Hiro honors retiring hero
Tanaka moved by final game for former Yankee teammate Ichiro
TAMPA — Masahiro Tanaka grew up watching Ichiro Suzuki. He was thrilled when he was able to play with the legendary outfielder in 2009 during the World Baseball Classic and again in 2014 with the Yankees. Thursday, the Yankees’ Opening Day starter watched on a television in the clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field as Ichiro made his final walk off a big league field back in their native Japan.
The 45-year-old Mariners star announced his retirement after Seattle’s 5-4, 12-inning win over the A’s at the Tokyo Dome. Ichiro went 0-for-4 and was pulled from right field in the eighth inning. He made a three-minute walk off the field, doffing his hat to his fans, bowing his now-gray-haired head to the packed crowd, which just knew it was his last time on a field. His teammates, some crying, hugged him as he neared the dugout.
Tanaka was moved by the scene.
“I think that atmosphere it only happens to special players. You sense the respect and I think it was full of it there,” Tanaka said through his interpreter. “So I think because of who he is that happened today.”
Ichiro issued a statement after the game to officially announce his retirement. He said he was “honored to end my big league career where it started, with Seattle, and think it is fitting that my last games as a professional were played in my home country of Japan.”
For Tanaka he was watching a hero depart the stage for the final time.
“Too grand of an impact. I can’t even put them into words,” Tanaka said. “He made a huge, huge impact.”
And having a chance to play
with Ichiro was a time that Tanaka cherishes.
“I think he was a superstar when I was in elementary school and I never thought that I would be playing with him in my wildest dreams,” Tanaka said. “I had the opportunities to be teammates with him in the WBC 2009 and obviously I had the chance to play with him here in 2014. Just taking myself back to those moments … I never thought I would be able to be teammates and play on the same field as him.”
A 10-time All-Star in the major leagues, he had 3,089 hits over 18-plus seasons in the big leagues. He had 1,278 more while starring in Japan, for a combined profession record total of 4,367. Of those hits, Ichiro picked up 311 in a Yankee uniform.
“Ichiro Suzuki is one of the greatest baseball players the world has ever seen. He has been married to this game for virtually his entire life - refining and perfecting his craft and the relationship has been a beautiful one,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. “As an organization we are fortunate to call Ichiro one of our own, and we congratulate him on a truly astonishing career.”
He was with the Bombers for three seasons, 2012-14. His last year with the Yankees was Tanaka’s first. Playing for Team Japan in 2009, however, stands out as Tanaka’s favorite memory of Ichiro.
“I was teammates with him at that time. I think he was carrying all the pressure of the world at that time. When we look back, I think he was going through a little bit of struggle throughout the tournament. In that last game, he came through with that big hit that basically allowed us to win that game,” Tanaka said. “The time I had the opportunity to be with him, I think 2009 WBC stands out.”