Ichiro

[TheShrimp]

I caught highlights of some of his activity this weekend on baseball tonight. Here's some of what I saw.

Friday night they highlighted a 13 pitch at bat of his where he fouled off 9 pitches, finally drew a walk then promptly stole second and then third.
<recap>
Ichiro Suzuki: Ball, Ball, Foul, Foul, Foul, Foul, Ball, Foul, Foul, Foul, Foul, Foul, Suzuki walked.
Mark McLemore: Strike looking, Foul, McLemore struck out looking.
Ruben Sierra: Strike swinging, Suzuki stole third, Ball, Ball, Foul, Ball, Foul, Sierra reached on an infield single, Suzuki scored
</recap>

-- I think he stole second during MclEmore's at bat. Notice how he scored on an infield single, which would not have happened if he'd still been on second. That's being aware of what's going on and having a feel for what you need to do based on what your teammates might do. Great baseball.

Saturday night the Mariners had the bases loaded in the second, with TWO outs, when Ichiro laid down a perfect bunt between 3B and the pitcher. Pitcher fielded it and had no throw. Cameron scored easily from third. A play so startling and instinctive, I could only compare it to Jeter's cutoff-play in the big game against Oakland last year.

These aren't isolated incidents. This guy is doing these things routinely. I would pay to see him play over any other player in baseball, hands down.

Compared to the behemoths that have taken over the headlines in recent years, Ichiro is so much more interesting to me. A guy who really looks like he likes being on the field and playing the game. I'd rather watch him play than Bonds, McGwire, or Sosa, or anyone else in baseball. I hope he inspires a generation of kids that want to play like him instead of bulk up, strike out and blast balls 500 feet.

I suppose I'm a small-baller at heart. I like pitchers who get guys out with savvy and breakers and change-ups. I particularly like knuckleballers. If you read Nick's column last week about how he loves the power pitchers, I couldn't have come down further away from him on that issue.

Anyway, that's all I have to say about that.

TheShrimp

 

[JT]

To be honest Shrimp, I do love power pitchers. However, I do get a kick out of guys like Jamie Moyer pitching gems with slop like that. Can only imagine the profanities coming from the player's mouths wondering how in the world they got out. Also, I am amazed there are not more knuckleballers. They are not ace material but so helpful to a staff. Throw a complete game with 140 pitchers to save a pen if necessary, long relief, etc. Either not enough are trying or it is just that hard to learn. In regards to Ichiro, he is a brilliant player. I enjoy watching him also when I get a chance. Little ball is more the norm in Japan.

 

[fatdaddycool]

I agree in principle that Ichiro is a small baller yet I think to take away from the abilities of Bonds and Sosa or to say you would rather have a guy like Ichiro than them is a bit short sighted if you ask me. He plays a completely different role for his team. Sosa nor Bonds have his speed or build, therefore an infield single is not always an option. If you remember back to the early days of say Rafael Palmeiro he was a .320 hitter with little power when he was with the Cubs, he also played left field for them. They already had a soft hitting average guy in Mark Grace so they let him go. It wasn't until he decided as did Ryne Sandberg earlier in his career to sacrifice average for more power by trying to pull more pitches, etc....Ichiro is incredibly exciting yes, but do you honestly believe that he can lead a team to the world series and win it. I think not, a key base hit is one thing and hitting well in a series is another but by no means assures success at the next level(see Mark Grace in 89 divisional series .634 BA for series in a 3-2 series loss) Sosa accounted for over 150 rbis and 60 home runs in 3 of the last four years and Ichiro is who? Just my opinion

 

[TheShrimp]

As for adding value to your team, I think you're right about Bonds, Sosa, etc. Though Bonds has yet to show anything in the post-season.

When I said I'd like him on my team, I was mostly thinking along the lines of a guy I'd like to watch night in and night out, like if I had season tix, or watched my team on the TV every night.

TheShrimp

 

[dr. freeze]

FatDaddy....
what makes you think that Sosa rather than Ichiro can lead his team to the WS and win it? This guy hits more meaningless home runs than anyone in the history of the game.....

 

[Blitz]

I think if someone came to me and said, you can start your own team from scratch, pick your first player and it has to be a position player, I'd have to think seriously of taking Ichiro...:shrug:

 

[fatdaddycool]

Freeze,
Exactly what is meaningless homerun.

 

[Hoops]

and Ichiro is who? Just my opinion

The 2001 American League MVP?

 

[dr. freeze]

any home run you hit when your team loses is meaningless.....you might as well gone 0 fer the day.......Sosa hits a lot of HR's when his team is down by 6 with no one on and he gets fastballs.....look at his HR's in comparison to his RBI totals.....

 

[fatdaddycool]

so in the bottom of the first bases loaded Sosa hits a grand slam only to have the Cubs lose 6-5 and Sosa's hit is meaningless. Hey Doc, do me a favor......stick to your "Clifford the Big Red Dog" books and try to stay away from anything that may require you to ask your kitty cat for advice.....dude do me a favor.......run out to the garage and get a hammer and an 8 penny nail or so, maybe larger .....ready..........o.k.........listen carefully Freeze, take the nail, put in your favorite 10,000 maniacs tape and pop a hole in the side of your incredibly gargantuan head....................did cheese sauce pour out you dolt. I actually like you and your posts, but give me a break are you kidding me. Maybe Sammy should lay down some more bunts..............hey bozo .....heres to you .

 

[yak merchant]

Freeze,

I think you got Sosa mixed up with our own J. Bagwell. Sosa is bad, but Bagwell is a choke artist. Bats 850 when the stros are up 5 runs or down 5 runs and it doesn't matter. Hall or Famer or not, Tim Bogar will lead you to a world series before Bagwell will. As for Ichiro, thats a bad little man. I'm most impressed with the hose he has. Saw him gun a guy at third from the right field corner last year and I couldn't believe it.

 

[Night Owl]

Ichiro is who? You gotta be kidding me?? :shrug: I'll tell you why he's so good and why he's the BIGGEST reason my Mariners are now good (although probably not as good as they need to be to win a world series, which frankly is all I really care about). Here's a guy who REGULARLY has 9-13 pitch ABs, fouls off some nasty pitches on the corners with 2 strikes that other hitters wouldn't have any legit shot at fouling off (usually because they are simply aren't as good as Ichiro) then he gets on base somehow....usually a hit. Great speed. Other day stole 2nd and 3rd and then scored on a little dribbler to one of the infielders. Believe we ended winning that game by one run, too, if I'm not mistaken. Bottom line is that if you don't think you NEED a solid lead off man at the top of your order to set the table for the "big boppers" and make your teams record better.....you are fooling yourself. Along with a great bullpen, these IMO are the two biggest keys. Remember.......we had Griffey and AROD for a handful of years.....didn't do us a whole lot of good. Not as good of pitching back then, either, and NOOOOOO reliable lead off man. :nono:

Night Owl

 

[dr. freeze]

i didn't say that Sosa should lay down bunts.....i said that his HR's are meaningless unless his team wins......and his team rarely wins...like Bagwell, who gets all his numbers in blowout wins, SOsa gets his numbers in losses......yes, a Grand slam in a 6-5 loss is meaningless......W's and L's are what the game is played for.....lets see Sosa start hitting game winning shots and since they seem to put him on base all the time by walking him -- maybe steal a base or two -- oh, that would impossible since he has lost so much speed because of his 'roids....this guy is in it for one person -- himself -- and i am sick of seeing his false humility acts all the time too....makes me want to puke

 

[fatdaddycool]

Freeze,
My last post was kinda harsh. Now that I am reading it sober, sorry bout that......I'll try to refrain from being so curt if the future.....Sosa still is the best in baseball hands down....you know it and I know it...but cheers mate.