Ichiro Reaches 3,000 Total Hits in US, Japan

[redlegsfan21]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -Ichiro Suzuki reached 3,000 combined hits in the major leagues and the Japanese League with a first-inning single Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers.
The Seattle Mariners leadoff man hit a soft liner to left-center on the game's first pitch from Luis Mendoza. Standing on first base, Suzuki received an ovation from the Texas crowd and tipped his helmet when his achievement was posted on the scoreboard.

The 34-year-old Suzuki has 1,722 hits in 1,224 games during his eight seasons with the Mariners. He had 1,278 hits over 951 games in nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave of Japan's Pacific League.

Only one player in Japanese League history reached 3,000 hits: Isao Harimoto with 3,085. A total of 27 players have compiled at least 3,000 hits in major league history.

"That's a tremendous achievement for the short time he's been over here," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said before the game. "I think that's the most (hits) anyone's ever had in that period of time."

Asked to list the factors behind Ichiro's achievement, Riggleman said, "Number one, it's his talent. You've got to have longevity, can't have too many injuries, can't miss a lot of playing time."

Riggleman said the feat should not be downgraded because Ichiro had more than 1,200 hits in Japan.

"Not at all," Riggleman said. "The hits he accumulated over here exceeded what he did over there. He's understanding the magnitude of it. It's really weighed on him. He realizes how few people have done it."

http://sports.myway.com/news/07292008/v3067.html

[hudsonharden]

The MLB should be making a bigger deal about this feat, but they are not. Ichiro is only 34 years old, and to get to 3,000 hits total is amazing in my mind. Whether or not he get get 3,000 total MLB hits remains to be seen.

[tigers527]

The MLB should be making a bigger deal about this feat, but they are not.
If I had to venture a guess, I would suggest that MLB's front office (a front for the MLB owners more/less) is not entirely thrilled with the secret bidding process to get free agents from Japan over here. Not to mention the mostly closed door to younger MLB ready Japanese players. That might be why MLB does not wanna show the hits in the Japanese League as meaning as much (or it could be ESPN?).

I think that is short sighted, and the MLB would be well served in the long run to be as inclusive to any other league that demonstrates the caliber of players the Japanese Leagues currently do. I would go so far to suggest sometime in December, a 2 out of 3 exhibition on a neutral field (say Hawaii) with the MLB champs v the NBL (is that what its called?) champs. Being a little more inclusive might lead the MLB to expand into Japan one day?

With that said, why is the MLB the only US pro league that does not have a world draft? Some of the answer is the way the bidding process for Japanese league "free agents" work. That said both the NHL and NBA have to deal with other pro leagues over seas and in the NBA's case that WACKY Chinese government (Yao Ming), yet they figure out how to get a world draft done. The MLB needs to do the same, for competitive balance if nothing else? Being more inclusive concerning the Japanese leagues numbers regarding Ichiro would be a nice start.

[bob]

Hits up to and inc aged 34 (MLB only):

1. Ty Cobb 3053
2. Hank Aaron 2792
3. Robin Yount 2747
4. Rogers Hornsby 2737
5. Sam Crawford 2668
6. Willie Keeler 2650
7. Mel Ott 2617
8. Stan Musial 2597
9. Jimmie Foxx 2585
10. Tris Speaker 2576

Ichiro should also get benefit since japanese seasons are shorter than MLB seasons. He played an average of just 105 games a year in japan.