Ichiro Suzuki is many things. A centerfielder, Japanese, a snazzy dresser, a Stonecutter, a Communist, a great hitter, a frequent flyer and a fantastic interview. He spoke with Jon Saraceno of USA Today about a wide range of topics for today's paper.
When it comes to staying with the Mariners after becoming a free agent this winter Ichiro is non-committal. "It's a very touchy subject right now, so I'd prefer not to answer." He said that he's grown uncomfortable with the way he's treated by the fans in Seattle over time, although the panicked reaction to his announcement, during spring training, that he would be open to playing somewhere else suggests the fans still love him pretty unconditionally. Manager Mike Hargrove had an interesting take on the situation.
"There are degrees of unhappiness. There are times in my marriage when I'm not real happy with my wife, but I still love her and, overall, I like it. I know the fans and the city love Ichiro. I think he loves them, too."
I'm not sure who is Mrs. Hargrove in that analogy but I'm sure she's glad to know that, overall, Mike's happy being married to her. But back to Ichiro who says competitiveness and compensation will determine where plays in the future. Whoever does sign him will get more than one of the best singles hitters the game has ever seen.
"Once I turn 40," he says, "I can become a pitcher. I'm kind of serious about it. But I'll have to learn to throw a knuckleball. Right now, I could be a 'normal' pitcher," who can top out at 95 mph with a fastball."
Those "normal" pitchers Ichiro refers to pull in about $12 million a year so perhaps he should think about going the Brooks Kieschnick route sooner rather than later. Some National League team would pony up for an everyday centerfielder who could come in and get a tough lefty out before moving back to center the next inning. It's like Little League to the extreme. His other thoughts are just as interesting.
On how he stays so trim - "We have a saying in Japan: 'Your main dish and dessert go to different stomachs,' "
On steroids - "When you take steroids, it's not as if wings grow out of your back, and you start flying all over the place and stealing home runs (from hitters). The word 'cheating' doesn't apply for me regarding steroids."
On style over substance - "I want to be the kind of player who people feel it is worth paying the money to come out and watch. ... When I meet players who are playing just to win, that angers me."
On Pete Rose and not understanding how the Hall of Fame plaques work - "No one can deny his 4,000-plus hits. The gambling thing is something different. ... On the front of his Hall of Fame plaque they should put all of his records and amazing feats. When you flip it over, it should say, 'He gambled on baseball.' But I would vote for him."
On Tiger Woods - "Tiger is a great golfer, but ... when you say athlete, I think of Carl Lewis. When you talk about (golfers or race-car drivers), I don't want to see them run. It's the same if you were to meet a beautiful girl and go bowling. If she's an ugly bowler, you are going to be disappointed."
On why he prefers the closed clubhouses of Japan - "You can see what color my underwear are."
On that underwear - "Sometimes, I even design my own underwear," Ichiro says. "My big brother is a clothes designer, but he does hip-hop wear. That's not me."
Ichiro is one of the most entertaining players to watch in all of baseball. I was lucky enough to go to two games at Safeco Field a couple of summers ago and spent most of one of them watching him play right field, which was much more entrancing than it should have been. It's cool to know that he's just as entertaining off the field.
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