Ichiro turns down Japanese government award for third time
TOKYO (AP) — For the third time, baseball star Ichiro Suzuki has turned down a prestigious Japanese government award handed to stars in sports, entertainment, and culture.
A Japanese government spokesman said Friday that Ichiro, who retired last month with the Seattle Mariners, had declined the People's Honor Award.
The most recent winner was Olympic skating gold medalist Hanyu Yuzuru, who was named last year following the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
The first winner in 1977 was baseball player Sadaharu Oh. New York Yankees star Hideki Matsui won the award in 2013.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Ichiro indicated, through a third party, that he'd rather receive the award "when he draws the curtain" on his life.
The 45-year-old Ichiro retired with 3,089 hits in the major leagues, and had 1,278 more in his career in Japan. He is sure to be the first Japanese player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
-
MLB's top 10 DH seasons of all time: Will Shohei Ohtani log No. 1?
2024 MLB MVP odds: Shohei Ohtani moving up National League oddsboard
Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleads guilty to bank fraud
-
Mike Trout decided having surgery was better option than being only a DH the rest of the season
The Astros are loaded but they keep losing. Could they become sellers?
20 Best pitchers in MLB 2024: Ranking the top 20 starters
-
2025 NFL mock draft: Who are next year's top prospects
-
MLB's top 10 DH seasons of all time: Will Shohei Ohtani log No. 1?
2024 MLB MVP odds: Shohei Ohtani moving up National League oddsboard
Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleads guilty to bank fraud
-
Mike Trout decided having surgery was better option than being only a DH the rest of the season
The Astros are loaded but they keep losing. Could they become sellers?
20 Best pitchers in MLB 2024: Ranking the top 20 starters
-
2025 NFL mock draft: Who are next year's top prospects