Ichiro Pitches for Some Corn-Based Snack Product

From his Orix days.

UPDATE

The product is called Tongari Corn, which is the Japanese brand name for Bugles.

Game 28: 2-for-3 in 2-0 Win at Boston

Michael Dwyer / AP Photo

At Bats: 3
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 2/39
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 2
Average: .328
Box
Notes: Stole season’s ninth and tenth bases (above)… Batted .405 in last ten games… Average at a new season high of .328.
Next: Game 29 at Boston, 10:35 a.m. Sunday.

Ichiro’s Fans #1

If Ichiro appeared on South Park, I imagine he’d look like this… I snapped this photo in Safeco’s right field seats at a game last year.

Game 27: 2-for-4 in 5-4 Win at Boston

At Bats: 4
Runs: 2
Hits, Game/Season: 2/37
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .319
Box
Notes: Leads the majors with 112 at-bats… Scored on a throwing error in the fifth (above)… Average has risen to .319 during his seven-game hitting streak… M’s win fourth consecutive road game, and eight out of their last 12.
Next: Game 28 at Boston, 4:10 Saturday.

Baseball Card of the Week: 2008 Topps Heritage HTCP11

A mini-card, based on some turn-of-the-century design.

Game 26: 2-for-5 in 7-2 Win at Detroit

Paul Sancya / AP Photo

At Bats: 5
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 2/35
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .313
Box
Notes: Doubled in the third (above), scoring Michael Saunders… Now leads the American League with 35 hits on the year… Average has crept up to a season-high .313… Pineda continues to look good, and — holy shit! — the M’s swept Detroit for their seventh win in their last 11 games.
Next: Game 27 at Boston, 4:10 Friday.

Ichiro Comics #2

Behold, all two pages of the second and final issue of Ichiro-Man, again written by Jim Caple, illustrated by J-Peg, and appearing on ESPN Page 2 in 2001. Also, like Ichiro-Man #1, it’s actually more like a digital fotonovela than a comic, but as I said before, close enough.

Game 25: 2-for-5 in 10-1 Win at Detroit

Paul Sancya / AP Photo

At Bats: 5
Runs: 2
Hits, Game/Season: 2/33
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .308
Box
Notes: A pair of singles; scored his fourteen run of the year; notched his 11th RBI on the year.
Next: Game 26 at Detroit, 10:05 a.m. Thursday.

Ichiro Pitches for Nippon Oil

Nippon Oil’s service stations are called Eneos, whose attendants and/or mechanics are apparently called Dr. Drive.

In these two spots (unembeddable), Ichiro appears to enjoy hanging out at gas stations as Dr. Drive helps out pretty girls.

In another, watch as Dr. Drive washes Ichiro’s car.

Finally, on a site called Woopie is an ad with Ichiro sitting on the roof of an Eneos station, though I can’t get it to play.

Game 24: 1-for-5 in 7-3 Win at Detroit

Getty Images / Leon Halip

At Bats: 5
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 1/31
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .304
Box
Notes: Singled in his tenth RBI in the fifth, then came around to score… Felix won his third of the season.
Next: Game 25 at Detroit, 4:05 Wednesday.

Ichiro Comics #1

Behold, all two pages of Ichiro-Man #1, written by Jim Caple and illustrated by J-Peg, which appeared on ESPN Page 2 in 2001. It’s actually more like a digital fotonovela than a comic, but close enough.

Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion in Ichiro-Man #2.

Game 23: 2-for-5 in 5-2 Loss vs. Oakland

Elaine Thompson / AP Photo

At Bats: 5
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 2/30
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 2
Average: .309
Box
Notes: Played DH today… Led off with a surprise bunt to third on a 3-1 count (above), then stole second, and eventually scored… Added a single in the fifth… His 30 hits are third in the American League.
Next: Game 24 at Detroit, 4:05 Tuesday.

Ichiro Rock #4: “Ichiro!” by Xola

In the early ’90s, when Xola was known as Kid Sensation, he recorded the hiphop tune “The Way I Swing” with guest rapper Ken Griffey Jr. Unlike The Kid, Ichiro doesn’t rock the mic on “Ichiro!”, but Xola did get him to license his name to this song, which was played at Safeco Field and sold locally as a CD single during Ichiro’s 2001 rookie season. The disc was then released in Japan in 2002, featuring four tracks: the original version, a new 2002 version, the “Club Groove Remix” and “Mad Flava Remix” (at least one of the remixes was by Sir Mix-a-Lot). The track again appeared on the 2009 Kid Sensation CD Back Home. According to this, “Ichiro reportedly thinks the song is ‘cool.'”

Game 22: 3-for-4 in 9-1 Loss vs. Oakland

Ted S. Warren / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 3/28
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .304
Box
Notes: Nearly hit his first homer of the year in the fifth, but it was just a double off the right-field wall… Average is back over .300 for the first time since April 5… Currently on pace for a 206-hit season.
Next: Game 23 vs. Oakland, 1:10 Sunday.

Ichiro Art #8

Here in Seattle this weekend, Ichiro once again squares off against fellow former NPB ballplayer and noted pornography enthusiast Hideki Matsui. To commemorate, here’s a 2011 painting by beefteriyaki. Though Matsui is now on the A’s, Godzilla’s pinstripes harken back to when he was a goddamn Yankee.

Here’s my first Ichiro/Matsui post.

Game 21: 2-for-4 in 4-0 Win vs. Oakland

Ted S. Warren / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 2/25
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 3
Average: .284
Box
Notes: A pair of singles and a third-base theft… Two shutouts in a row… Pineda’s lookin’ great so far.
Next: Game 22 vs. Oakland, 6:10 Saturday.

Baseball Card of the Week: 2007 Topps Heritage #30

Yet another favorite, modeled after the 1958 Topps series.

You might recognize it from this blog’s header.

Game 20: 0-for-3 in 1-0 Win vs. Oakland

Elaine Thompson / AP Photo

At Bats: 3
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/23
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 2
Average: .274
Box
Notes: With King Felix on the mound, the M’s got the win with just one run on four hits.
Next: Game 21 vs. Oakland, 7:10 Friday.

Game 19: 1-for-4 in 3-2 Loss vs. Detroit

Elaine Thompson / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/23
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .284
Box
Notes: Singled in the third, driving in Jack Wilson… The anemic attendance continues, as seen above.
Next: Game 20 vs. Oakland, 7:10 Thursday.

Ichiro Art #7

Charcoal Seattle All Star by panda–kun.