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Ichiro Suzuki: Baseball's Most Underappreciated Legend
Over 3,000 MLB hits, 10 Gold Gloves and multiple All-Star appearances have done little to help Ichiro Suzuki's popularity. Why does he remain baseball's most underappreciated star?
Not many MLB players have had the kind of career Ichiro Suzuki has put together. In an era where the long ball reigned supreme, Suzuki has succeeded going a different route. The future Hall of Famer made a name for himself with slap hits rather than round-trippers. A little more unorthodox, it did help Suzuki amass more hits combined in Japan and the U.S. than anyone else, including Pete Rose.
Despite his obvious talents, Suzuki hardly compares in popularity to other greats from the last two decades. What is it that has held him back from going more mainstream?
Immediately, one may want to claim this is because Suzuki played in the Northwest for most of his career. The national coverage the Seattle Mariners receive is nowhere near what other teams do. They are tucked away in the corner, three hours behind most major markets. Many MLB fans in the country saw him mostly in highlight reels. Thankfully, he has had plenty over the last two decades.
An obvious flaw in this theory leaks when blaming geography. Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez never had problems getting noticed during their time with the Mariners. Why would Suzuki have issues when he is playing in a time with more coverage than ever before?
If there's any excuse to make it might be more about how Suzuki's years in Seattle were lean in the wins department. Aside from his rookie year in 2001 when the Mariners won 116 games, Suzuki was out of the playoffs. He would not visit the postseason again until 2012 as part of the New York Yankees. By this point, Suzuki was past his prime and playing in a more limited capacity.
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Suzuki, while well-known and admired, set far too many records to become an afterthought. From his rookie year in 2001 until 2010, he was the American League leader in hits seven times. He also took home two batting titles and was the recipient of a Gold Glove for 10 consecutive seasons.
The kind of numbers Suzuki put up during those phenomenal years are historic. Perhaps he goes underappreciated because Suzuki did everything asked of him and more without causing a fuss. He never suffered any major injury in his career, stayed clear of controversy and was revered as one of the "good guys" in baseball.
The cliched phrase "nice guys finish last" is relevant to Suzuki's career. Of course, this will not be the case when all is said and done. Over 3,000 hits in MLB alone along with other fantastic numbers will land him in Cooperstown five years after retirement.
Maybe the more appropriate phrase for Suzuki is the one popularized by the 1980s hair band Cinderella about not knowing what you got until it's gone. When he finally does hang up his cleats we will all wish he had stuck around a little longer.
