Ichiro Suzuki Biography

"Any pitch, any time, any place, any situation - you throw it, Ichiro will hit it." ~ Leigh Montville (Sports Illustrated)

For millions of his baseball fans, he is simply Ichiro (meaning first boy). Ichiro Suzuki, the star of American League games was born in Kasugai (Japan) on October 22, 1973. He is the second child of Nobuyuki Ichiro and Yoshie. The senior Ichiro, a high school baseball player, was aware of his son's natural talent for the game. Since the age of three, Ichiro started practicing baseball in his backyard. After his third birthday, he received his first baseball and baseball glove, which he still treasures.

At the age of six, Ichiro joined the Little League, though he was two years junior than the allowed age. However, nobody questioned his age, as he was the most talented player in the league. It was his father's motivation and his hard work, that made him one of the best baseball player that he is today. Nobuyuki trained his son rigorously for four hours daily and taught him the tactics of pitching. Though Ichiro is right-handed, his father let him switch to left-hand hitting, to make the best use of his speed.

Ichiro became the best junior baseball player, when he was in the seventh grade. From that time onwards, he knew how to manipulate the speed and change the hitting spots as per the situation. Ichiro's love for the game is evident from his everyday duty; in his school, there was a tradition of washing clothes for the seniors, which he did at 3 am in the morning, so that he could get more time to practice baseball during the day. Academically, he was also a good student.

In his senior school years, Ichiro became the best pitcher and hitter of his team. His team Aikodai Meiden won national recognition and Ichiro became an icon at Japan's National High School Baseball tournament (Koshien). In 1991, while graduating from school, he got a offer to play for Pacific League's BlueWave. He played for the BlueWave for seven consecutive years and during this time, he set a national record for being the first baseman to play 57 games continuously.

Ichiro Suzuki: Nation's Pride

Ichiro Suzuki has ruled the world of baseball in his native country, for nine years. In the 1990s, he won the title of the most popular face of Japan. He is often regarded as a rock star, rather than an athlete. His dressing style and response in interviews attract a lot of young fans. Due to his notable performances, he was named as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times.

At the age of twenty-four (in 2000), his celebrity status reached its peak, when his father dedicated a museum in Nagoya (Japan) to his son. In November 2000, Ichiro signed a three-year deal with Seattle Mariners and became the first Japanese baseball player to play for the United States team. Though he plays for the US team, he is still very attached to his native place and insists on wearing a baseball shirt with his first name on it, as he did when playing for Japan.

Ichiro Suzuki: Achievements

Ichiro's hard work and dedication has paid off and today, the world knows him by the name 'hitting machine'. Till date, he has won many titles and honors including:

• Best Nine (Japan) - Seven times (1994-2000)
• Gold Glove (Japan) - Seven times (1994-2000)
• MLA (Matsutaro Shoriki Award, Japan) - Two times (1994-1995)
• AL (American League) Rookie of the Year Award (2001)
• Topps All-Star Rookie Team (2001)
• AL All-Star - Eight times (2001-2008)

Well! These are some of the notable achievements of Ichiro Suzuki. He has also won several other awards, which includes the AL Singles Leader, AL Batting Average Leader, AL Stolen Bases Leader and AL At-Bats Leader.