Story Published:
Apr 3, 2008 at 5:42 PM PST
Story Updated:
Apr 3, 2008 at 5:42 PM PST
As Ichiro reaches and passes his 1000th game in the Major Leagues, I thought that it would be a good time to relay some of my Ichiro stories. I figure that I have been there for at least 800 of those games. In those years in covering Ichiro there were times I thought I might have a grasp of just who he was. I know I have seen glimpses of personality but ultimately, despite the time spent around him and sometimes talking to him both in formal and informal settings I still feel I know very little of just who he is. It is not for lack of trying, rather, I think that Ichiro likes to have the aura of mystique (apologies to Curt Schilling) partly to keep a distance between himself and the public and partly because he his creative and enjoys keeping everyone around him on their toes.
I guess I will start at the beginning. I was not at spring training when Ichiro first arrived, but from what I have heard from others, the Japanese media onslaught was like nothing anyone who had ever covered the Mariners had seen before. Tents had to be put up around the complex so they would have room to work, and to get out of the sun. The Mariners made the decision to locker Ichiro next to Mike Cameron. This was smart first off in who wouldn’t want to locker next to Mike Cameron and secondly, Clammy had a great personality and was able to step in and diffuse the situation when the media crunch got to be too much around Ichiro. In other words, Cammy kept things light and fun. The two had a mutual interest in each other as in the early days, Ichiro was a fan of hip hop music and jargon and Cammy was curious about Japanese culture. Ichiro would teach Cammy some Japanese phrases and give him some of the rice balls his wife made for him daily. It was a great relationship and I think it helped Ichiro ease into the world of Major League Baseball.
I spoke with Cammy last year in San Diego about the early days with Ichiro and Cammy told me he really felt for him. He was sure that no one in baseball had ever faced such scrutiny and admired the way he handled it. The scrutiny is still there in that every move that Ichiro makes on the field, every single second, is caught by at least one camera and quite often, many more. I am not just talking about during the games, but the minute he steps out on the field, often around 2:00 to go through his stretching routine, the cameras are on and rolling. During batting practice, when Ichiro comes into the dugout to get ready to hit, the cameras focus in on his back as he puts on his batting gloves. During the games there are cameras dedicated to Ichiro exclusively. They stay with him during the commercial breaks. What they do with all this footage, I have no idea. But can you imagine having a camera on you every second you are at work?
In addition to the cameras there is the Japanese press group which talks to Ichiro after every game. I know of no other player that talks to the press after every single game. While I agree for the most part with those who say that Ichiro is not a leader, I think that he sets two great examples, one in his preparation and dedication to that preparation and two in the fact that he has always talked after games.
As far as stories go, the first thing I want to say is that every now and then it hits me that this guy is basically Elvis in another part of the world. He is that big. When I covered the team on a part time basis in 2001 I would get nervous if I had to ask him a question. In observing the Japanese reporters and knowing a bit about Japanese culture I knew that I should approach him with politeness and perhaps reverence as well. I loosened up on those rules a bit last year and heard about it. In one interview I found out that he was not happy with my posture as I listened to an answer he was giving and thought that I was taking lightly what he was saying. It was far from the truth, but a lesson to me in that sometimes you have to adjust to those around you, because what wasn’t a big deal to me (how I was standing) was to him. If he is going to give me the words, I am happy to play by his rules which were to treat him with more formality than I would any other player. Now the gloves come off when he gets playful, he can be joked with, but in a formal interview, he likes things, well, formal.
My favorite early Ichiro story was when I covered spring training for the first time in 2002. We had received word on what day Ichiro would be arriving. He was just checking in late in the afternoon. Another reporter and I were in the clubhouse when he walked through. The reporter said hello and Ichiro greeted him. I thought to myself, “Quick Shannon, you have to say something!” So I looked at Ichiro and said, “Hi Ichiro, you look good!” To which he answered, “Thanks, so do you.” I at that point thought I was the biggest geek in the world. I couldn’t come up with anything better that, hi, you look good?
Later that season I had a bad encounter with Ichiro’s bats. We all know how careful he is with his bats. During batting practice he carefully leans two bats against the bench as he goes out into the field. One day, as he was running in to retrieve them, I happened to be sitting by the bats. As I got up to get out of the way I somehow managed to knock them over. I was horrified. I wasn’t sure if he saw or not because there were quite a few people in the dugout. I quickly picked them up and put them back as a coach started giving me a hard time about it. Ichiro came in and went about his business getting ready to go hit. The next day, I was sitting further down the bench when Ichiro came out for batting practice. He walked by and put the bats next to me. I was horrified. I didn’t want to risk knocking over the bats again. After he ran out to the field, I got up carefully and moved away from the bats before I could do any damage. The next day, I sat in a completely different spot and sure enough, found the bats next to me again. I swear, Ichiro was playing with me. I now wish I had checked to see how many hits Ichiro had got after I knocked the bats over. This may have been why this was happening, but for the better part of a month, I could not get away from those bats.
A lot is made about Ichiro’s fashion picks. Early on he dressed like a college kid and carried a back pack. With his slight build and a hat on I think he could probably go unnoticed in most places dressed like that. Later he favored suits, then over the last couple of years we have been seeing the wild stuff. I am told that he dresses in a fashion that is popular with young people in Japan, but I noticed his flair came out on display after a trip to Italy. I am not a fan of the current outfits which feature a lot of pink tight tee shirts and tight black shiny pants, but I do think he has exquisite taste in satchels or man purses as Jay Buhner called them in spring training. Nothing wrong with that.
The thing that I admire the most about Ichiro is he displays what I feel to be the most important thing a player can show and that is true joy for the game. Ichiro has said that in addition to distinguishing himself from others with his unique style which is true to him, it is important for him to feel like he did when he was a child playing the game. I don’t believe that these are just words coming from him. There are times when he truly looks like he is having fun. Like the last home stand when stole 10 bases in 9 days. I think he was running because he was having fun with it. He also told me that he hasn’t taken more than a week off of hitting in years. Not because he needs to hit daily in the off season to keep sharp, rather, going to the cages to hit for him is like a going to the range to hit golf balls for most people.
There’s more, but I need to get ready to go down for interviews so it will have to be shelved for a day. As for tonight’s game, I am sure there is nothing wrong with Felix, he was arguing adamantly to stay out there and I don’t think he would if he was hurt. Will have more after the game if there is anything to worry about.
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