure, but not this.

Imagine if he played in the American MLB his entire career and didn't have his rookie season at 27, his records would be even more untouchable. His numbers are hard to believe considering they began at age 27, he was a one of a kind talent. 262 hits in a season?!?! Seems like a typo.

He also won two World Baseball Classic titles as part of the Japanese national team

The real 🐐 of professional baseball ⚾️ the complete player ❤💪🏻🥳

absolute legend

Just a wonderful player..class act...and a mf hitting machine...my man left the batters box before he made contact....one of the best to ever do it!!!

He was so insanely good. I remember back in the 2000s, the Red Sox would pretty much always IBB him when there was a runner in scoring position and first base was open. Because the odds of him getting a single were just so high that it statistically would lower the Mariners run expectancy to have him at first instead of at the plate. Wasn’t true of any other hitter in the MLB with so little power.

Such a legend

I watched ichiro take batting practice at the Oakland Coliseum and it was incredible how hard he hit the ball. It noticeable how much more power he put into liners than other players. He was also bigger than I expected. I was on the field boxes maybe 20ft from him and was pretty solidly built and wiry. Not slender or a slight build at all.

That august comment is right on the money. 115 degrees a few days ago.

you should of mentioned his clutch hit in the 2009 World Baseball Classic final vs South Korea, probably one of the best games I ever watched and I'm Canadian so I had no dog in that fight, and even for me the atmo as intense

Woohoo! Can’t wait to watch

I love ichiro while he was on the yanks, he was Mr. Getshïtdone 😂

Great video very interesting

Love this

Three minutes of Seattle Seahawks fans rocking a stadium chanting "I-CHI--RO!" "I-CHI-RO!" when the Seahawks asked Ichiro to raise the 12 made me a Seattle sports fan.

10:53 the third baseman is literally like I’m not even sure what just happened or how this ball got in my glove

The goat (I’m just getting into baseball)