A legend retires ...

[gingerjon]

A tweet this morning suggested that Ichiro Suzuki may be one of the five most important players in the last 150 years of baseball. That genuinely doesn't seem like an exaggeration.

If you add his Japanese and American hits together nobody has a higher total. The impact of his journey from the NPB to MLB was seismic, the way he played the game beautiful, and the way he transcended being simply a Seattle Mariner to being Ichiro ...

Well, in the 9th inning of the Seattle-Oakland game today he was pulled from right field. The game was in Tokyo and before it Ichiro had decided that, at 45, this would be his last game.

This is how a legend exits the stage.

 

[MattSantos]

Absolutely correct use of the word legend.

Watched a game in that stadium a few months back, incredible experience 

[Wiltshire Rhino]

No Ron! It's not about you! You're supposed to say "He's"! 

[BryanC]

Rounders.

[Bleep1673]

28 minutes ago, BryanC said:

Rounders.

Which can earn you $500,000 per WEEK

[MattSantos]

39 minutes ago, BryanC said:

Rounders.

This makes me laugh.

What do you do 8/10 hours a day, it likely isnt something you enjoy otherwise you wouldnt be such a dbag

[graveyard johnny]

it is rounders though to be fair, poshed up, just like pizza is poshed up cheese on toast- American sport is well erm???????????? never mind

[Wiltshire Rhino]

Whenever I've played rounders I never faced a 90mph fastball. 

[distantdog]

1 hour ago, graveyard johnny said:

it is rounders though to be fair, poshed up, just like pizza is poshed up cheese on toast- American sport is well erm???????????? never mind

I used to live in Naples. If l had said what you said about pizza l would have woken up with a horse's head next to me!! 

[Steve May]

On 3/21/2019 at 3:41 PM, gingerjon said:

A tweet this morning suggested that Ichiro Suzuki may be one of the five most important players in the last 150 years of baseball. That genuinely doesn't seem like an exaggeration.

If you add his Japanese and American hits together nobody has a higher total. The impact of his journey from the NPB to MLB was seismic, the way he played the game beautiful, and the way he transcended being simply a Seattle Mariner to being Ichiro ...

Well, in the 9th inning of the Seattle-Oakland game today he was pulled from right field. The game was in Tokyo and before it Ichiro had decided that, at 45, this would be his last game.

This is how a legend exits the stage.

 

I think I saw him play in Seattle a few years back

[CanaBull]

A people who chase cheese wheels down hills and kick shins for sport shouldn’t really be criticizing other sports

[gingerjon]

13 hours ago, Steve May said:

I think I saw him play in Seattle a few years back

A fellow dad at Little Ginger's old school used to turn up in an 'Ichiro' cap every so often.

He'd lived in Seattle when Ichiro joined the Mariners. He had absolutely no interest in baseball (or any sport TBH) whatsoever. But even he regarded Ichiro as a god amongst men - he just struggled to even begin to say why.

Hope you enjoyed the game. At least baseball comes with stadiums with nice shops and bars if the game's not interesting.

[Wiltshire Rhino]

13 hours ago, CanaBull said:

A people who chase cheese wheels down hills and kick shins for sport shouldn’t really be criticizing other sports

I will be attending my first ever Cheese Rolling on 27th May. I will be spectating only though! 

[Steve May]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

A fellow dad at Little Ginger's old school used to turn up in an 'Ichiro' cap every so often.

He'd lived in Seattle when Ichiro joined the Mariners. He had absolutely no interest in baseball (or any sport TBH) whatsoever. But even he regarded Ichiro as a god amongst men - he just struggled to even begin to say why.

Hope you enjoyed the game. At least baseball comes with stadiums with nice shops and bars if the game's not interesting.

I did.   I quite like baseball.   I’ve been to a few matches.  

Rather glamorously, the first baseball game I ever saw was Hanshin Tigers at Yomuiri Giants in Tokyo

Ive seen a game at Fenway as well   

 

[Steve May]

I travel a lot with work, and sports events are good ways to pass the time.  

I’ve been to watch NHL ice hockey, baseball in US and Japan, NBA basketball, several NRL games including a grand final, Super Rugby games, ODI cricket at the Wanderers in Jo’burg, South African Premier League football (only white guy in the stadium that day!), Aussie Rules (Essendon v Collingwood at the MCG, but also rather a lot of Glenelg games in the SANFL)

Pretty much, if I’m away from home and there’s sport on and I have the time, I’ll watch. 

Of all those, baseball is close to the top in terms of how much fun it was.  Great crowds as well - very knowledgeable, friendly and happy to explain the game to confused Brits.

In constrast, having been to an NBA game, if the greatest basketball players on earth were playing in my garden I’d shout at them to get off my lawn.    Similarly friendly crowds, but dullest sport imaginable.   

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Steve May said:

I travel a lot with work, and sports events are good ways to pass the time.  

I’ve been to watch NHL ice hockey, baseball in US and Japan, NBA basketball, several NRL games including a grand final, Super Rugby games, ODI cricket at the Wanderers in Jo’burg, South African Premier League football (only white guy in the stadium that day!), Aussie Rules (Essendon v Collingwood at the MCG, but also rather a lot of Glenelg games in the SANFL)

Pretty much, if I’m away from home and there’s sport on and I have the time, I’ll watch. 

Of all those, baseball is close to the top in terms of how much fun it was.  Great crowds as well - very knowledgeable, friendly and happy to explain the game to confused Brits.

In constrast, having been to an NBA game, if the greatest basketball players on earth were playing in my garden I’d shout at them to get off my lawn.    Similarly friendly crowds, but dullest sport imaginable.   

I have a friend who travels a lot. His sequence is that if there's musical theatre to attend he will go to that, if not then it's sport.

Unlike you, he went to an NBA game - Golden State Warriors featuring Steph Curry indeed - and was immediately converted. Of your list there, I'm most jealous of Glenelg and the Japanese baseball.

I dare you to find anyone in a baseball crowd who can successfully explain why the umpire just called balk then but didn't ten minutes ago.

[Steve May]

59 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I have a friend who travels a lot. His sequence is that if there's musical theatre to attend he will go to that, if not then it's sport.

Unlike you, he went to an NBA game - Golden State Warriors featuring Steph Curry indeed - and was immediately converted. Of your list there, I'm most jealous of Glenelg and the Japanese baseball.

I dare you to find anyone in a baseball crowd who can successfully explain why the umpire just called balk then but didn't ten minutes ago.

Horses for courses.  Clearly a lot of people like basketball, but it’s not for me.   I’m not big on musical theatre either - although I saw an excellent Pirates of Penzance in Sydney on one trip. 

Glenelg was good fun.   Lovely ground, sitting on the grass drinking beer.   I knew the coach at the time so it was entertaining sitting next to his wife while the fans slagged him off. 

Watched a few Adelaide Crows games as well over the years. 

[Wiltshire Rhino]

6 hours ago, Steve May said:

Great crowds as well - very knowledgeable, friendly and happy to explain the game to confused Brits.  

Based on my limited baseball attendance (1 game - Houston v Cincinnati, early 90s) I 100% agree

[CanaBull]

9 hours ago, Wiltshire Rhino said:

I will be attending my first ever Cheese Rolling on 27th May. I will be spectating only though! 

Reckon it’s only a matter of time before cheese wheel catching becomes its own extreme sport  

Would love to watch this event though in all honesty!

[17 stone giant]

12 hours ago, Steve May said:

I travel a lot with work, and sports events are good ways to pass the time.  

I’ve been to watch NHL ice hockey, baseball in US and Japan, NBA basketball, several NRL games including a grand final, Super Rugby games, ODI cricket at the Wanderers in Jo’burg, South African Premier League football (only white guy in the stadium that day!), Aussie Rules (Essendon v Collingwood at the MCG, but also rather a lot of Glenelg games in the SANFL)

Pretty much, if I’m away from home and there’s sport on and I have the time, I’ll watch. 

Of all those, baseball is close to the top in terms of how much fun it was.  Great crowds as well - very knowledgeable, friendly and happy to explain the game to confused Brits.

That's interesting to read. I'm like you in that I enjoy a wide variety of sports and have been to quite a few different events over the years - have even been to England v Australia netball at the O2 in London, which was actually very enjoyable.

I've never really got into watching baseball on tv though - it always seemed to be a bit slow and they rarely seemed to hit the ball. Having said that, I love snooker and test cricket, so it's maybe not just the speed of the game.

I've had friends that have watched it when in the US and they've mostly been very complimentary about it. Perhaps I'd like it more if I was able to attend a game, or maybe I just need to revisit watching it on TV and give it a bit more time - I never really watched more than half and hour here and then.

[gingerjon]

7 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

That's interesting to read. I'm like you in that I enjoy a wide variety of sports and have been to quite a few different events over the years - have even been to England v Australia netball at the O2 in London, which was actually very enjoyable.

I've never really got into watching baseball on tv though - it always seemed to be a bit slow and they rarely seemed to hit the ball. Having said that, I love snooker and test cricket, so it's maybe not just the speed of the game.

I've had friends that have watched it when in the US and they've mostly been very complimentary about it. Perhaps I'd like it more if I was able to attend a game, or maybe I just need to revisit watching it on TV and give it a bit more time - I never really watched more than half and hour here and then.

If you're struggling with baseball then unless you get a particularly good one or a sudden conversion, a regular season game is probably not going to help (I'd still give it a go though, mind).

Baseball in the post-season is like a switch has been flicked. Every play counts. That's a long way off though and Opening Day is this week. Pick a team and follow their results, it'll get you eventually.

Chicago Cubs, for mine.