Ichiro moves closer to Sisler's record with 5 hits

[Captain Japan]

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/images/sisler_george_3.jpghttp://espn-i.starwave.com/media/mlb/2001/0518/photo/a_ichiro_i.jpg

Ichiro moves closer to Sisler's record with 5 hits (http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040922p2a00m0sp004001c.html)
NEW YORK -- Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners produced five hits against the Anaheim Angels Tuesday, bolstering his drive for the Major League record of most hits in a single season.

His fifth hit during the game was his 243rd this year, 14 shy of the single season record set by George Sisler in 1920.
The question: should they keep pitching to Ichiro when an American icon's record is on the line???? 8O

For reference, see Randy Bass, Tuffy Rhodes, and Alex Cabrera (http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/caple_jim/1462474.html).

"They didn't want me to get the record," Cabrera said. "The last 20 at-bats of the season, I think I only saw one strike. All records are for the Japanese. All my teammates wanted me to break the record. A lot of the players on other teams wanted me to break it, too
In 1985, Randy Bass hit 54 home runs and would have broken Oh's record but the closer he got to it, the fewer strikes he received. Last year Rhodes hit 55 home runs but got no further, either. This year it was Cabrera's turn.

[Taro Toporific]

The question: should they keep pitching to Ichiro when an American icon's record is on the line???? 8O

For reference, see Randy Bass, Tuffy Rhodes, and Alex Cabrera (http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/caple_jim/1462474.html).

Nope. Fair is fair. They shouldn't keep pitching to Ichiro
They ought to walk him like Bass, Rhodes, Cabrera, et al.

I was in my local Farm Coop when they walked Ichiro yesterday and there was a gasp. The EVERYBODY turned, looked at me cheering the walk and the phrase repeated was, " aho ka. ":twisted:


*In Ehime-ben aho ka = asso ka but everybody was just teasing me about my overly standard Japanese and they meant aho is in baka.

[Cobra]

im not into baseball. infact I know FA about it. But this situation doesnt suprise me with the Japanese. DBLstandards all the way with them.
Fuck ichiro. looks like a retard anyhow.

[dingosatemybaby]

Fuck ichiro. looks like a retard anyhow.

Dingo thinks he may have found a new sig.

[gaijinzilla]

Of course they'll let Ichiro break the record. Baseball records are meant to be broken & they can be broken by any player in this day and age, it's the 21st century....except in Japan, where it's still the dark ages (that stat about 40% of school kids thinking the sun revolving around the earth proves this) hence they're meant to be broken ONLY by Japanese ball players.

Another thing, and this puzzles me, but how can someone using an avatar of Hitler comment upon Ichiro looking retarded? :eeh:

[Cobra]

Of course they'll let Ichiro break the record. Baseball records are meant to be broken & they can be broken by any player in this day and age, it's the 21st century....except in Japan, where it's still the dark ages (that stat about 40% of school kids thinking the sun revolving around the earth proves this) hence they're meant to be broken ONLY by Japanese ball players.

Another thing, and this puzzles me, but how can someone using an avatar of Hitler comment upon Ichiro looking retarded? :eeh:

easy. whats the problem? Hitler was a genius. love him or hate him he was that.

[yakinoumiso]

Of course they'll let Ichiro break the record. Baseball records are meant to be broken & they can be broken by any player in this day and age, it's the 21st century....

Yeah, unless you happen to be Barry Bonds. :x These days it seems like the guy picks up more intentional walks than actual pitches over the plate. I think the only reason they are pitching to Ichiro is because even if he hits, the Mariners still lose. Right now the Mariners are 30 1/2 games back.

[gaijinzilla]

Barry Bonds gets walked because his bat does more damage than Ichiro's singles. Although Ichiro did get intentionally walked a few times in a few of the Mariners latest games..

As for the rather silly notion that Hitler was a genius....why-- because he had the Autobahn constructed? :banana:

[Cobra]

As for the rather silly notion that Hitler was a genius....why-- because he had the Autobahn constructed?

yeah.

[gaijinzilla]

Thanks for the laughs!

[Pal_msy]

Ultimately, he put Germany back in a similar position they were after the great war. And with berlin bombed to the shithouse. good times...

[Watcher]

Hate to bump this up when it's so clearly heading off topic but Cobra, you are an idiot. There's no need to reply to this as I won't see it... you've spewed crap for too long (yet such a short time) and are Ignored (thanks for the feature Ultra 8) )
And, Yes, he is a big floppy donkey dick :lol:

[maraboutslim]

Is this going to be another one of those Asterisk things where they say Sisler played when there were X fewer games?

Regarding Bonds: I was born a Dodger fan and (against all odds) have remained one even through the Fox ownership era and now with this new wacko owner. And though I now live 10min from the Giants stadium, I consider the Giants to be "the hated ones", just like Vic the Brick says. But damn, Barry Bonds is amazing.

There are a few things that really impress me about baseball. Barry Zito's curve ball on a good day. Eric Gagne often striking out the side on like 11 pitches. The speed at which Ichiro gets out of the box and across the first base bag turning routine groundouts into hits. But I suspect I will see things like those last three again from other players in the future. I doubt I'll ever see anything like Barry Bonds again.

[AssKissinger]

Bonds is a streroid poppin' monkey! Hammerin' Hank forever! Juiced Bonds Never!

GO!GO!ICHIRO!

Ichiro record tracker
:arrow:
http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/events/ichiro_hits_tory/index.jsp (a little slow to update)

[Mulboyne]

4 more today.

If he does get the record, it will receive so much coverage in Japan that I wonder whether a foreign hitter will ever again be denied a chance to surpass Oh's record.

You have to think that at least part of the reason for keeping Japanese baseball records for local players has been an inferiority complex. A sense that "of course the gaijin can hit better than us but they are just hired muscle". With the success of Japanese players in the MLB, this becomes less of an issue and a record for Ichiro could be a turning point.

Then again, it might not.

[AssKissinger]

Oh's an FG his damn self. Half Taiwanese. Fuck the Japanese record. This is about real baseball. Oh's record isn't worth the gum stuck on the bottom Ichiro's cleats.

[twilightzone]

sport is sport. who care`s about the Japanese record. I think the American Baseball is better than that. I say if he can get it give it to him.

[mr. sparkle]

Yeah, unless you happen to be Barry Bonds. :x These days it seems like the guy picks up more intentional walks than actual pitches over the plate.

It's too bad, because if they'd actually pitch to Bonds, then he could catch Hank Aaron's record within one year. Now it'll take him two. He'll still be a Giant 'til 2006 so that will be a sweet record to break and also a tribute to his dad (who just passed away), a former Giants star.

http://www.vnn.vn/dataimages/original/images124138_Barry%20Bonds.jpg

BTW, it's a bloodbath here in the NL West and Wild Card standings right now.

The Giants only stand 1/2 game back from the division leading Dodgers with less than ten games left. The last few games are against San Diego (Wild Card rivals) and LA (NL West rivals). Not only that, but the Giants are barely hangin' onto a Wild Card lead in the National League over the Chicago Cubs, who are playing damn good ball right now. LA is waning and SF is peaking right now, so I predict that they'll steal the NL West. :twisted:

I'm feeling very twitchy now. 8O

Let's Go GIANTS. :!:

[Caustic Saint]

(I just wonder whether Ichiro is still tying up young girls to his hotel bed and having his way with them?).
Is that the kind of thing that reflects negatively on a guy? :D

I say overhaul the entire system, join hands with Korea, Taiwan and Australia to form an Asian Baseball League that serves as a feeder to the Majors. Then, one day, we can have a true World Series (Apologies to Americans who think they've already got one).
Well, the Canadians get to try and play in it too.

[Captain Japan]

Just thinking back to Ichiro, I don't think it would even enter the minds of the Major League pitchers to deprive him of the chance at the record simply because he's an FG. That simply isn't the way Americans work.

I think this is absolutely right. I just put the question up there because it is an interesting comparison.

[AssKissinger]

I think it should be called the North American Series instead of the World Series.

Sorry to dis you dude but that is the one of the most unoriginal comments out there. Living overseas it comes up every fucking October. It's a misnomer. Big fucking deal. World just means like super or whatever. It's just like Rugby fans saying 'NFL guys where pads, what a bunch of pussies.' I've only heard it like a billion trillion fucking times before. And it was dull the first fucking time.

[gaijinzilla]

Actually basketball has a better world-wide following than baseball. It isn't as expensive to play as baseball is, at the grassroots level, either. Just need a ball and a hoop, although two are prefered!

I don't think North Americans would go for the promotion/relegation deal. Just not a part of the sports culture, like it is in Europe.

I know the Japanese are really trying to put forward the idea of having a World Cup of baseball. I wouldn't mind seeing a type of competition like soccer's Champions League, having a tournament reserved for the winner of the World Series, Nippon Series, Mexican League, Cuba, etc instead of national teams getting involved. Although I guess the Koreans would have problems fielding any teams due to the scandal that has broken out over there (players dodging the draft---military draft that is)

[AssKissinger]

Well baseball will always have to share the world stage with cricket so it's unlikely to ever be as popular as soccer. Same with football and rugby. Basketball, frankly, just isn't that good of a game. At least not with how the clock is managed now. It has great potential but needs a massive reworking of the rules. Baseball is in my opinion the world's greatest sport although it's true I don't understand cricket at all. Soccer's main problem is almost every play turns out the same way. The offense gets driven to the side and there's no chance of a goal. I mean scores may be cheap in the NBA and NFL but nil to nil is just boring BULLSHIT. Baseball just has the perfect balance. And I love the way the game starts and stops naturally with no clock. It's a great game. One thing to think about, concerning your ideas about globalizing the game is that it's not too unrealistic to imagine supersonic jets that skip into orbit making it possible to travel from NY to Tokyo in two or three hours. That way cities around the world could have MLB teams. The time zones would be insane but everyone would have to deal with it.


basketball is always going to struggle because you've got to have certain conditions to play it. I don't get what you mean about that.

[maraboutslim]

basketball is always going to struggle because you've got to have certain conditions to play it. I don't get what you mean about that.

I think he means that the force of gravity must be strong enough that the ball doesn't want to float away into outer space but is capable of going down to the floor when pushed down by the hand of the dribbler, but not so strong that the ball fails to bounce back up into the dribblers hand. Where are we going to find conditions like that?

[Ketou]

I wonder if Aussies ever will take baseball seriously. Though the amatuer Aussie team beating the pro Japanese team at the olympics may spur some interest.

I think he means that the force of gravity must be strong enough that the ball doesn't want to float away into outer space but is capable of going down to the floor when pushed down by the hand of the dribbler, but not so strong that the ball fails to bounce back up into the dribblers hand. Where are we going to find conditions like that?

Or maybe that you just can't play it in the rain!!

[Blah Pete]

Hate to divert the original topis but since we have some FGs on hand that are know something about Aussie baseball there are some questions I have

What is the status of baseball down under? There are enough plaqyers in N. America that they can't all have been raised overseas (parents were diplomatics, uni proffessors, etc.).
The competition to make the roster in the N. America is tough with all the competion from baseball crazy countries like Dominican Republic and, Japan, Korea. So the Aussies must be be getting some decent level coaching and competition somewhere.

Back to the original topic. I think if Ichiro breaks the record and isn't intentionally walked (ala Randy Bass) it will make J-Ball look amateur and just one more step to becoming an extension to the AAA league. I would hope that it may awaken a few to see that it doesn't matter who breaks the record. Records are made to be broken.

The idea of a World Cup of beaseball is nice bit when you get down to actual specifics it probably will never happen. Reasons ot won't:

1. Pro season too long already. Can't stretch into winter in N. Americe or N.E. Asia (forget dome stadiums)
Pros will not go to S. America or S. Hemishpere for tournament in off season.
No changes to MLB season will be allowed as owners don't want to risk losing $$$$$
2. Pro league over-protection of players, especially pitchers.
3. MLB wants to mange the show. IBF (International Baseball Federation) also wants to run the show. IBF ran the Athens tournament. MLB had more $$ and organization ability. IBF is borderline amateur.
3. Athens tourney showed that the status of international umpiring is not up to the level for a World Cup. Did anyone see the Canada-Cube game and hear the J-announcers complain about the umpiring and shifting strike zone?

I don't think that there will be any major international competition until the Olympic baseball tournamnent is raised and counties will actually pull players from the MLB much like they do in soccer for WC qualifiers.
It would be nice to see a World Cup type competion though. :D :evil:

[Mulboyne]

Just thinking back to Ichiro, I don't think it would even enter the minds of the Major League pitchers to deprive him of the chance at the record simply because he's an FG. That simply isn't the way Americans work.
I think if Ichiro breaks the record and isn't intentionally walked (ala Randy Bass) it will make J-Ball look amateur and just one more step to becoming an extension to the AAA league. I would hope that it may awaken a few to see that it doesn't matter who breaks the record. Records are made to be broken.
Both comments sum the topic up well. I think one of the reasons for Japanese baseball malaise is the growing recognition that the country produces world-class players but the game is run by an incompetent, navel-gazing administration.

As well as the Japan single-season record, Oh scored 868 home runs in his career. Very creditable but, rightly, this achievement is not mentioned in the same breath as Hank Aaron's MLB total of 755. The only Japanese record which deserved respect was Sachio Kinugasa's 2,216 consecutive professional appearances, broken by Cal Ripken Jr who went on to 2,632.

[gaijinzilla]

About Kinugasa's record, I remember reading somewhere (was it "You Gotta Have Wa"?) that the total should be almost doubled because pre-game practices took as long as nine inning games!!!

I sometimes wonder if the reason for non-japanese athletes not being "allowed" to break certain Japanese records lies in the fact that they are considered tsuketto (helpers) rather than full fledged team members by management, along the lines of "here today, gone tomorrow"....a reflection of how many foreigners get treated in day-to-day life in Japan

[Captain Japan]

Ichiro gets 2 hits to move within 8 of Sistler's record (http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040925p2a00m0dm014000c.html)
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki produced two hits in a game with the Texas Rangers on Friday, coming within eight hits of the Major League record set by George Sistler in 1920.

[Captain Japan]

Suzuki has 251st hit, Mariners top Texas (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_ylc=X3oDMTBpcDBuM2RlBF9TAzk1ODYxNzc3BHNlYwN 0aA--?gid=240926113&prov=ap)
Ichiro Suzuki moved within six of the season hits record, going 1-for-4 with an intentional walk. His sixth-inning single raised his total to 251 with seven games remaining to reach the record of 257, set by George Sisler in 1920.

He's making steady progress...

[Mulboyne]

Amusing spoof:
Ichiro Receiving Death Threats From Angry George Sisler Fans (http://www.thebrushback.com/ichiro_full.htm)

SEATTLE, WA--On the verge of breaking George Sisler’s 84–year-old record for most hits in a season, Ichiro is facing an opposition tougher than any pitcher. The Mariners outfielder has recently been the recipient of hundreds of death threats warning him to stay away from the legendary mark. It’s gotten so bad that the team has been forced to hire extra security in order to protect him from the legions of ravenous George Sisler fans.
Suzanne Bryson, travel secretary from the Mariners, said she receives close to a hundred emails a day threatening violence against Ichiro. The Sisler fanatics are growing increasingly nervous about their cherished record.
“The closer he gets to breaking it, the worse the letters become,” said Bryson. “Take this one, for example. It reads ‘You Jap bastard, if you break Sisler’s record I’m gonna hunt you down and kill you!’ And this other one calls him a ‘chink asshole.’ Talk about ignorant. He’s not even a chink. Chinks are from China.”
Ichiro is undeterred by the death threats. He plans to continue pursuing the record in hopes of breaking it for his fans in Seattle and Japan.
“I am not afraid,” he said, through an interpreter. “I feel it is my destiny to be the all-time leader in hits in a season, despite what these ignorant people say. I understand that Mr. Sisler is a respected and admired figure in American history, and I wish no disrespect in my quest for his record. Rather, I feel it is a tribute to his memory to bring that record back to the forefront. Also, since American League pitchers still have no idea how to pitch me, it will be impossible for me not to get the record. Sorry, assholes.”

Also: Sports Fans Suffering From Milestone Fatigue (http://www.thebrushback.com/sportsfan_full.htm)

“Did Ichiro break the singles mark or the hits mark?” asked Barry Kreutzmann, 32, of Pensacola, FL. “Or did he break the all-time rushing record? No, wait a minute, that was Emmitt Smith. I don’t even give a shit anymore, to tell you the truth. I’m starting to think ESPN is just trying to attract more viewers. Yea, I know, I’m starting to sound like some kooky conspiracy theorist. Anyway, call me when someone breaks Roger Maris’s single season home run record. They already did? Oh, well then don’t call me.”

[Captain Japan]

Ichiro gets 2 hits to move within 3 of Sisler's record (http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040929p2a00m0sp003000c.html)
OALKLAND, California -- Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki produced two hits in a game with the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday local time.
Looks like the record is in the bag...

[Captain Japan]

Amusing spoof:
I sent this to about 6 baseball friends without the "spoof" preface and 3 have thought it was real. 8O

[GomiGirl]

Amusing spoof:
I sent this to about 6 baseball friends without the "spoof" preface and 3 have thought it was real. 8O

Well if it looks official it must be true... Amazing the power of the press!! :?

[Burn One]

I hope Ichiro breaks the record.........

[AssKissinger]

I hope Ichiro breaks the record.........

Yeah, me too! He's so cool. He has a great chance too. 3 to tie 4 to break 5 games to go. BTW, great name dude. I'm totally pro-weed myself.

[Burn One]

I hope Ichiro breaks the record.........

Yeah, me too! He's so cool. He has a great chance too. 3 to tie 4 to break 5 games to go. BTW, great name dude. I'm totally pro-weed myself.

Thanks man!!

I'm 50 years old.......definetly a "throw-back" from the 70's!!

I love this site too.....

Be well............stay in touch!

[Captain Japan]

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/photojournal/images/2004/09/30ichiro267.jpg
Two to go!
Mainichi Daily News (http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/)
Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki hits a single, his 255th hit of the seaon, off Oakland Athletics pitcher Rich Harden in the fifth inning in Oakland, California on Wednesday. Suzuki needs two more hits to equal one of the oldest records in major league baseball of 257 hits in a season set in 1920 by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns.
He's got 3 more games left...

[Captain Japan]

Suzuki misses in two chances to match baseball hit mark (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=afp-baseball_usa_jpn_ichiro&prov=afp&type=lgns)
OAKLAND, United States (AFP) - Japan's Ichiro Suzuki singled home a run in the third inning to move one hit shy of the Major League Baseball one-season hit record but missed two chances to equal the mark.
And then there was one...

[Captain Japan]

Ichiro makes his mark with a traditional style
Times of London (subscription only)

The Japanese is poised to break an old baseball record, Leo Lewis writes from Tokyo
ICHIRO SUZUKI has spent nearly a decade in the spotlight, but he is finally poised to strike the definitive blow for Japanese baseball ・a place in the US record books that has lain undisturbed since 1920.
To Japanese, who unflinchingly share with the Americans the view that baseball is their national sport, the breaking of the hits-per-season record will be a quadruple victory ・proof that Japanese players are as good as their trans-Pacific counterparts, proof that a Japanese can make it in the US major leagues, proof that the Japanese 都ystem・works and proof that Japanese pundits were right when they said ten years ago that Ichiro 都imply is baseball・
All over Japan, the front pages of the newspapers have for weeks, with varying levels of discretion, printed a countdown to Ichiro痴 杜agic number・・the 257 hits he needs to hold the all-time record and knock George Sisler off a perch he has occupied for 84 years.
In Kobe, where Ichiro began his extraordinary career, the clock-watching has turned into an obsession. In the mornings, televisions are tuned to live coverage of the US evening games and to the exploits of the Seattle Mariners, the struggling team whose lack of success somehow accentuates Ichiro痴 glory.
Ichiro痴 entry into the baseball annals by smashing one of the sport痴 oldest records will only add to his massive popularity in Japan, a country where he has the rare distinction of being known only by his first name. Books have been written about 鍍he meaning of Ichiro・and anthologies of his more memorable quotations have sold in their tens of thousands. In the late 1990s, Nissan痴 domestic car advertising campaign was based on just two words: 的chiro Nissan.・
But it is the nature of the record itself that so excites Japanese aficionados. Eight of the top ten holders of the hits-per-season record achieved their feats from 1920 to 1930 ・an era that, for the Japanese, represents the period most worthy of emulation. Since then, the US game has changed to an emphasis on home runs and the muscle-bound sluggers who can knock the ball out of the park.
But in Japan, where Ichiro learnt his trade, the emphasis has always been different. Teamwork is all and the highest praise has always gone to those who break the 努orkaday・records ・hits per season and runs batted in. Ichiro is seen as a team-focused professional. He gets up, he goes to work, he hits carefully to a spot where there are no fielders, he gets to first base without mishap and he goes home. And the Japanese love that.

[Mulboyne]

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forum/album_mod/upload/imagedeleted.jpg
ESPN: Ichiro passes Sisler, pads record (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1893214)
Fireworks went off after the ball reached the outfield, creating a haze over Safeco Field, and Suzuki's teammates mobbed him at first base. The crowd gave him a standing ovation and Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira shook the Japanese outfielder's hand.
With the fans still cheering, Suzuki ran over to the first-base seats and shook hands with Sisler's 81-year-old daughter, Frances Sisler Drochelman, and other members of the Hall of Famer's family.