Sporting News staff reports
According to the Seattle Times, Ichiro watching makes for riveting television in Japan. So riveting that when every one of Ichiro Suzuki’s 2,030 major league hits—over his nine-year career with the Mariners—were broadcast in his native country from midnight to 6 a.m. on New Year’s Day, the show was declared a ratings success.
"I was already asleep," Ichiro told the newspaper, laughing. "That’s the kind of attention I strive for. As a player, you have to be of the mindset that your purpose is trying to give people a compelling reason to maintain their interest in your performance every season.
"We’re behooved as professional baseball players to do that. The fact that I was able to fulfill that quest to the extent that one network thought it made for compelling programming makes me very happy."
Sporting News staff reports
According to the Seattle Times, Ichiro watching makes for riveting television in Japan. So riveting that when every one of Ichiro Suzuki’s 2,030 major league hits—over his nine-year career with the Mariners—were broadcast in his native country from midnight to 6 a.m. on New Year’s Day, the show was declared a ratings success.
"I was already asleep," Ichiro told the newspaper, laughing. "That’s the kind of attention I strive for. As a player, you have to be of the mindset that your purpose is trying to give people a compelling reason to maintain their interest in your performance every season.
"We’re behooved as professional baseball players to do that. The fact that I was able to fulfill that quest to the extent that one network thought it made for compelling programming makes me very happy."