Barring an occasional development in which a professional athlete is caught in a Pete Rose-type scandal it is unusual for a baseball player or football player to be mentioned – certainly not prominently – on a national newscast.
One day last week, however, Chuck Todd, moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” made Ichiro Suzuki the subject of his last segment on MSNBC’s “MTP Daily.”
“Finally tonight,” Todd said, “in case you missed it, a true icon is saying he’s had enough, at least for now. Ichiro Suzuki, that magician of a hitter, is transitioning to the Seattle Mariners front office, at least for the rest of this year. Though he says he may play again.
“But assuming he doesn’t, let’s pause for a moment to recognize the greatness of this artist of an athlete. A global superstar, Ichiro would amass 4,367 hits in Japan and the Major Leagues. That’s more than Pete Rose. That’s more than Ty Cobb – the player, not the lawyer. More than anyone.
“In his prime there was nothing he couldn’t do – hit, run, field, and oh, oh, oh, could he throw. Above all he displayed a grace in modesty that is rare in all sports, let alone baseball. Ichiro achieved that high-celebrity status like LeBron, or Shaq, or Kareem. He’s on a first-name basis with all of us. He’s just Ichiro.
“Ichiro was easily my favorite player not on one of my favorite teams – the Dodgers or the Nationals – and it’s hard to see him go. I just love watching him play baseball. So I don’t want to say goodbye so much as just ‘thank you, Ichiro. Thank you for playing the game the way you did, with elegance and passion, discipline, and most importantly, a love for the game which loves you right back.’
“Talk about a first-balloter. And you know what I really hope we can say? He’s the all-time hits leader and just leave it at that. Because you know what else, Ichiro, I don’t think, did? I don’t think he ever bet on anyone but himself.”
I have never met or spoken to Chuck Todd. I tried reaching him by telephone last week but was unsuccessful. I wanted to discuss the similarity in the way we think about Ichiro.
As a reporter and columnist covering and writing about baseball, I didn’t have favorite players. I kept my feelings about players separate from what I wrote. But a couple of years ago, I thought about it and decided Ichiro was my favorite player.
That’s what struck me about Todd’s comments. Our views of Ichiro are similar; though I am sure there are many others who feel the way we do.
I will add one thought. Ichiro is easy to like because he is the anti-Pete Rose. True, we know a lot more about Rose’s life and lifestyle, and that knowledge makes it easy to dislike him. But while I was the first reporter to whom Rose lied to about betting on baseball, I feel certain Ichiro had nothing to lie about.
In severing his ties as a player with the Seattle Mariners last week, Ichiro did not say he was retiring. The Mariners didn’t say it either. It seemed to be an open secret in Seattle that Ichiro would go to spring training with the team in 2019 – at the age of 45 – and legitimately win a job in the Mariners’ outfield or as their designated hitter.
“His goal is to play,” John Boggs, Ichiro’s agent, said by telephone. “He loves to play the game of baseball.”
Besides simply playing, Ichiro has another, meaningful incentive for gaining a job with the Mariners. They are scheduled to open next season in Japan as part of MLB’s plan of playing games in foreign countries, such as the recent series in Mexico between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.
In announcing Ichiro’s departure from their uniform – at least for the rest of this season – the Mariners said he would be “transitioning to the role of special assistant to the chairman.”
Ichiro will take with him one bit of controversy. Before he began playing in the major leagues in 2001, he had collected 1,278 hits in Japan’s major leagues. Some people – mostly his fans – think those hits should be added to his 3,089 major league hits for a total of 4,367.
Rose was not one of those people. He argued that if Suzuki’s Japanese hits were counted, his minor league hits should be added to his 4,256 major league hits.
The Elias Sports Bureau, baseball’s record keeper, counts neither Rose’s minor league hits nor Ichiro’s Japanese hits.
ONE STILL SOARING, THE OTHER ALREADY DOWN
Call it a tale of two pitchers for lack of a sexier title.
Pitcher No. 1 is Matt Harvey, a once brilliant prospect for the New York Mets who couldn’t miss. After six seasons of arm ailments and puzzling performances, he has missed. The Mets decided to release the 29-year-old Harvey and let him take his erratic pitching elsewhere.
Harvey’s failure to live up to expectations, along with the unproductive pitching of some of his fellow over-rated prospects, is reminiscent of the Mets’ experience in the 1990s with three earlier “can’t miss” prospects.
Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher and Paul Wilson also failed to meet expectations but staggered their way through major league careers, mostly with other teams.
Pitcher No. 2 is CC Sabathia, an overweight, aging left-hander, who is defying every conceivable measurement of age and talent with one of the best seasons of his 18-year career. His 2018 performance has defied his slovenly appearance.
His performance has improved as he has approached his 38th birthday on July 21, allowing 1 run and 11 hits in his last 3 starts totaling 19 innings. He was the winning pitcher in two of those starts, and the one start he didn’t get the win he left after 6 innings with a 5-0 lead. For the season, Sabathia has a 2-0 record and 1.39 earned run average in 6 starts.
Before the season began, it seemed possible that Sabathia could be a weak link in the Yankees’ starting rotation. Through the first month, though, he has sparkled.