'Everybody just died laughing': Teammates, opponents on what makes Ichiro a Hall of Fame icon

Editor's note: This communicative primitively ran connected Jan. 21, 2025. Ichiro is being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame connected July 27, 2025.

Ichiro Suzuki became a Hall of Famer when the Baseball Writers' Association of America revealed its ballots Tuesday night. Ichiro's stat enactment implicit much than 2 decades of excellence, archetypal successful Japan and past successful MLB, made his predetermination a slam dunk, but the fable of Ichiro is astir overmuch much than his 3,089 large league hits and .311 vocation mean during 19 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Miami Marlins.

As the iconic outfielder gets his Cooperstown call, we asked erstwhile teammates, opponents and different MLB greats to picture what it was similar playing with, pitching to and simply witnessing Ichiro during his legendary career.

First impressions of Ichiro

When Ichiro came to the majors, determination was plentifulness of skepticism astir however a Japanese hitter would fare successful MLB since cipher had made the jump. Starting with his Mariners teammates, helium recovered ways to crook heads from the beginning.

John Olerud, teammate with Mariners, 2001 to 2004: "I heard Bobby [Valentine] talking astir this 1 feline that was truly bully and that helium could play present successful the large leagues. Ichiro was the archetypal Japanese presumption subordinate to come, truthful cipher knew if they could person occurrence present astatine Major League Baseball. And truthful I retrieve the archetypal clip I met him successful the clubhouse with Seattle, helium knew who I was and I didn't instantly cognize who helium was. And talking to Tom Robson, who's the hitting coach, helium said Ichiro is bigger than Elvis successful Japan, conscionable to springiness maine a framework of reference. And still, arsenic large arsenic helium was successful Japan, determination was inactive a question of whether presumption players could vie implicit here."

Mike Cameron, teammate with Mariners, 2001 to 2003: "My favourite communicative was his archetypal twelvemonth successful outpouring training. Our manager was Lou Piniella. Ichiro was hitting foul balls implicit the third-base dugout and implicit the 3rd baseman and helium would get a batch of his basal hits betwixt archetypal and second, abbreviated and 3rd and implicit the shortstop's head. And 1 time Lou got pissed off. He was lasting connected the apical step, and Ichiro was coming backmost to the dugout. I deliberation helium had grounded retired oregon thing similar that. And Lou ever rattled retired thing helium wanted to say, and was talking truthful large -- I'm definite Ichiro heard it -- he's asking our seat coach, 'Can this feline f---ing propulsion the shot 1 time?' And definite enough, the adjacent at-bat, helium got up there, helium deed a homer to right.

"He came astir the bases with nary animation oregon anything, aforesaid adust look that helium ever has with his shades on, past helium takes his helmet off, takes his gloves off, puts his bat successful his bat rack, his idiosyncratic bat rack that was connected the bench, and helium sat down and helium said, 'How was that?'

"And everybody conscionable died laughing."

Bret Boone, teammate with Mariners, 2001 to 2005: "We had nary thought however to instrumentality him astatine first. I present had a teammate with his archetypal sanction connected his back. No 1 had ever seen that before. He had his ain programme and BP and things, and everybody knew his credentials successful Japan but had nary thought however it was going to translate. And helium benignant of went done outpouring grooming similar a pro. Guys were asking him to bash this and bash that. And helium benignant of looked astatine you like, 'No, I cognize what I'm doing.' And helium had an OK spring, inactive everybody's waiting to spot what helium was going to bash and came retired of the chute, bang. And that was that archetypal play -- it was beauteous awesome. He gave maine atom balls each day. He was large and truly acceptable into that dynamic. I mean, it was a unusual twelvemonth for each of america due to the fact that the Japanese property was present and it was astir similar having a postseason property league each day."

Chef Jeremy Bryant began a 20-plus-year stint with the Mariners successful 1999, erstwhile what's present called T-Mobile Park opened. He was told a twelvemonth successful beforehand that Ichiro would beryllium joining the team, with a unit subordinate referring to him arsenic "the Michael Jordan of Japan," and truthful Bryant spent a summertime learning Japanese cooking. When Ichiro arrived, Bryant was acceptable -- his fridge stocked with gourmet Japanese food, his caput prepped for however to marque it to the superstar's liking. Then, Ichiro walked into the country with a question Bryant was not expecting.

"Do you person cheeseburger?"

Bryant: "I didn't person a cheeseburger. I didn't adjacent deliberation helium would privation that. I was suggesting each these things and I'm like, 'How 'bout wings?' He goes, 'Oh yeah, wings! Very good.' I had started marinating them Mexican style. I enactment immoderate lime juice, garlic, and earlier I went excessively far, I enactment a clump of teriyaki condiment connected them, and truthful I joked with him, like, 'These are my signature Mexi-yaki wings.' He went out, had his Opening Day, everything went good. And the adjacent time helium was similar 'Wings, again, please.' I near the stadium to bargain immoderate much wings, came back, made them again, and past Day 3, again. I curse to God, antheral -- 10 years, helium had those wings. Every crippled that we played astatine night, Ichiro had those wings. ... Same clip -- 5:05 each time due to the fact that helium was the archetypal 1 retired of batting practice. He ate them successful the aforesaid nonstop chair. He ne'er sat successful a antithetic spot successful our small eating lounge. And helium utilized the aforesaid plate. I adjacent cooked them successful the aforesaid pan. ... And past connected getaway days, whenever the squad was flying out, helium didn't privation wings connected those days. He wanted 2 maize dogs. Just two, and they had to beryllium the basic, regular -- I would get them astatine Costco, the frozen ones. I had each this gourmet worldly acceptable for this guy, and helium loved 2 maize dogs connected getaway days."

Even arsenic helium rapidly turned his teammates -- and squad staffers -- into believers, Ichiro had to beryllium himself to the remainder of the league. Of course, batting .350 connected his mode to American League MVP and Rookie of the Year honors successful 2001 helped matters immensely.

Tim Salmon, hostile with Angels, 2001 to 2006: "I retrieve seeing him for the archetypal clip and however flimsy of physique helium was. He wasn't a large guy. My thought was, 'OK, this volition beryllium absorbing to spot however this plays out.' He's a close fielder. Most close fielders are large guys, powerfulness guys.

"He was specified a flimsy physique but had each this astonishing talent, and helium could beryllium immoderate helium wanted to be. And his arm, I mean, helium was conscionable phenomenal. He had a cannon successful the outfield and conscionable the gracefulness that helium went astir things, whether helium was charging the shot and his footwork and being capable to get disconnected that cleanable propulsion each clip oregon moving the bases. He conscionable glided, and helium conscionable did everything with a gracefulness. That was truly uncommon to see."

Joe Maddon, longtime opposing manager with Rays and Cubs (and seat manager for Angels successful 2001): "I truly judge that helium could look astatine the tract and determine wherever helium wanted to deed the shot and past helium would deed it successful a mode that would autumn successful beforehand of outfielders. Although helium had popular successful his bat, helium knew however to conscionable deed it implicit infielders -- astir similar his bat was a fungo -- and arsenic if the pitcher was conscionable tossing it up successful the aerial and helium would deed it somewhere; it was conscionable truly maddening to support it."

Mike Sweeney played with and against Ichiro for galore years successful the American League. They besides shared an All-Star locker country respective times. Sweeney remembers the archetypal clip helium met Ichiro -- portion Sweeney was playing archetypal basal for the Royals successful 2001.

Sweeney: "He leads disconnected the crippled with a enactment thrust to left-center tract for a basal deed and helium gets implicit to archetypal base, and each I could deliberation astir was erstwhile I was successful Japan playing against the Japanese all-stars, anytime that an American would get a basal deed up connected the jumbotron would beryllium this large immense graphic, astir benignant of similar a 1950s/1960s graphic from Batman and Robin. Like 'Pow!' oregon 'Boom!' And it would say, 'Nice batting.' And truthful implicit the loudspeaker, you'd perceive the PA announcer say, 'Nice batting.' And you'd spot these large graphics up connected the jumbotron.

"So being a kid from Southern California that doesn't talk immoderate Japanese, I don't cognize what to accidental to Ichiro. I don't adjacent cognize if helium knows English. He had conscionable gotten present successful outpouring training. So I look implicit astatine him and I pat him connected the backmost and say, 'Ichiro, bully batting.' And I don't cognize what benignant of effect I'm going to get. And helium looks astatine maine -- ne'er met him earlier -- and helium goes, 'Mike Sweeney, bully ass.' I conscionable started dying laughing. I'm like, ohio my gosh, his English was perfect. No accent. And I'm going, ohio my gosh, this guy, he's going to beryllium great."

With a large league vocation spanning astir 2 decades, Ichiro ended it playing with the aforesaid players who were watching him successful awe from afar erstwhile helium broke successful with the Mariners.

Chris Rusin, Rockies pitcher who gave up Ichiro's 3,000th hit: "I watched him increasing up. I went to a mates of Tigers games, and they conscionable happened to beryllium playing Seattle. Never thought I'd beryllium playing against him oregon pitching against him, fto unsocial giving up the 3,000th hit."

Christian Yelich, teammate with Marlins, 2015 to 2017: "I grew up watching Ichiro arsenic a kid. In mediate school, precocious schoolhouse and worldly similar that. So erstwhile we archetypal signed him, I was like, 'Oh s---, I'm going to beryllium playing with Ichiro. That's crazy.' And you don't person precise galore moments similar that -- astatine least, I didn't successful the large leagues -- wherever you're playing drawback with a feline successful the outfield and you're benignant of like, 'Oh s---, I'm playing drawback with Ichiro close now.' That's a weird feeling. And helium was truthful mean too, though. He was a large teammate and a bully friend, and it was an awesome acquisition playing with him and getting to ticker him execute a clump of milestones due to the fact that it was aboriginal successful his career, truthful it felt similar each crippled helium was passing oregon tying somebody."

A front-row spot to the Ichiro show

Randy Winn played 115 games batting 1 spot down Ichiro successful 2004, erstwhile helium acceptable an MLB single-season grounds with 262 hits. Winn referred to his spot successful the bid arsenic a "pleasure" due to the fact that helium benefited from however overmuch vigor Ichiro absorbed from opposing pitchers, either during agelong at-bats oregon consistently applying unit connected the bases.

Winn: "He had 3 50-hit months. I'm fortunate capable to person one successful my career, and it felt similar I fell retired of furniture each time with 2 hits successful my pocket. It was amazing. I'm serious. You went to the parkland each time like, 'Oh, I already got 2 hits? Wow, this crippled is easy.' He did it 3 times successful 1 year! I can't adjacent fathom. That to maine is truthful mind-blowing, I can't adjacent enactment it into words."

When Winn arrived successful Seattle successful 2003, helium disquieted astir a imaginable connection obstruction portion sharing the outfield with Ichiro. Winn rapidly learned it was a nonissue -- Ichiro spoke acold much fluent English than helium had realized. Winn was intent connected giving Ichiro his space, but helium often sought opportunities to prime the brains of large players. One spring, helium saw an opening with Ichiro. The 2 stayed backmost portion astir of the different veterans traveled for a Cactus League game, and Winn approached Ichiro successful the value country to inquire him astir his mindset starring disconnected games.

"Randy," Ichiro replied, "I privation five."

"What?" Winn responded.

"Five," Ichiro said successful cleanable English. "Every day, I privation 5 hits."

"That's the expectation," Winn said. "'I enactment myself successful a presumption wherever I expect to get 5 hits. I expect to execute and get 5 hits.' And past I was like, 'Heh, OK, present I recognize wherefore you get 262 hits.'"

Unforgettable moments

Long aft the archetypal frenzy of his accomplishment successful 2001, Ichiro captivated the athletics again arsenic a 42-year-old successful pursuit of his 3,000th deed successful the majors (in summation to the 1,278 helium collected successful Japan). He reached the milestone portion playing for the Marlins successful 2016 -- hitting a stand-up triple astatine Coors Field successful Colorado.

Rusin: "The atmosphere, it was crazy. You could benignant of consciousness the assemblage was expecting thing due to the fact that for a Miami-Colorado crippled to person rather a fewer fans there, and it got beauteous large erstwhile helium gets up to the box. You benignant of could consciousness it a small bit.

"I deliberation I went 2-and-0 connected him and past I near a cutter implicit the mediate of the plate. He benignant of pulled disconnected of it, deed disconnected the extremity of the bat, and it traveled further than I thought it was going to go, and the outfielder kept going and going and going. I was like, 'Please don't spell out. Just not a location run. I'll instrumentality thing but a location run.' And it went disconnected the partition and helium ended up getting a triple, and I deliberation I ended up getting retired of the inning. But yeah, anytime you faced a hitter similar that successful a large concern wherever helium has thing connected the enactment oregon whatever, you don't privation to beryllium a portion of it, but arsenic agelong arsenic it's not excessively bad, it's OK. It's not excessively atrocious to beryllium a portion of it.

"Then aft the game, I'm sitting astatine my locker and I got each the media astir maine wanting to speech astir giving up that hit, and I explained everything and past astatine the extremity I said, 'The lone happening that I asked for is you spell backmost and inquire him for an autographed bat. By the clip helium leaves, conscionable nonstop it over.' And by the clip I near the stadium, helium had already sent the bat implicit and signed it. Great guy."

Yelich: "After helium got it, we were successful the outfield unneurotic playing drawback the adjacent fractional inning, warming up for the bottommost of immoderate against the Rockies astatine Coors Field. And I retrieve playing drawback with him and maine thinking, 'Don't you situation propulsion this shot implicit Ichiro's caput and person him spell moving to the partition to spell get this shot oregon something.' With each these cameras and radical watching him close now, each implicit the world, you conscionable don't privation to airmail it successful the outfield and nonstop him running. That's what I retrieve thinking."

It wasn't conscionable milestones but besides Ichiro's quality to marque immoderate infinitesimal extraordinary. There's possibly nary amended illustration than his unreal April 2001 propulsion from close tract to get A's outfielder Terrence Long retired astatine 3rd base.

Long: "When helium threw maine retired astatine third, aboriginal successful the twelvemonth we were successful Seattle, aforesaid scenario, shot deed to close field, but it was a small spot much towards the gap, and I went archetypal to third, nary problem. So this clip I'm thinking, 'OK, I went archetypal to 3rd 1 clip before,' but this 1 was close astatine him. And I watched the replay. I was already 3 oregon 4 steps crossed 2nd earlier helium got it. So I'm thinking, there's nary mode he's throwing maine out, and I'm running, and past you tin look astatine the 3rd baseman's eyes and you tin spot him looking astatine this ball. And I'm saying to myself, I'm like, 'OK, this shot is astir to walk me.' So I was like, 2 things are going to happen. Either mode it goes, you're going to beryllium connected ESPN forever. So the astute happening to bash is conscionable slide, conscionable to marque it look close. The worst happening I could person done was conscionable spell in, basal it up, and it would've been adjacent much embarrassing. So I was like, 'I'm conscionable going to slide.' But arsenic soon arsenic I got acceptable to slide, you spot this shot travel close past me. I was like, 'Oh my God, there's nary mode helium conscionable made that throw.'"

Even regular plays became the worldly of fable erstwhile Ichiro stepped onto the field.

Salmon: "We were playing successful Seattle 1 year, and the writer ever has a dew connected it, a dampness to it. Anyway, helium deed a enactment thrust astatine me. This is on the lines of however hard helium deed the ball. They conscionable rocketed disconnected his bat. And it was conscionable going to beryllium a bully casual one-hopper. And I came up to get it, and it deed the crushed and it skipped truthful hard. I didn't get my mitt down successful time, and it deed maine successful the nuts. And literally, I did everything I could to support from rolling implicit oregon whatever. I mean, I picked up the shot and I threw it successful and I was like, 'Oh my God.' And I was walking astir the outfield and I curse it was burning truthful atrocious down there. I figured I indispensable beryllium bleeding. And I kept trying to glimpse down looking astatine it like, 'Am I bleeding?'

"I'm 200 feet away. That ball, it deed the crushed and it conscionable had truthful overmuch connected it. It looked similar a mean enactment drive, one-hop routine, and it skipped connected maine -- but helium hits the shot truthful hard that you truly got to beryllium connected your toes. And I retrieve proceeding infielders speech astir that. He'd deed a hard one- oregon two-hopper that would conscionable get through, past the infielder, due to the fact that the shot came disconnected that different."

Joe Girardi, manager with Yankees, 2012 to 2014: "My favourite Ichiro communicative is really erstwhile helium played with the Mariners against us. I retrieve him taking Mariano Rivera heavy [a walk-off] successful a game, throwing the cutter wrong and it getting hit. He had the quality to propulsion his hands wrong and deed the shot retired of the ballpark. And erstwhile you would ticker him instrumentality BP, helium deed shot aft shot aft shot out. But helium knew his crippled was getting connected basal and stealing bases. So helium ne'er tried to beryllium thing that helium wasn't. The crushed that helium covered was unthinkable and radical conscionable didn't tally connected him, oregon helium astir apt would've had a batch much assists. And it's a feline that had implicit 500 stolen bases. So I don't cognize if helium could truly inquire a subordinate to bash overmuch more."

Legendary skills and enactment ethic

None of his achievements would person been imaginable without a operation of shot skills and enactment ethic that acceptable Ichiro isolated from his contemporaries.

Cameron: "He was a locker mate of excavation and helium was my close fielder for the 3 years that we played together. What jumps retired is conscionable his consistency. His consistency and his enactment ethic. He calls it a connection successful Japanese: it's called kaizen, and successful Japanese that means never-ending [or continuous improvement]. So helium was ne'er satisfied. And I don't deliberation helium truly worked disconnected the numbers different than the information that helium loved the thought of getting basal hits. The feline was driven astir getting basal hits, and evidently that's evident successful that helium came implicit present and played each those years and got 3,000-something hits and has the all-time deed grounds successful a season. So helium was driven by that, though helium had the capableness of hitting the homer, which I don't deliberation everyone truly knew that.

"The feline utilized to spell successful adjacent connected disconnected days and enactment out. It was each time for him. That's each helium knew. I ever utilized to inquire him, 'What drives you to bash this benignant of stuff?' He's like, archetypal of all, his sanction means 'the one.' So he's destined to beryllium this 1 person. And helium was besides precise peculiar astir everything that helium did, from his bats to having his ain peculiar bat lawsuit with a humidifier there. He was a competitor."

Mark Teixeira, teammate with Yankees, 2012 to 2014: "I got to spot Ichiro astatine his best. There were lone a fistful of players successful shot that I thought were much impactful to the game. I conscionable thought helium was 1 of the apical 5 players successful each of shot erstwhile I played against him.

"What impressed maine the astir is that helium worked harder, took his occupation much earnestly than anybody I've ever played with. And this is simply a feline who was a Hall of Famer, a fable successful Japan. He could person conscionable benignant of ridden disconnected into the sunset. He wasn't adjacent playing each day, but yet, helium took his trade much earnestly than anybody."

Girardi: "I deliberation his durability was perfectly incredible. Coming implicit present astatine 27 years aged and playing truly each time until helium was 41. It was amazing. I'm looking astatine his stats erstwhile helium was 41 years old. He appeared successful 153 games, and helium worked truly hard. There's truly 3 facets of the game, and helium was truly bully astatine each of them. Offensively, conscionable his bat-to-ball skills were perfectly unthinkable and [he] had the quality to deed a location tally -- successful a consciousness -- erstwhile the squad needed it."

Beyond each of his different gifts, it was that unparalleled quality to enactment the bat connected the shot that stands retired astir to those who watched Ichiro -- oregon attempted to get him out.

Mark Buehrle, longtime hostile with White Sox, Marlins, Blue Jays (Ichiro deed .409 successful 66 vocation at-bats against him): "He was truthful bully with making interaction and conscionable putting the shot wherever helium wanted to. I retrieve a crippled -- I deliberation helium had each the hits during that crippled -- helium got connected archetypal basal aft his 3rd hit, and I had tally implicit to cover. It was similar a basal deed done the close broadside of the infield. And I went implicit to screen and helium was lasting connected archetypal base, and I conscionable threw my arms up. 'Are you s---ting me?' And helium conscionable did his whole, 'My bad,' shrugging his shoulders. But helium was conscionable truthful bully astatine putting the shot wherever helium wanted to. I curse helium would enactment it wherever guys were not at.

"I deliberation the lone clip that I ever moved immoderate presumption guys connected the infield was against him. There was a game, helium got 2 hits betwixt 3rd and shortstop. And I retrieve the 3rd at-bat. I looked implicit astatine [third baseman Joe] Crede and I'm like, 'Scoot over, helium hits the shot close determination each time, scoot over.' So I pointed [him to] determination implicit towards the shortstop and what's Ichiro do? He hits it close down the freaking line, close wherever Crede would've been at. And I'm like, 'Yep, I'm ne'er moving anybody ever again.'"

Those who person witnessed his batting signifier implicit the years curse determination is different constituent to Ichiro's crippled that defies his humble 117 vocation location runs.

Long: "He conscionable hits, hits, hits -- but what impressed maine the astir astir that feline was batting practice. His archetypal mates of rounds, helium is conscionable moving connected his enactment drives, and past his past circular of BP, helium hits balls further than anybody I've ever seen. And inactive to this day, radical don't judge it. I've watched him instrumentality BP a lot. He hits balls farther than immoderate of the large guys you tin sanction successful that epoch successful batting practice."

Olerud: "You ticker him instrumentality batting signifier and I would enactment him against immoderate location tally hitter successful Major League Baseball due to the fact that helium conscionable deed 1 location tally shot aft the different and way, mode out. It was awesome however acold helium could deed the shot home-run-wise and past get successful the crippled and he'd spell to slapping the shot the different mode and moving hard retired of the box. It was conscionable truthful different. And truthful for me, it was always, 'Hey, you signifier similar you play successful the game.' And I ne'er truly asked Ichiro what his reasoning was successful batting practice, but helium benignant of blew that mentation retired of the water."

Bob Melvin's archetypal managing occupation was successful 2003 with the Mariners. Ichiro was a megastar successful the United States by that point, yet Melvin called him the easiest subordinate helium ever coached. He was truthful committed, truthful regimented, that Melvin often joked that his lone occupation was to pass Ichiro what clip the crippled started. But erstwhile Melvin archetypal came connected board, helium was fixed a antithetic task -- to docket days disconnected for Ichiro arsenic often arsenic helium could. Ichiro ne'er wanted to instrumentality them, but helium often needed them. So Melvin identified an aboriginal day connected the calendar that, successful his mind, made consciousness -- Saturday, May 3, successful the mediate of a play bid against the White Sox.

Melvin informed Ichiro earlier that week that helium would not beryllium successful the starting lineup for that crippled and reminded him the time prior. He told him not to instrumentality batting signifier and to marque it a constituent to get astatine the ballpark aboriginal than helium usually would. If helium needed him, Melvin said, it wouldn't beryllium until the eighth oregon ninth inning anyway. Then Melvin walked into the dugout fractional an hr earlier the archetypal transportation and saw Ichiro sitting connected the seat successful afloat azygous -- batting gloves on, bat to his side, 1 of his knees twitching uncontrollably.

"I'm ready," Ichiro declared.

Melvin: "Just then, this kid walked by with an Ichiro jersey on. And helium looked astatine maine and helium conscionable benignant of nodded his caput to the kid. And it conscionable dawned connected maine that radical travel to ticker him play, and he's precise alert of it. And he's an entertainer, arsenic well. And helium wants to enactment connected a show. And present we are successful Chicago, the lone clip that twelvemonth playing the White Sox, he's not successful there, and it was astir his mode of telling me, 'That's 1 of the reasons I don't privation days off.' I conscionable looked astatine him and I said, 'I get it.'"

One-of-a-kind personality

Two things were wide astir Ichiro's off-field persona: He was truly into fashion, and his comedic timing was impeccable.

Those 2 traits collided 1 day successful the mid-2000s. Kangaroo tribunal was being held, and 1 of the Mariners' players projected fining Ichiro $500 for wearing different 1 of his eccentric, fashion-forward, Italian-inspired outfits that seemed much due for a European runway than a large league clubhouse.

Raul Ibanez, teammate with Mariners, 2004 to 2008, and Yankees, 2012: "So Ichiro stands up precise calmly and starts speaking precise eloquent Japanese successful a calm, precise distinguished cadence. And past the translator goes, 'Ichiro-san wants to cognize however overmuch we're going to good you for making him ticker each the s--- that you guys deterioration each day.' It was sometime successful September, I deliberation everyone connected the 40-man roster was there, and the full country erupted."

When Ichiro returned to Seattle arsenic a 44-year-old successful 2018, it was Mariners president of shot operations Jerry Dipoto who orchestrated the woody with longtime cause John Boggs successful aboriginal March, successful the mediate of outpouring training. But Dipoto had ne'er met Ichiro.

A quality league was scheduled astatine the Mariners' installation successful Peoria, Arizona. Dipoto and Boggs agreed that the beforehand bureau radical could deterioration polos and khakis and Ichiro would astir apt behaviour his quality league successful his shot uniform. So, a casual affair. Then that morning, a enactment of achromatic SUVs pulled into the parking lot. Ichiro hopped retired of 1 of them.

Dipoto: "I'd beryllium blimpish successful saying I deliberation he's wearing astir a $20,000 suit, his hairsbreadth perfectly groomed and pitchy black, and he's got connected what I would suffice arsenic the nicest brace of sunglasses I've ever seen. He walks successful and spreads his arms retired and says, 'Jerry!' I looked astatine him, and my archetypal instinct, I like, springiness him a small backhand slap successful the chest. I said, 'I thought we were going casual.' And helium looked astatine maine and laughed. He said, 'This is casual for me, my friend!'"

Ichiro's quality to astonishment with his benignant and wit was evident from the opening -- whether it was with an umpire ...

Boone: "One of my favourite moments was: He's moving retired for Opening Day and the second-base umpire [Kerwin Danley] was benignant of pursuing him retired to close field, and everybody thought [Ichiro] didn't talk English. And I judge the enactment helium dropped connected him due to the fact that Danley came close implicit to maine and helium said, 'I can't judge what Ichiro conscionable said to me.' I said, 'What?' He said helium was moving by Ichiro and helium benignant of gave him the, 'Hey, bully luck to you' this and that benignant of thing. And Ichiro benignant of looked astatine him, helium said, 'What's happening, location slice?' and kept moving to close field. That stuck with me. That was funny. That's however helium was."

... oregon erstwhile helium charmed the game's top players astatine his archetypal All-Star Game successful 2001.

Sweeney: "[AL manager] Joe Torre gives this beauteous speech, you know, 'You guys are the champion successful the satellite successful this locker room. Take a look around. You're successful an elite class. There's lone 70 radical successful the satellite that are going to play successful this crippled tonight, and you're 1 of them.' And you look around, you spot Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and you're looking astir the country going, 'Oh my gosh, this is great.' So astatine the precise end, we're each benignant of successful this feeling of you're successful a cathedral, but yet you're successful a shot locker country astatine the aforesaid time, and you're going, wherever bash we spell from here? And Joe Torre says, 'Anybody person thing to add?' And we're benignant of like, however tin you apical Joe Torre? And we look astir and Ichiro stands up, raises his manus -- where's helium going with this? And helium goes, 'Let's spell footwear their motherf---ing ass.' And the spot conscionable erupted, the full locker room.

"It was thing I'll ne'er forget. So past each twelvemonth successful the All-Star Games to follow, it conscionable was like, OK, whoever the manager is, you tin accidental immoderate you want, but No. 51 ever gets the past word. And it was conscionable an unspoken happening -- you look implicit and you spot Jeter, the top players of our time. And erstwhile the manager would get done, it was like, OK, that was good, but hold until you perceive what Ichiro has to say. He gets the past word."

It wasn't ever easy

Sweeney's archetypal twelvemonth playing with Ichiro was successful 2009, conscionable aft Ichiro had led Japan to a World Baseball Classic title. It came with a batch of accent -- amid reports of issues betwixt Ichiro and immoderate of his Seattle teammates and a bleeding ulcer.

Sweeney: "I had heard astir Ichiro being alienated by his teammates. Some of them were jealous of him, immoderate of them weren't incorporating him into the squad arsenic they should. And I was successful shock. I'm like, this guy's the top hitter of each time. How tin you not clasp this unthinkable player? So we spell into outpouring training, Ichiro is successful the country locker close adjacent to Griffey Jr. Then I'm adjacent to Junior and I'm sitting astir the locker country looking and saying, man, we person 4 aboriginal Hall of Famers successful this locker room. It's Ichiro, Griffey Jr., Adrian Beltre and Felix Hernandez. And I'm going, man, however tin we not triumph here? We person to find a mode to unify this locker room.

"So during outpouring training, we did small things to bring our squad together. We'd conscionable up for dinners and bash amusive things successful the locker country together. And astir halfway done outpouring training, the WBC started. So Ichiro was evidently connected Team Japan and they win, and Ichiro shows backmost up with 5 days to spell earlier Opening Day successful Minnesota. And helium goes to our squad doc and says, 'Look, I don't consciousness bully astatine all.' So they find retired helium has a bleeding ulcer and he's deathly ill. They're treating him successful the hospital. But Ichiro was bound and determined to beryllium acceptable for Opening Day. But the accent of putting his state connected his back; helium virtually enactment the state of Japan connected his backmost by representing them successful the WBC. He willed the Japanese squad to triumph the WBC title successful 2009, and past helium tries to get backmost to a squad that conscionable six months earlier had turned their backmost connected him and benignant of ostracized him and enactment him connected an island. They didn't clasp him.

"And helium has each this interior accent going on, which leads to a bleeding ulcer. And Ichiro met with the doc and said, 'I'm playing for Opening Day.' And the doc really called the proprietor and said, 'Ichiro's adamant that helium wants to play for Opening Day, which is successful similar 4 days, and I'm successful nary presumption arsenic a squad doc to let that to happen.' Ichiro asked him what's the worst happening that could happen. And the doc says, 'If this bleeding ulcer, which is actively bleeding, if it ruptures, you could die.' And Ichiro looked him quadrate successful the eyes and said, 'I'll instrumentality my chances.' And the proprietor of the squad had to measurement in.

"So arsenic we went into Minnesota -- Ken Griffey Jr, myself, Adrian Beltre, Felix Hernandez -- we got the squad together, and we said, 'Hey, look, successful the past, this is simply a teammate that you each person pushed to the side, but here's what helium was consenting to bash for you. He's consenting to dice for you to play successful tonight's game.' So it was precise emotional. This is simply a clip to grant him. This is simply a clip to unfastened up our arms to him and truly bring him into the team. So that nighttime successful Minnesota, our clubhouse manager, Teddy Walsh, we asked for Ichiro's jersey, and we hung it successful the dugout, successful the Metrodome. And Ichiro told maine that erstwhile helium watched the crippled that nighttime from a infirmary furniture backmost successful Seattle, helium knew that determination was thing different. He had teammates, for the archetypal clip since his rookie year, helium felt, that loved him.

"So the squad ended up conscionable falling conscionable abbreviated of the playoffs. On the past time of the season, we transportation Griffey disconnected connected our shoulders reasoning helium was going to discontinue and sail disconnected into the sunset. Carlos Silva [a Mariners pitcher, who reportedly had his issues with Ichiro] was truthful moved by his emotion for Ichiro, helium thinks what the hell, I'm going to enactment Ichiro connected [my] shoulders and transportation him off.

"There's this beauteous representation of america carrying Griffey Jr. disconnected the tract arsenic a hero's exodus, and past Carlos Silva throwing Ichiro up connected his shoulders, carrying him disconnected conscionable due to the fact that helium loves his teammate. And Ichiro told maine that that was the astir amusive helium had successful the large leagues since his rookie year. He said the mode his teammates loved him, the mode his teammates celebrated him brought him large joyousness again successful shot for the archetypal clip since his rookie year."