Ichiro deserves his own thread

[greasywheels121]

It had to be done, since he keeps pushing out all these awesome quotes.

 

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/06/14/...-personalities/

 

With the Mariners playing the Cubs, it's Ichiro's first visit to Wrigley Field, and his first experience with the Bleacher Bums. He's enjoyed it thus far.

 

"Before the game started, the fans were nice and polite, and that was nice," Ichiro said. "But after the game started and they started drinking beer, lots of beer, their personality changed. And that was fun for me to see."

 

Ichiro was then asked if his personality ever changes during a game, and he delivered gold.

"I have many different Ichiros inside me," the center fielder said. "I'm always one of them. At different times, I have different personalities."

[Mr. Showtime]

Why the hell am I just now seeing these sorts of quotes? First the Cleveland quote and now this one.

 

Someone find me more stuff like this...

[Balta1701]

And all but one of his personalties are really good hitters...

[Kalapse]

Why the hell am I just now seeing these sorts of quotes? First the Cleveland quote and now this one.

 

Someone find me more stuff like this...

On performance-enhancing drugs: “When you take steroids, it’s not as if wings grow out of your back, and you start flying all over the place and stealing home runs (from hitters).

 

Tiger Woods’ athleticism: “Tiger is a great golfer, but … when you say athlete, I think of Carl Lewis. When you talk about (golfers or race-car drivers), I don’t want to see them run. It’s the same if you were to meet a beautiful girl and go bowling. If she’s an ugly bowler, you are going to be disappointed.”

[Mr. Showtime]

Thank you.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Nothing beats his quote on facing Daisuke, if anyone has that one on hand.

[CWSGuy406]

http://100percentinjuryrate.blogspot.com/2...iro-suzuki.html

[Gregory Pratt]

"I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul."

[greasywheels121]

Anyone think he just has an interpretur with a really good sense of humor?

 

They're laughing at him in his native tongue too.

 

[Gregory Pratt]

I think they, and we, are laughing with him.

 

Ichiro's the best leadoff hitter of my time so far, and he's a fabulous personality.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Jun 14, 2007 -> 08:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think they, and we, are laughing with him.

 

Ichiro's the best leadoff hitter of my time so far, and he's a fabulous personality.

Better than Rickey Henderson in his prime, or was this not your time? I don't really know when your time is. Rickey Henderson was damn good.

[Kalapse]

Better than Rickey Henderson in his prime, or was this not your time? I don't really know when your time is. Rickey Henderson was damn good.

Ricky's was the greatest in the history of the game but was before Pratt's time.

[Gregory Pratt]

I don't think he's better than Rickey. But they were different types, IMO. Rickey could've hit 3rd, 4th or 5th. I don't think Ichiro can, although there are stories about Ichiro blasting away in BP but he doesn't do that in games.

 

Kind of reminds me of Ty Cobb who COULD hit homeruns (and once hit about 5 in two days just to show Babe Ruth and the media that he could but he found his style more exciting).

 

But no, Rickey is not my time. I was alive when he was the best in the game, but not really.

 

Ricky's was the greatest in the history of the game but was before Pratt's time.

 

As I said, yes.

 

Isn't he a little ahead of you, too? Or did you catch some of him? I can't believe you caught all of his prime years or even most of them. I'm under the impression that you're not THAT much older than I.

[Kalapse]

Isn't he a little ahead of you, too? Or did you catch some of him? I can't believe you caught all of his prime years or even most of them. I'm under the impression that you're not THAT much older than I.

I'm only 2 years older than you so yeah he's before my time as well. I do remember seeing him play some in his mid to late 30's when he was still one of the better leadoff hitters in the game.

[SoxFan562004]

From what I understand, Japanese is an interesting language to translate into English. There's not a lot of exact translations, so awesome quotes are always provided. When PRIDE FC was still running, some of the quotes that came out of that were priceless.

 

Also, some of Yao's Chinese to English quotes are in a similar style

[RockRaines]

I'm only 2 years older than you so yeah he's before my time as well. I do remember seeing him play some in his mid to late 30's when he was still one of the better leadoff hitters in the game.

In his prime he was unstoppable. He would jack one out, or get on base. Either way, you were f***ed.

[Brian]

Ichiro is as Ichiro does

[KevHead0881]

I'm not sure why, but this is my personal favorite.

 

I like "Miss Congeniality." I like Sandra Bullock. And "A Beautiful Mind." I also like "Face Off."

[T R U]

haha man, those are great

[BearSox]

More reason why we should bring him in for next season.

[DrunkBomber]

i would love to be a fly on the wall listening to Ichiro discuss various topics with Jurrasic Carl.

[CanOfCorn]

In his prime he was unstoppable. He would jack one out, or get on base. Either way, you were f***ed.

 

He was incredible. Even if he singled, you might have well just waved him over to 2nd because he WAS going to steal on you. Possibly even 3rd. Best base-stealer I have ever seen.

[Gregory Pratt]

Ichiro is the coolest man in baseball and has the best bat control to boot.

 

Van Benschoten gave up three in five innings of work on Thursday. He matched Hernandez nearly pitch for pitch through the first four innings, but couldn't make it out of the fifth unscathed.

 

The key hit came with two on and one out in the fifth when the ever-pesky Ichiro Suzuki came to the plate and put on a clinic on how to stay alive with two strikes. He fouled off seven pitches in a row before dropping an RBI single in front of Pirates left fielder Jason Bay to give the Mariners their first run.

 

Looking back at that at-bat, all Van Benschoten could do was shake his head.

 

"I should have just thrown the ball right down the middle and gotten [the at-bat] over," Van Benschoten said jokingly. "Maybe I'll get that on film and play it out as a movie. That was pretty impressive. That's all I've got to say about that. I threw everything, a slider, four-seamer, two-seamer. I guess it's one of those, best man won."

 

 

 

And then,

 

What might be lost amid the anticipation over the return of former Mariners center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. is the fact that the Mariners' current center fielder potentially is having a season unlike any other.

 

Ichiro Suzuki, who set the single-season hit record with 262 in 2004, is actually well ahead of that pace. Through 69 games entering Friday's game against Cincinnati, Ichiro had 105 hits. He had just 97 hits through 69 games in 2004 when he broke George Sisler's 84-year-old record for hits in a season.

 

He's second in the American League in hitting at .358, having raised his batting average 98 points since May 6. He has hit .415 in June with a 16-game hitting streak. This followed a career-high 25-game hit streak through most of May. He had hit safely in 54 of his last 63 games.

 

Who gets the credit for Ichiro's exceptional numbers after a slow start? Not hitting coach Jeff Pentland.

 

"I don't say much to him anyway," Pentland said. "We've probably had two conversations in my two years here. You tend to watch over all the hitters like a mother hen, but obviously, when you have to do very little -- in Ichiro's case, nothing -- it makes it a lot easier."

 

What makes this season perhaps his best ever, in America or Japan, is his production. He is on a pace for a career-high 87 RBIs. His best season with the Mariners was 2001 when he had 69 RBIs. He had just 49 last season. He has a .422 average with runners in scoring position, a .455 average with runners in scoring position and two outs, and is batting .667 with the bases loaded.

 

"More than anything else, he's really trying to help the ballclub any way he can," Pentland said. "He's been very selective -- for him. I say that because he can hit anything you throw up there. It's amazing what pitches he can get to where other people can't.

 

"He's the full package. He's an MVP-type player."

 

He also is contributing on the basepaths. Ichiro is tied for second in steals with 22, with eight in June.

 

"He's been good ever since he's been in this league," Pentland said. "If there's a better player in the league, I want to know who it is."

[southsider2k5]

Boston is really going to like having him as their centerfielder for the next 5 years...

[NorthSideSox72]

He was incredible. Even if he singled, you might have well just waved him over to 2nd because he WAS going to steal on you. Possibly even 3rd. Best base-stealer I have ever seen.

I remember one player during that same period being almost as good at stealing, during his prime. But he wasn't a good enough hitter to get on base enough for the big SB numbers. Tried to hit homeruns too often. He played a few years with the Sox too. I remember him stealing off a pitcher once, and I mean while the pitcher was standing on the mound with the ball in his hand.

 

Anyone rememeber who I am referring to?