Ichiro, 3/31-6/26: .285/.346/.365
Ichiro Is Fine
...
You could go through a laundry list of potential reasons why Ichiro's numbers are down, but just because he's a unique player doesn't mean there has to be a unique explanation. He's been unlucky. Despite zero convincing evidence that his skills are eroding, he's struggling to match his recent batting lines, and when you see that happen to someone luck should automatically be the first thing that comes to mind.
Ichiro, 6/27-present: .359/.406/.441
Bad leg and all, for the last month and a half Ichiro's put up some of the finest raw numbers of his career.
We go through this at least once every season, but please, stop reading into Ichiro's numbers and inferring from the occasional cold streak that he's lost a step. He hasn't. Ever. The next time this suggestion proves accurate will be the first.
It's like the hitter's version of Mariano Rivera's annual two-week slump. How many more times do we have to do this before people catch on?
0 recs | 41 comments
Even his current season numbers don't look that bad...
BrianL - August 11, 2008
Well sometimes when you hit .351 the year before
it’s kind of hard to match that every season
seattlebruin - August 11, 2008
I just find it amusing that casual fans scream "ZOMG HE'S AWFUL"
despite the fact that Ichiro is currently hitting .310.
BrianL - August 11, 2008
I know I'm preaching to the choir at this point
but remember when he was a rookie and Baseball America did that poll of fans players and coaches and he was universally voted “Most Electrifying Player in MLB?” Well he hasn’t changed much – for me, he always has been and always will be well worth the price of admission on his own. There are not many other athletes, let alone Mariners that you could say that about (yes, I’m aware of who Felix Hernandez is).
I really don’t care what he’s hitting or how huge of a slump he might be in – he is the most exciting player I’ve ever watched and I’d never miss an at-bat of his if I could possibly help it.
seattlebruin - August 11, 2008
LOL WASNT A ROOKIE
Mariner John - August 12, 2008
Just post the video
of Ichiro’s catch earlier this season. That’s enough to make anyone marvel at this immense skill, regardless of the numbers. Ordinary athletes don’t make plays like that.
3744nsheffield - August 11, 2008
Bad teams focus their frustrations blah blah blah
Ichiro has always been a strength of this team.
Gomez - August 11, 2008
Ichiro only finishes last in the list of the Mariners’ problems this season.
PascoJoe - August 11, 2008
Good comment.
In the future please use the Title bar to start comments.
Thanks,
Faux - August 11, 2008
Explanation:
SBN 2.0 is a resource hog. Using the title bar allows users with less-powerful systems to collapse comments.
BrianL - August 11, 2008
That and it looks cleaner.
Faux - August 11, 2008
Yeah, that too.
BrianL - August 11, 2008
And makes it easier for the mods to find flagged comments.
Aaron Campeau - August 11, 2008
Ichiro is declining
The calculator is lying.
ThundaPC - August 11, 2008
Will he get to 200 hits?
Last time I checked it was going to be a struggle. To be fair that was two months ago, and I am too lazy to look up his stats…
EnglishMariner - August 11, 2008
He's sitting at 153 now.
BrianL - August 11, 2008
Yes, he will.
Matthew - August 11, 2008
On pace for 210
and that’s just using his overall season average.
Jeff Sullivan - August 11, 2008
So much for that whole decline thing.
BrianL - August 11, 2008
But he doesn't dive for balls and gives up singles in front of him. Bring back Quinton McCracken
...seriously though I was at Teddy’s in the U-District on Friday and got in an arguement with this guy that went something like this (I wish I was making this up)
Him: Those Chinese can’t play baseball. What do they know about baseball.
Me: Ichiro is from Japan and is a very good baseball player. The Japanese are very good players. They won the World Championship last year.
Him: Whatever. Those Chinese don’t know baseball. I’m from Puerto Rico and we know baseball.
Me: Matsui, Johjima, Suzuki (the other one), Iwamura, Matsuzaka, Okajima just to name a few. All decent ball players.
Him: They don’t know shit
Bartender to me: Knock it off
Me: but he doesn’t like Chinese people
Bartender and Him:
Ichiro is good and makes me want to go to Ms games. I predict he finishes with 219 hits this year.
nwtrev - August 11, 2008
all due respect, but
what does the argument about the prowess of Japanese players have to do with the guy at the bar’s statement that the Chinese can’t play baseball?
pdb - August 11, 2008
Man's got a point
the Chinese national baseball team is awful
seattlebruin - August 11, 2008
This is true
but I’m still not sure how listing off the great Japanese players of the day has any sort of relevance to the skills of the Chinese.
pdb - August 11, 2008
Oh, I'm agreeing - the man at the bar has a point
the Chinese really aren’t good at baseball
seattlebruin - August 11, 2008
I wonder what started the discussion
If it started out of the blue as it’s listed, then yeah, trev barked up the wrong tree… but if the guy at the bar made that statement because Ichiro was somehow brought up as a topic, then he’s ignorant and wrong.
Gomez - August 11, 2008
But if this guy was just complaining about Chinese baseball players
and Trev started talking about Ichiro, then Trev is crazy.
Llewdor - August 11, 2008
I was talking about Ichiro and he said the Chinese can't play baseball
He thought Ichiro was Chinese. That is the way I understood him. I was merely listing a bunch of Japanese players who I though could play baseball. To be fair he was a really fun guy to talk to.
nwtrev - August 11, 2008
That's the missing bit
He thought Ichiro was Chinese.
Now it makes more sense…
pdb - August 11, 2008
This story and the following string is bar none the greatest comedy bit since Who's on First.
If there is an LL Hall of Fame for threads, please please put this thing in it’s entirety.
dpseadv - August 11, 2008
I wasn't very clear on what started this
I was cheering on an Ichiro hit and telling my girlfriend for the 80th time how awesome Ichiro is and this guy jumped in.
nwtrev - August 11, 2008
I also had some side comments I put inside the greater than, less than symbols, but they didn't post
nwtrev - August 11, 2008
At what point did you break the beer bottle over his head?
kevin_ess - August 11, 2008
Or did you use your bar stool?
kevin_ess - August 11, 2008
I don't fight so I just had my girl beat his ass. She is from Wisconsin and she's mean
To get her riled up I just ask about Brett Favre
Once we got away from baseball he was actually pretty fun to talk to
nwtrev - August 11, 2008
Wait, what's wrong with Ichiro's leg?
Did I miss something when I was out of town?
Smegmalicious - August 11, 2008
Messed up hammy.
That happened back in July.
BrianL - August 11, 2008
If this is how he plays with a messed up hammy
Then Ichiro is legend.
Gomez - August 11, 2008
It makes me sad that people are going to irrationally despise him even after he's inducted into the hall of fame.
All I know is that I’m damn lucky to have gotten a chance to watch such a cerebral player take the field every day.
BrianL - August 11, 2008
It doesn't hit enough HR's, is what
his leg sucks.
pdb - August 11, 2008
Wow
Took me a few times to make sense of that.
ralphie81 - August 12, 2008
I like being obscure
it keeps everyone on their toes, mentally speaking.
pdb - August 12, 2008
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