Ichiro eager to play at home in Japan series
PEORIA, Ariz. — Ichiro Suzuki fluidly went through a variety of stretches on the floor in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse even before going onto the field. Once outside, he smoothly went through fielding, hitting and baserunning drills.
At 45 and in spring training again, Suzuki is working toward the chance to play for his original major league team in his home country.
“Being able to put on the Seattle Mariners uniform as a player, being here the first day, it is just amazing, it is great,” Suzuki said through a translator. “Very satisfied with today and how it went, and I’m just going to take it day by day.”
The former MVP and 10-time allstar outfielder is in camp on a minor league deal after serving in a special assistant’s role most of last year when he still worked out with the team. If he’s healthy, Suzuki will be part of the Mariners’ expanded 28-player roster next month for their season-opening two games in Tokyo against Oakland.
“My body really hasn’t changed,” he said.
Suzuki, who said he took off only two or three days from working out during the off-season, checked in at camp with only seven per cent body fat.
“He looks unbelievable, like he’s prepared every minute of every day to get to this time, and it’s probably because he has,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “He’s so focused on his goals, and right now his goal is to make sure that he is on that plane when we leave for Tokyo.”
Large groups of fans and Japanese media followed Suzuki everywhere he went during the first workout.
When asked how much he looked forward to the Japan series, Suzuki insisted that he’s not yet thinking about that. The player with 4,367 career hits — 3,089 in the 18 big league seasons and 1,278 in nine seasons in Japan before that — is focused on his daily work.
“I think a 45-year-old baseball player really shouldn’t be thinking about the future. It’s about today,” said Suzuki, who would be MLB’s active career hits leader if he’s on the big league roster, with seven more than Albert Pujols. Adrian Beltre retired after last season with 3,166 hits.
After the Japan series, it is unclear where or even if Suzuki would fit into a team that is in a rebuild mode with a focus on younger players.