Ichiro Pitches for NTT

Literally…

Cute kid.

BWT, NTT is Nippon Telegraph and Telephone.

Game 54: 0-for-3 in 3-2 Win vs. Baltimore

Elaine Thompson / AP Photo

At Bats: 3
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 0/61
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 0
Average: .272
Box
Notes: Reached on an intentional walk and a key error (above)… May was the worst month of his career, going 22-for-105 for a .210 average… Began the month batting a season-high .328, then ended it 56 points lower at .272… The M’s set another attendance record tonight with an all-time Safeco low of 11,692; the ten smallest Safeco crowds have all happened this year… On the other hand, the surprising M’s finished May two games above .500, and are a half-game out of first place.
Next: Game 55 vs. Baltimore, 12:40 Wednesday.

Ichiro’s Fans #3

Found here.

Game 53: 2-for-4 in 4-3 Win vs. Baltimore

Elaine Thompson / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 2
Hits, Game/Season: 2/61
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .276
Box
Notes: Following a 1-for-24 stretch, hit a pair of singles, scored a pair of runs, and stole his 13th base of the season… Like all MLB teams did today, the M’s wore lame-ass Memorial Day caps (above).
Next: Game 54 vs. Baltimore, 7:10 Tuesday.

Ichiro Comics #4

Mariners Mojo was a free comic distributed at Seattle-area McDonald’s in 2002. In issue #2 of 2, Ichiro and his ’02 teammates (including Jamie Moyer, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Edgar Martinez, Bret Boone and Ruben Sierra) use their superhero powers to battle Bigfoot. They later become friends.

Game 52: 0-for-4 in 7-1 Loss vs. New York

Ted S. Warren / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/59
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 3
Average: .272
Box
Notes: Grounded to first once, grounded to second twice, and grounded to C.C. Sabathia for a bases-loaded, inning-ending double-play (above)… Geoff Baker says this is the worst month of Ichiro’s career.
Next: Game 53 vs. Baltimore, 1:10 Monday.

It Was Ten Years Ago Today: Ichiro’s First Sports Illustrated Cover

Ichiro was the cover story of the May 28, 2001 Sports Illustrated.

For several years the above cover was posted on the wall of my apartment at the address shown on the mailing label; below is what the photo originally looked like.

Game 51: 0-for-6 in 5-4 Win vs. New York

Elaine Thompson / AP Photo

At Bats: 6
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/59
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 4
Average: .277
Box
Notes: Despite a slump-worsening 0-for-6 night (oof!), the M’s are now over .500… Though he did steal a base.
Next: Game 52 vs. New York, 1:10 Sunday.

Ichiro Art #12

By artguyNJ.

Game 50: 1-for-4 in 4-3 Win vs. New York

Ted S. Warren / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 1/59
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 3
Average: .285
Box
Notes: Doubled in the fifth (above)… The M’s are at .500!
Next: Game 51 vs. New York, 7:10 Saturday.

Baseball Card of the Week: 2004 Topps #10

From the year he set the single-season hits record with 262.

Looks nice in person, but it scans like shit because of the silvery reflective nonsense on the card.

The Throw, Revisited

Last month I did a post commemorating the tenth anniversary of The Throw, but the accompanying video on YouTube has since been removed. The clip was taken from acclaimed PBS film Baseball: The Tenth Inning, though I actually prefer this totally bonkers version…

The genius who made this could teach Ken Burns a thing or two.

Game 49: 0-for-4 in 3-0 Win at Minnesota

Hannah Foslien / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/58
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 2
Left on Base: 3
Average: .281
Box
Notes: Two strikeouts, two groundouts… Batting .184 in last ten games.
Next: Game 50 vs. New York, 7:10 Friday.

eBay Alert: Blue Wave Fan and Nissan Pen

The other night I received an email from a guy named Josh Pope…

I recieved these two items when I was in Japan in 1996 on a team Indiana wrestling trip. We traveled to five different cities around tokyo and stayed with host families. As part of meeting a new family that I was going to be staying with we always exchanged gifts. I was looking for information on these two items when I came across your Ichiro Page.

After kindly offering to sell them to me, I suggested he’d probably make more money by posting ’em on eBay. So, here they are.

Auction ends at 4:10 a.m. Sunday.

Game 48: 0-for-4 in 4-2 Loss at Minnesota

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/58
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 2
Average: .286
Box
Notes: Two groundouts, two flyouts.
Next: Game 49 at Minnesota, 10:10 a.m. Wednesday.

Magazine Cover #2: Sports Graphic Number 376, 1990s

On the cover of the long-running Japanese sports rag in his Orix Blue Wave days.

Game 47: 2-for-4 in 8-7 Win at Minnesota

Andy King / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 2/58
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .292
Box
Notes: A pair of singles, a run, an RBI, and a key tenth-inning sacrifice bunt contribute to the M’s come-from-behind win in extra innings… Notched his 2,300th career MLB hit, becoming the second-fastest player to reach 2,300 (Al Simmons is first)… The M’s have now won six in a row, moving them a game below .500 and a game-and-a-half behind first-place Texas.
Next: Game 48 at Minnesota, 5:10 Tuesday.

More San Diego Stuff

Since the M’s were in San Diego last weekend to take on their inter-league “natural rivals,” and since my dad and sister live in San Diego, a road trip was clearly in order. Here are some of my far-from-professional photos, beginning with Ichiro heading to the cage for Friday’s batting practice…

He socked quite a few homers to right. Then he jogs out for fielding practice…

Felix threw a bullpen session while Ichiro (in upper-right corner) shagged some flies…

Then the King signed some autographs…

I love how the Western Metal Supply building in the background is incorporated into Petco Park, a beautiful venue where Ichiro led Team Japan to the 2006 World Baseball Classic championship. Here he leads the triumphant M’s off the field after Friday’s win…

The next night, he waits for the first pitch of Saturday’s game…

…and again leads the M’s off the field after Saturday’s win…

I didn’t bother taking any pictures Sunday, fearing the Padres’ gawd-awful camo unis would break my camera. In any event, I don’t think I’ve ever attended an entire three-game series before, and I certainly have never witnessed a Mariner sweep in person. I also have never eaten so many Friar Franks.

Game 46: 2-for-5 in 6-1 Win at San Diego

Lenny Ignelzi / AP Photo

At Bats: 5
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 2/56
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .293
Box
Notes: Singled, doubled, and drove in a run… The M’s sweep of the Padres in San Diego, and have now won five in a row… All hail Felix, as well as the rest of the pitching staff.
Next: Game 47 at Minnesota, 5:10 Monday.

Game 45: 1-for-4 in 4-0 Win at San Diego

Denis Poroy / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/54
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 3
Average: .290
Box
Notes: Drew an intentional walk and was caught stealing… The mini-slump continues, but Pineda was great.
Next: Game 46 at San Diego, 1:10 Sunday.