TOKYO, 3 October 2004 — Japanese school children and grown up fans cheered Ichiro Suzuki when he set a new major league baseball record for hits in a single season, a milestone that drew personal congratulations from Japan’s prime minister.
The 30-year-old Seattle Mariners outfielder broke George Sisler’s 84-year-old mark of 257 hits, setting a new standard of 259 at Seattle’s Safeco field.
“The only thing you can say is that it’s amazing ... Natural talent coupled with uncommon effort. This is greatness. I want to offer my congratulations from my heart,” Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters at his official residence.
In Washington, Japan’s ambassador to the United States Ryozo Kato released a statement. “I would like to congratulate him from the bottom of my heart and express my respect for achieving a milestone that will be remembered in the history of the major leagues,” Kyodo news agency quoted Kato as saying.
Like Japanese who traveled to Seattle to see the game, fans back home were thrilled after the fleet-footed Ichiro — known both for his batting artistry and his charismatic cool — first tied and then broke the record.
“I’m very happy as a Japanese. And I want him to get as many hits as possible to turn it into a record that won’t be broken until the 22nd or 23rd century,” said 28-year-old Toshikazu Nakamura, who watched Ichiro’s game at a sports bar in Tokyo.
Japanese sports fans eagerly snatched up extra editions of Japanese dailies that were issued after Ichiro broke the record.
Ichiro’s high school coach, Takeshi Nakamura, was equally enthusiastic. “It’s not just a new record, but a great record,” Kyodo quoted him as saying.
Ichiro has two games left in the season to improve on the record.
Long hours of grueling training as a child with his father perfected his swing and bat control.
Yesterday, Ichiro’s 61-year-old father, Nobuyuki, had a message for his son. “My body shook with emotion when I saw Ichiro’s expression... I want to tell Ichiro, ‘You did well to persevere’,” Kyodo quoted Nobuyuki as saying.
“He’s given the Japanese a sense of self-esteem they haven’t had,” Robert Whiting, an expert on Japanese baseball and author of a book about Ichiro, said earlier this week.
