“When you mail Ichiro something from the States, you only have to use that name on the address and he gets it [in Japan]. He's that big,” enthused Ichiro Suzuki’s agent Tony Attanasio when talking of his prized client. Ichiro’s impact on the sport in Japan and the United States is monumental, his talent unquestionable.
“There's nobody like Ichiro in either league—now or ever. He exists strictly within his own world, playing a game 100-percent unfamiliar to everyone else. The game has known plenty of 'slap' hitters, but none who sacrifice so much natural ability for the sake of the art... Ichiro, a man of wondrous strength, puts on impressive power-hitting displays almost nightly in batting practice. And he'll go deep occasionally in games, looking very much like someone who could do it again, often... [but] the man lives for hits, little tiny ones, and the glory of standing atop the world in that category. Every spring, scouts or media types write him off, swearing that opposing pitchers have found the key, and they are embarrassingly wrong” said New York Times sportswriter Bruce Jenkins.
Consequently, Ichiro is the epitome...
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