Ichiro Update

by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 11, 2008 2:04 PM PDT in Seattle Mariners News, Good

Ichiro, 3/31-6/26: .285/.346/.365

Ichiro Is Fine
...
You could go through a laundry list of potential reasons why Ichiro's numbers are down, but just because he's a unique player doesn't mean there has to be a unique explanation. He's been unlucky. Despite zero convincing evidence that his skills are eroding, he's struggling to match his recent batting lines, and when you see that happen to someone luck should automatically be the first thing that comes to mind.

Ichiro, 6/27-present: .359/.406/.441

Bad leg and all, for the last month and a half Ichiro's put up some of the finest raw numbers of his career.

We go through this at least once every season, but please, stop reading into Ichiro's numbers and inferring from the occasional cold streak that he's lost a step. He hasn't. Ever. The next time this suggestion proves accurate will be the first.

It's like the hitter's version of Mariano Rivera's annual two-week slump. How many more times do we have to do this before people catch on?

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Even his current season numbers don't look that bad...

by BrianL on Aug 11, 2008 2:10 PM PDT reply actions

Well sometimes when you hit .351 the year before

it’s kind of hard to match that every season

The ♥ Jose Lopez ♥ Watch - 146 H, 16 BB, 44 G Left

by seattlebruin on Aug 11, 2008 2:46 PM PDT up reply actions

I just find it amusing that casual fans scream "ZOMG HE'S AWFUL"

despite the fact that Ichiro is currently hitting .310.

by BrianL on Aug 11, 2008 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions

I know I'm preaching to the choir at this point

but remember when he was a rookie and Baseball America did that poll of fans players and coaches and he was universally voted “Most Electrifying Player in MLB?” Well he hasn’t changed much – for me, he always has been and always will be well worth the price of admission on his own. There are not many other athletes, let alone Mariners that you could say that about (yes, I’m aware of who Felix Hernandez is).

I really don’t care what he’s hitting or how huge of a slump he might be in – he is the most exciting player I’ve ever watched and I’d never miss an at-bat of his if I could possibly help it.

The ♥ Jose Lopez ♥ Watch - 146 H, 16 BB, 44 G Left

by seattlebruin on Aug 11, 2008 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions

LOL WASNT A ROOKIE

by Mariner John on Aug 12, 2008 1:16 AM PDT up reply actions

Just post the video

of Ichiro’s catch earlier this season. That’s enough to make anyone marvel at this immense skill, regardless of the numbers. Ordinary athletes don’t make plays like that.

Where is Mick Kelleher when we need him?

by 3744nsheffield on Aug 11, 2008 2:15 PM PDT reply actions

Bad teams focus their frustrations blah blah blah

Ichiro has always been a strength of this team.

by Gomez on Aug 11, 2008 2:29 PM PDT reply actions

Ichiro only finishes last in the list of the Mariners’ problems this season.

by PascoJoe on Aug 11, 2008 2:33 PM PDT reply actions

Good comment.

In the future please use the Title bar to start comments.

Thanks,

by Faux on Aug 11, 2008 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions

Explanation:

SBN 2.0 is a resource hog. Using the title bar allows users with less-powerful systems to collapse comments.

by BrianL on Aug 11, 2008 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions

That and it looks cleaner.

by Faux on Aug 11, 2008 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, that too.

by BrianL on Aug 11, 2008 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions

And makes it easier for the mods to find flagged comments.

J.K.L.

by Aaron Campeau on Aug 11, 2008 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Ichiro is declining

The calculator is lying.

by ThundaPC on Aug 11, 2008 2:35 PM PDT reply actions

Will he get to 200 hits?

Last time I checked it was going to be a struggle. To be fair that was two months ago, and I am too lazy to look up his stats…

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Aug 11, 2008 3:06 PM PDT reply actions

He's sitting at 153 now.

by BrianL on Aug 11, 2008 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Yes, he will.

by Matthew on Aug 11, 2008 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions

On pace for 210

and that’s just using his overall season average.

by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 11, 2008 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

So much for that whole decline thing.

by BrianL on Aug 11, 2008 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions

But he doesn't dive for balls and gives up singles in front of him. Bring back Quinton McCracken

...seriously though I was at Teddy’s in the U-District on Friday and got in an arguement with this guy that went something like this (I wish I was making this up)

Him: Those Chinese can’t play baseball. What do they know about baseball.
Me: Ichiro is from Japan and is a very good baseball player. The Japanese are very good players. They won the World Championship last year.
Him: Whatever. Those Chinese don’t know baseball. I’m from Puerto Rico and we know baseball.
Me: Matsui, Johjima, Suzuki (the other one), Iwamura, Matsuzaka, Okajima just to name a few. All decent ball players.
Him: They don’t know shit
Bartender to me: Knock it off
Me: but he doesn’t like Chinese people
Bartender and Him:

Ichiro is good and makes me want to go to Ms games. I predict he finishes with 219 hits this year.

by nwtrev on Aug 11, 2008 3:38 PM PDT reply actions

all due respect, but

what does the argument about the prowess of Japanese players have to do with the guy at the bar’s statement that the Chinese can’t play baseball?

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Aug 11, 2008 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Man's got a point

the Chinese national baseball team is awful

The ♥ Jose Lopez ♥ Watch - 146 H, 16 BB, 44 G Left

by seattlebruin on Aug 11, 2008 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions

This is true

but I’m still not sure how listing off the great Japanese players of the day has any sort of relevance to the skills of the Chinese.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Aug 11, 2008 3:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Oh, I'm agreeing - the man at the bar has a point

the Chinese really aren’t good at baseball

The ♥ Jose Lopez ♥ Watch - 146 H, 16 BB, 44 G Left

by seattlebruin on Aug 11, 2008 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions

I wonder what started the discussion

If it started out of the blue as it’s listed, then yeah, trev barked up the wrong tree… but if the guy at the bar made that statement because Ichiro was somehow brought up as a topic, then he’s ignorant and wrong.

by Gomez on Aug 11, 2008 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions

But if this guy was just complaining about Chinese baseball players

and Trev started talking about Ichiro, then Trev is crazy.

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Aug 11, 2008 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I was talking about Ichiro and he said the Chinese can't play baseball

He thought Ichiro was Chinese. That is the way I understood him. I was merely listing a bunch of Japanese players who I though could play baseball. To be fair he was a really fun guy to talk to.

by nwtrev on Aug 11, 2008 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs