Ichiro Suzuki has left a rich legacy behind since his retirement. In his 28 seasons of play, Ichiro had been selected consecutively 17 times as both an All-Star and a Golden Glove winner. But given the seven batting titles he won in Japan and the money spent on him, there were doubts about his ability to handle a major league fastball. However, he responded to the ones who doubted his abilities by giving an unexpected answer.

Recently, former All-Star A.J. Ramos recalled memories of playing alongside the legend, his 3000th hit, and more, opening up on a special moment when the way Ichiro reacted to his doubters was something unique. Due to this, A.J. Ramos still remembers that moment; on January 21, he said on the MLB Network, “You are him. If that saying was around back then, he was him. It was amazing!” Ramos further recalled some of the videos that showed Ichiro Suzuki throwing the ball and knocking the baseball bats down with his throws consistently that were lined up. 

Ramos had questioned his teammates whether the videos were real until he was proved wrong; Jose Fernandez and a few other players were on the course field at that time, trying to hit a trashcan, which was approximately 150 feet away from them. They went on to try to hit it but were unsuccessful until Ichiro Suzuki hit the trashcan in just one go; that was enough for Ramos and other players on the field to believe what he could, and they never really doubted his abilities ever after. It gave a clear indication of his capabilities as an outfielder as he dominated the game for the next nine years, winning gold and being selected to the All-Star team several times too.

A.J. Ramos knew that it was him alone who showed immense willpower, grit, and skills and let his heart out in the game, and that’s what made him special. From being a rookie debutant to becoming the first Japanese player inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ichiro Suzuki has been an inspiration for everyone who wants to make it count in the MLB. But that’s not all! We will dive into some of Ichiro’s impressive records. 

There’s something special that makes Ichiro Suzuki join the Hall of Fame

Ichiro Suzuki started much earlier before coming to Major League Baseball. He used to have a rather unconventional stance, due to which he was able to generate more power when swinging, given that his front foot moved way before it slid back and forth. This often made him warm the benches, until in 1994, the Orix Blue Wave’s manager tried to let him go. That was it! Ichiro managed to set new benchmarks, as he slashed 385 and made the most hits—210. During the start of 2000, he was positioned for the US operations, and there’s been no turning back since then. 

Given that there were doubts regarding his abilities and how a Japanese player might perform, Ichiro Suzuki proved them wrong by making 242 hits, with a batting average of .350 and 56 stolen bases in 2001. Later, he joined the Miami Marlins in 2015 and the Seattle Mariners in 2018, where he performed exceptionally too. But that didn’t end there; Suzuki achieved his Silver Slugger award, Gold Glove, MVP, and All-Star!

Ichiro dominated the game and made several records until he ended his 19-year baseball career in 2019 at the age of 45, with 3089 hits and a .311 batting average in his 2653 games. Now that Ichiro Suzuki has been nominated to the Hall of Fame, what’s your take on this? Let us know in the comments below.