Ichiro suzuki george sisler biography

That night he tops by two the hits made by George Sisler in Ichiro -- as he prefers to be called and is widely known -- goes on to finish the season with hits. His record is hailed as the greatest individual achievement in Mariners history. When he joined the Mariners in , Ichiro was the first Japanese baseball player other than pitchers to make the U.

He had won seven consecutive batting championships as a member of the Orix Blue Wave and was a national celebrity in Japan. In the spring of , Jim Colborn b. Ichiro realized he could compete on a major league level and simultaneously escape the constant hounding by fans and media that came with his rock-star status in Japan. After his season, he declared his eligibility for U.

One hundred Japanese media members followed Ichiro to Mariners spring training, documenting his every move. It was quickly apparent that he was a rare talent and a marketing boon on both sides of the Pacific. Japanese television broadcaster NHK announced it would show all 81 Mariners home games in high-definition television. Fans from Japan flocked to Seattle, planning vacations around Mariners games.

On the similarities and differences between George Sisler and Ichiro Suzuki, MLB's all-time single-season hits leaders.

Ichiro did not disappoint. He batted. The superstars that powered the Mariners in the mid- to lates were gone, but the squad made up for lack of muscle with timely hits and kept winning at an unprecedented rate. Ichiro, a slender 5-foot-9 jitterbug, was setting the pace. His speed rattled opposing infielders.