Actor Eddie Murphy famously once said, “I'm a karate man! And a karate man bruises on the inside! They don't show their weakness.” That little jewel of Zen-like wisdom can be applied to Seattle’s favorite Japanese philosopher and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki.
Ichiro played in his first game last night since being placed on the 15-day DL with a bleeding ulcer. Looking at him last night you wouldn’t have known he was ever injured. But maybe the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitching staff thought Ichiro was weakened because of his injured insides. Maybe they thought they could hang a curveball and get away with it. And that's what Ichiro wants you to think. Just when it looks like you’ve got him on the mat, he strikes back with deadly precision.
Showing no weakness, Ichiro took a 3-2 breaking ball and deposited it into the right field stands for a grand slam last night as the Mariners throttled the Angels 11-3. The home run capped a seven-run seventh inning and put the game out of reach for the Angels.
The hit also puts Ichiro at 3,085 career hits between his seasons in Japan and Seattle. He’s now tied with Japan’s hit king Isao Harimoto, who made the trip to Seattle and was in attendance at Safeco Field.
"A lot of time when I have a record on the line, I have a tendency to hit a home run in those situations, so it crossed my mind maybe it would happen,” Ichiro said after the game. "But a grand slam? That barely happens in any situation, so it definitely didn't cross my mind."
About the Man Crush: This is a weekly installment for the blog where, for good or for bad, I’ll highlight one stand-out player or sports celebrity.
Ichiro played in his first game last night since being placed on the 15-day DL with a bleeding ulcer. Looking at him last night you wouldn’t have known he was ever injured. But maybe the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitching staff thought Ichiro was weakened because of his injured insides. Maybe they thought they could hang a curveball and get away with it. And that's what Ichiro wants you to think. Just when it looks like you’ve got him on the mat, he strikes back with deadly precision.
Showing no weakness, Ichiro took a 3-2 breaking ball and deposited it into the right field stands for a grand slam last night as the Mariners throttled the Angels 11-3. The home run capped a seven-run seventh inning and put the game out of reach for the Angels.
The hit also puts Ichiro at 3,085 career hits between his seasons in Japan and Seattle. He’s now tied with Japan’s hit king Isao Harimoto, who made the trip to Seattle and was in attendance at Safeco Field.
"A lot of time when I have a record on the line, I have a tendency to hit a home run in those situations, so it crossed my mind maybe it would happen,” Ichiro said after the game. "But a grand slam? That barely happens in any situation, so it definitely didn't cross my mind."
About the Man Crush: This is a weekly installment for the blog where, for good or for bad, I’ll highlight one stand-out player or sports celebrity.
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