4,000-hit landmark for Suzuki
Print Edition
Japan’s Ichiro Suzuki wasted no time belting the 4,000th hit of his pro career, achieving the milestone in the first inning of New York’s 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
His baseball-crazy home country erupted in joy over the feat with his father Nobuyuki urging him to go for more.
Yankees outfielder Suzuki performed the feat on Wednesday by slicing one of Toronto pitcher RA Dickey’s knuckleballs past diving third baseman Brett Lawrie and into left field in his first at-bat.
The 39-year-old Suzuki, who has played professionally in both Japan and North America, finished the game 1-for-4.
Alfonso Soriano hit a tiebreaking two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning as the Yankees handed the hapless Blue Jays their 12th consecutive loss in New York.
As soon as Suzuki stopped at first base, the New York players came out of the dugout to celebrate with him.
Modest bow
The crowd stood and cheered and Suzuki acknowledged their applause with a modest bow.
“It was supposed to be a number that was special to me, but what happened tonight, I wasn’t expecting,” said Suzuki.
“When my teammates came out to first base, that was very special. The fans, I wasn’t expecting so much joy and happiness from them. That’s what made it very special tonight; not just the number, but all the things that came with it.”
The 10-time all-star joins some elite company, with Pete Rose (4,256) and Hall of Famer Ty Cobb (4,189) the only two players to reach that elusive mark. Cobb and Rose achieved their marks while playing their entire careers in American baseball.
Suzuki has now compiled 2,722 hits during his 13 seasons in America. He racked up his first 1,278 hits while playing nine years with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan from 1992-2000.
In Tokyo, major newspapers handed out extra editions yesterday to mark the occasion.
“It’s an astonishing figure,” a smiling Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters. “He has set a new, great standard for the world of baseball.”
Ichiro’s father, 70, who heads the player’s management office, said: “I was moved to tears the moment he made the hit. I felt a lump in my throat.”
“It’s the 4,000th hit alright. But there is always someone better,” the senior Suzuki said in his family’s hometown of Toyoyama near Nagoya.
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