After six years of retirement, I never thought of returning to Japan, and I didn't intend to leave Seattle again

Jan 06, 2025

Ichiro, who last retired from the opening series against Oakland in 2019. Looking at the Beast's first unanimous Hall of Fame induction. AFP Yonhap News

Ichiro entered the Major League for the seventh consecutive year as a member of Orix. In 2001, he won the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP award for Seattle. Sports Chosun DB

Ichiro retired from Seattle after playing for the New York Yankees and Miami. For Seattle, he hit 200 hits for 10 consecutive years since 2001. Sports Chosun DB

Game 2 of the opening series of the Major League Baseball against the Oakland Athletics at Tokyo Dome on March 21, 2019. With two outs and a runner on second in the top of the eighth inning when the score was 4-4, Seattle Mariners No. 9 hitter Ichiro Suzuki entered the batter's box. In a chance that could have changed the flow of the game with one shot, Ichiro hit a ground ball rolling in front of the shortstop and sprinted to first base. The result is as everyone knows. The 46,451 spectators who filled the Tokyo Dome watched Ichiro's last major league hit. Ichiro, who was replaced at defense in the bottom of the eighth inning, took off his hat and greeted the stands.

No. 9- Starting at right field and no hits in four at-bats. Ichiro, who had no hits in one at-bats the previous day, failed to add a hit in two games of the opening series. The U.S. and Japan finished their great journey with 4367 hits.

In 2025, five years after leaving the ground, Ichiro is on the verge of entering the Major League 'Hall of Fame'. For the first time in the beast, we look at the induction of 'Unanimous'.

Ichiro (52), a baseball genius, talked about the retirement of a player. It was on a talk show with Hideki Matsui (51), who was broadcasted in Japan on the 5th. This was recorded in September last year.

The Orix Buffaloes topped the batting list for the seventh consecutive time. With nowhere else to climb, Ichiro flew to the bigger stage. Since his Major League debut season as a member of Seattle in 2001, he has achieved remarkable performance. batting .35-242 hits-56. He won the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP at the same time.

He had 200 hits for 10 consecutive years until 2010. In 2004, he hit 262 hits. He set the record for the most hits in a single major league season. Ichiro was traded to the New York Yankees in July 2012. He moved to the Miami Marlins in 2015 and returned to Seattle in 2018.

After the end of the 2017 season, Miami issued an out-of-power notice. Derek Jeter, a teammate during his time with the New York Yankees who was part of the Miami owner group, came to the stadium and told him. Ichiro was relieved"I looked back at that time.

I had no choice but to wait for the offer. After entering the Major League in 2001, he trained individually without his team during the spring camp for the first time.

Ichiro ended his career with 4367 hits in the U.S. and Japan. Sports Chosun DB

"I was going to end my career if the game started in March and there was no offer to join," Ichiro confessed. "I always train individually in Kobe at the end of the season, and I thought I could talk about retirement in front of some reporters," he said.

Seattle reached out in the face of retirement. On March 7, 2018, Seattle announced the signing of Ichiro. Ichiro "I was thrilled that the team I wanted to call me. I was going to do whatever the team wanted. I wanted to repay you for the last time."

an annual salary of $750,000. The terms and conditions of the contract were irrelevant.

Ichiro, who returned at the age of 45. I couldn't go against the clock. He played in 15 games that year and had nine hits. It was hard to find traces of the heyday that shook the Major League Baseball. Finished his first season back, mainly focusing on training.

But Ichiro didn't think about retiring at this point. The Tokyo opening series was scheduled for March 2019. The opening series in Japan was a strong motivation.

In January 2019, he signed a minor league contract with Seattle. But the body couldn't keep up with the mind. In the exhibition game, he hit only eight. The Seattle club notified Ichiro, who was extremely sluggish, that the Tokyo opening series was the last.

Hideki Matsui, who started with the New York Yankees and retired through the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland, and Tampa Bay. Sports Chosun DB

Ichiro said "I had no intention of leaving Seattle again." He also said that he `didn't think at all' about returning to Japanese professional baseball. Seattle became Ichiro's first and last team. It was the brightest thing in Seattle.

Ichiro has continued his relationship with Seattle since his retirement. He serves as a special advisor to the owner.

Unlike Ichiro, Matsui's last game was shabby. Matsui, who was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, played as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning at home against Seattle on July 22, 2012. However, this game became a Major League retirement game. He said "No one will remember my retirement game.

This is where Ichiro is connected. The day after the game, Ichiro moved to the New York Yankees. After hearing about Matsui, Ichiro said "I didn't know at all"

Of course, Matsui wouldn't have thought it was his last game against Seattle on July 22. He received an out-of-power notice from Tampa Bay in late July. I didn't have a chance to play in the Major League anymore.

Matsui, the fourth batter of the Yomiuri Giants, moved to the New York Yankees in 2003. He played in 10 seasons, 1236 games for the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland, and Tampa Bay, with 1,253 hits-175 home runs-760

Ichiro's batting performance in Miami. Sports Chosun DB

He hit an RBI single.

Timing is also important when you leave.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.