SPORTS
Friday, March 22, 2019
East Oregonian
B3
Ichiro walks off into history in ‘sayonara’ at Tokyo Dome
By STEPHEN WADE
and TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writers
TOKYO — At times, it
seemed as if he’d go on hit-
ting forever.
But on Thursday night, a
player who defi ned baseball
at its very best on two con-
tinents for a generation took
his fi nal swing.
The great Ichiro has said
“sayonara.”
Now 45, Ichiro Suzuki
left the Tokyo Dome fi eld
in the eighth inning, wav-
ing goodbye to the packed
crowd amid hugs from Seat-
tle Mariners teammates in a
three-minute walk that sig-
naled to all his monumental
run was over.
“I have ended my career
and decided to retire,”
Ichiro said, speaking in Jap-
anese at a news conference
after a 5-4 win over Oak-
land in 12 innings.
He said his contract was
through the two games in
Japan, and said he decided
before arriving last week to
step away.
“After the reception I got
today, how could I possibly
have any regrets?” he said.
“I couldn’t play well enough
in spring training to earn an
extension.”
Ichiro went 0 for 4 in his
farewell. In his last at-bat,
he came up with two outs,
a runner on second and a tie
score in the eighth. He hit a
slow grounder to shortstop
and, still hustling the whole
way, was barely thrown out
at fi rst.
He took his spot in right
fi eld in the eighth, then was
pulled by manager Scott
AP Photo/Koji Sasahara
Seattle Mariners right fi elder Ichiro Suzuki returns to the fi eld for waiting fans after Game 2 of the Major League baseball
opening series against the Oakland Athletics at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Thursday.
Servais and the walk into
history began in front of
a sellout crowd of 45,000.
He strolled in, turned and
waved to the crowd with all
of the usually reserved Jap-
anese fans on their feet.
To chants of “Ichiro,
Ichiro, Ichiro” he was
greeted at the dugout — and
later in the dugout — by
emotional embraces from
teammates.
Yusei Kikuchi, the Jap-
anese rookie pitcher who
started the game in his
big league debut, openly
broke down crying when he
embraced Ichiro.
Kikuchi later took a
full minute to compose
himself before respond-
ing about Ichiro’s impact.
And he cried when the two
embraced in the dugout
after the game.
“Since spring training
to this day, Ichiro told us
it is a gift for him to play
in Tokyo,” Kikuchi said
speaking through a transla-
tor. “But for me, he gave me
the greatest gift that I can
play with him.”
Yet when Mariners team-
mate Dee Gordon bowed,
Ichiro broke into a laugh —
like, “not necessary, bro.”
Oakland players stood
solemnly and watched cam-
era fl ashes and iPhones
catch the historic scene.
All over the stadium signs
read: “Ichiro we love you”
and “Ichiro is Life.” Fans
wore his famous No. 51 in
all shades, colors and from
all eras.
The fans got one more
chance to salute when he
came back on the fi eld after
the game and acknowledged
their ovations.
Ichiro was 0 for 5 in the
two regular-season games
against the A’s in Tokyo,
leaving him with 3,089
hits in 19 seasons — a sure
Hall of Fame resume. He
had 1,278 before that over
nine years in Japan, making
him baseball’s all-time hits
leader.
Ichiro struggled in spring
training with only two hits
in 25 at-bats. And in two
exhibition games in Tokyo
against the Tokyo Giants he
was 0 for 6.
“I really wanted to play
until I was 50, but I couldn’t
do it,” he said. “It was a way
of motivating myself and,
if I’d never said it, I don’t
think I would have come
this far.”
Ichiro praised his coun-
trymen, who are famous for
being reserved. Not tonight.
Not on this night.
“Japanese people I have
always thought don’t in gen-
eral express themselves,” he
said. “But today’s experi-
ence blew that away. They
were incredibly passionate
tonight.
“When I look back on
my career, I know I will
remember today as the most
memorable day, without a
doubt.”
For years, Ichiro’s at-bats
were must-see TV in his
homeland, with fans tun-
ing in during breakfast and
their morning commute.
A star before he left, he
became an even bigger sen-
sation once he proved that
yes, a Japanese hitter could
indeed succeed across the
ocean in the majors.
He said he’d probably
train Friday, keeping up his
workout routine, but wasn’t
sure what comes next. He
joked he lacked the “cha-
risma” to be a manager.
“I’ll be known as the
‘Man Formerly Known as
Ichiro,’” he cracked.
Ichiro’s retirement had
been anticipated for a while.
The outfi elder returned
to the Mariners before the
start of the 2018 season,
then transitioned last May
into a role as the special
assistant to the chairman
that allowed him to still be
with the team and take part
in pregame workouts, but
meant he could not play in
any games.
Ichiro was a 10-time
All-Star, an AL MVP and
Rookie of the Year and won
10 Gold Gloves. He set the
record with 262 hits in a
season and wound up with a
.311 batting average.
He became one of the
most important fi gures in
baseball history, and not
just because of his stats and
awards.
Ichiro carried the burden
of an entire country in com-
ing to the United States, and
his success created oppor-
tunity for the countless
others who have followed.
Whether he wants to accept
the label or not, Suzuki was
a trailblazer. His infl uence
and importance shouldn’t
be understated.
He preceded Hideki
Matsui, who had a stellar
career with the New York
Yankees, by two years. In
the years since, players like
Nori Aoki, Kosuke Fuku-
dome and Kaz Matsui fol-
lowed. Last year marked the
arrival of two-way sensa-
tion Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani said he watched
highlights of Ichiro’s fi nal
game when he woke up at
Los Angeles Angels’ camp
in Arizona.
“I still can’t believe it,”
he said through a translator.
“I won’t be able to see him
play anymore but I’ll still
have all the memories.”
Boston’s Mookie Betts says he expects to become free agent
FORT MYERS, Fla.
(AP) — Don’t expect AL
MVP Mookie Betts to
agree to a long-term con-
tract with the Boston Red
Sox before he can become a
free agent in late 2020.
Despite Mike Trout’s
$432 million, 12-year
agreement with the Los
Angeles Angels, Nolan
Arenado’s $260 million,
eight-year deal with the
Colorado Rockies and Alex
Bregman’s pending $100
million, six-year contract
with the Houston Astros,
Betts is content to remain
on track for testing the
market.
“That’s exactly what I
expect,” he said Wednes-
day, the day after Trout’s
deal became widely known.
“Didn’t expect anything
to happen until I’m a free
agent. So, it’s just one of
those things where you just
got to go out and play. Can’t
worry about the econom-
ics of the game right now.
They have to take care of
what they have to take care
of. I’m going to take care of
what I have to take care of.
But the common thing is to
win a World Series, and I
think that’s defi nitely what
we both want to do.”
Manny Machado joined
the San Diego Padres
as a free agent on a
$300 million, 10-year
deal while Bryce Harper
AP Photo/John Bazemore, File
Boston Red Sox’s Mookie Betts connects on a solo home run
in the seventh inning of a spring training baseball game
against the Atlanta Braves on March 16 in Fort Myers, Fla.
signed with the Philadel-
phia Phillies for $330 mil-
lion over 13 seasons.
Betts, 26, one of the best
players in baseball since
making his major league
debut in 2014, has a $20
million, one-year contract
and is eligible for arbitra-
tion again next winter.
“I’m under no pressure
to do anything,” Betts said.
“It’s OK for two sides to dis-
agree. That’s perfectly fi ne.
It’s normal. I got two more
years, going to make the
best of them. Got to worry
about Year 1 right here. I’m
going out and doing my
best to help the team win,
and also next year. It’s just
one of those things where
it’s all right to disagree.”
Betts said he loves Bos-
ton and playing for the Red
Sox. But he also has other
things in mind.
“I’ve defi nitely grown
to love going up north in
the cold and all those type
of things,” he said. “But it
defi nitely doesn’t mean I
want to sell myself short of
my value.
“Everybody values dif-
ferent things — what do
you value, where you’re
going to be in fi ve years.
“I defi nitely don’t pay
that much attention to it
that far in the future. I
kind of worry about what’s
going on now and just being
treated fairly. I think that’s
just kind of the main thing.
“The biggest thing in my
mind is just to be treated
fairly.”
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