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Ichiro humbled by All-Star attention
Updated: Saturday July 07, 2001 4:59 PM
One of the reasons Ichiro Suzuki remains so popular with his Mariners teammates is his self-deprecating sense of humor. He has learned enough English phrases to accept teasing and tease back, and his ego remains in check. Ask him, for instance, if he is surprised to have achieved such widespread popularity in his first season playing Major League Baseball, and the Japanese right fielder smiles. "I don't know whether I'm popular or not," Ichiro said through translator Hide Sueyoshi. "It's hard to measure. Knowing the fact I'm going to play in the All-Star Game, it's more than I imagined in the past." But what about those record 3.3 million All-Star votes? That's more than Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter received combined.
Ichiro, by the way, could face Randy Johnson for the first time Tuesday, perhaps as soon as the first inning, if Bobby Valentine names the Big Unit as the NL's starting pitcher. Asked his favorite All-Star memories from watching previous games on television in Japan, Ichiro names two: Hideo Nomo's starting assignment as a rookie in 1995 and the 1997 matchup between Johnson and Larry Walker. "I remember Randy Johnson threw near the head of a left-handed hitter," Ichiro said with a laugh. "Then the next pitch, the guy hit from the right side." Johnson is scheduled to make his first start after the break on July 14, which means he'll miss Ichiro and the Mariners by one day. Better root for an All-Star showdown.
A-Rod has high praise for IchiroOf all the raves that come in daily for Ichiro, the strongest might come from the player he replaced as the Mariners' superstar. To his credit, Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez shows no jealousy or animosity toward Ichiro. In fact, A-Rod seems to delight in heaping praise, and perhaps pressure, on the wondrous Ichiro. "I still say that's the only guy I've played with in my seven years in the major leagues that, if he started at my age, [would have had] a real chance at Pete Rose's [career hits] record," Rodriguez said. "And the reason why is Ichiro never strikes out, he's a leadoff hitter -- gets 750 at-bats a year-- and he never walks. That's a good combination to get 4,200 hits." Alas, Ichiro's 1,278 hits from his first nine seasons in Japan won't count toward Rose's total. Still, at 27, Ichiro could make a run at another milestone or two, Rodriguez insists. "He still could get 3,000 hits," Rodriguez said. "That's, what, 200 hits a year for 15 years?" And batting average? "My prediction was .400, and I said that before the year started," Rodriguez said, smiling. "I said this year, but if not this year, then I say he's going to get it in a couple of years. And if he played on turf, it would be .450."
The Rocket who got awayAs A-Rod's Rangers suffer through an embarrassing season, on pace to threaten the 100-loss mark, Roger Clemens appears headed for the starting assignment in Tuesday's All-Star Game.The connection? The pitching-poor Rangers launched a dogged pursuit of Clemens after the 1998 season but finished runners-up to the New York Yankees. The Rangers might have landed Clemens at one point during talks with the Blue Jays but refused to part with outfield prospect Ruben Mateo, recently shipped off to Cincinnati for young right-hander Rob Bell. Rangers general manager Doug Melvin admits he sometimes wonders what might have been had the Rocket splashed down in Arlington. "Yeah, it would have been good to have him here," Melvin said. "Would we have won? I don't know. We might have. We might have had a chance, obviously. We had some good years. [Clemens] worked the deal that he wanted to be in New York. I can't clearly say, but I think if he wanted to work the deal here, he could have done that. I think his focus was in New York." Clemens, less than a month from turning 39, is 12-1 with a 3.55 ERA. He has won eight straight starts. His last loss came May 20. The last-place Rangers? Their longest winning streak of the year has been three games. Mike Berardino covers baseball for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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