NakamuraOver and Under: Ichiro Suzuki
"Over and Under" will be a new segment to my blog. Once a week, I will write an analysis on one major league player and tell you whether he is over or under rated. This week will be Mariner's Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki:
Ichiro Suzuki is considered by most fans to be a future hall of famer. The Japanese super star is as close to the perfect player as you can expect. He plays with blazing speed and flawless defense. He has a gun attached to his right shoulder and a bat that cannot miss the ball. But then again, he has never won a world series. He has never lead his team past the American League Championship Series. So how does he rank? Is he over or under rated?
Regardless of how he is viewed by certain fans, there is no doubt that this man is well on his way to the hall of fame. He led the AL in stolen bases in 2001, has won the MVP award, won the Rookie of the Year award, and broken countless records. But most fans have the same boring complaint. "But All he does is slap the ball." So here's my question. "What's so wrong with that?" The man is faster than fast when it's juiced up on steroids. The man has amazing control of the bat and is able to poke his hits to any part of the field at will. If you think that the way you get a hit should effect the how much skill an athlete has, shoot me. Wade Boggs hunched over and smacked the ball opposite field. Tony Gwynn also had a very short swing. Pete Rose, the all time hits leader, just let the ball come to the bat. Almost all the players who have reached the 3000 hits milestone just went with the ball.
Here's one thing everyone needs to learn. A team's record does not show how good or bad an individual player is. For example, take Alex Rodriguez. Some people consider or have considered him to be one of baseball's best position player. But it was when he was the shortstop for the Texas Rangers that he was the true star. He was the team leader, and one of the best in the AL. Yet, his team was always in dead last. Then there's Zach Greinke. The Royals have a losing record when he's on the mound. Yet he not only has the team's best ERA, but all of baseball's.
Ichiro is a leadoff hitter, in case you somehow forgot that part about him. His job is to get on base. It is not to get RBIs, not to hit home runs, and not to strike fear into the opponent's pitcher. His job is simply to get on base. And he does that just as well as anybody else in the game. He truly is Seattle's most valuable player, for a variety of reasons. Ichiro has had the opportunity to leave, but he stayed through their tough times. Ichiro has been on a team that's been out of the race for years. Yet, he doesn't want to get shut down and plays his heart out everyday. He gives them 200 hits every year. He gives them so much reassurance defensively. He holds the record for most consecutive seasons with 200 or more hits, is 2nd fastest player to reach 2000 major league hits, and is the record holder for most hits in a season.
To think that Ichiro is over rated is pathetic. His name is known by everyone, but not mentioned. People think of outfielders like Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Josh Hamilton, Carlos Quentin and Alfonso Soriano before Ichiro. Why? Because he's on a losing team. That doesn't make him any less valuable. If anything, Ichiro is under rated.
HOWEVER! There is one aspect of Ichiro that is over done. And that is his salary. He is paid 18 million dollars by a losing team. His numbers are not worth 18 million - IF HE IS ON THE MARINERS. When he is on a winning team, he had a bigger impact. More stolen bases, because that extra 90 feet means more. More RBIs because people in the bottom half of the order will actually have the knowledge to lift their bat off of their shoulders. More hittable pitches because opponents don't want to face a 2001 version of Bret Boone with a runner on. Right now, he deserves a little over 12 million. But if he was on a winning team, he would deserve around 20 million. That's how good Ichiro is. If you think Ichiro is over rated, then you haven't watched him play closely enough. He is not one of the players that you can judge by one game, or even one series. Watch him for an entire year. Watch him play like every game is his last. Watch him run out every ground ball until the umpire makes his call. Nobody can get 262 hits in a game, you have to watch the entire season. Then you can truly understand how talented he is.
If you have a suggestion on who next week's Over and Under player should be, please leave a comment below. Thanks!
-Written by: Nakamura. This article is copyrighted © by Nakamura and may not be reproduced, recopied, or used in any form without permission from Nakamura
Ichiro Suzuki is considered by most fans to be a future hall of famer. The Japanese super star is as close to the perfect player as you can expect. He plays with blazing speed and flawless defense. He has a gun attached to his right shoulder and a bat that cannot miss the ball. But then again, he has never won a world series. He has never lead his team past the American League Championship Series. So how does he rank? Is he over or under rated?
Regardless of how he is viewed by certain fans, there is no doubt that this man is well on his way to the hall of fame. He led the AL in stolen bases in 2001, has won the MVP award, won the Rookie of the Year award, and broken countless records. But most fans have the same boring complaint. "But All he does is slap the ball." So here's my question. "What's so wrong with that?" The man is faster than fast when it's juiced up on steroids. The man has amazing control of the bat and is able to poke his hits to any part of the field at will. If you think that the way you get a hit should effect the how much skill an athlete has, shoot me. Wade Boggs hunched over and smacked the ball opposite field. Tony Gwynn also had a very short swing. Pete Rose, the all time hits leader, just let the ball come to the bat. Almost all the players who have reached the 3000 hits milestone just went with the ball.
Here's one thing everyone needs to learn. A team's record does not show how good or bad an individual player is. For example, take Alex Rodriguez. Some people consider or have considered him to be one of baseball's best position player. But it was when he was the shortstop for the Texas Rangers that he was the true star. He was the team leader, and one of the best in the AL. Yet, his team was always in dead last. Then there's Zach Greinke. The Royals have a losing record when he's on the mound. Yet he not only has the team's best ERA, but all of baseball's.
Ichiro is a leadoff hitter, in case you somehow forgot that part about him. His job is to get on base. It is not to get RBIs, not to hit home runs, and not to strike fear into the opponent's pitcher. His job is simply to get on base. And he does that just as well as anybody else in the game. He truly is Seattle's most valuable player, for a variety of reasons. Ichiro has had the opportunity to leave, but he stayed through their tough times. Ichiro has been on a team that's been out of the race for years. Yet, he doesn't want to get shut down and plays his heart out everyday. He gives them 200 hits every year. He gives them so much reassurance defensively. He holds the record for most consecutive seasons with 200 or more hits, is 2nd fastest player to reach 2000 major league hits, and is the record holder for most hits in a season.
To think that Ichiro is over rated is pathetic. His name is known by everyone, but not mentioned. People think of outfielders like Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Josh Hamilton, Carlos Quentin and Alfonso Soriano before Ichiro. Why? Because he's on a losing team. That doesn't make him any less valuable. If anything, Ichiro is under rated.
HOWEVER! There is one aspect of Ichiro that is over done. And that is his salary. He is paid 18 million dollars by a losing team. His numbers are not worth 18 million - IF HE IS ON THE MARINERS. When he is on a winning team, he had a bigger impact. More stolen bases, because that extra 90 feet means more. More RBIs because people in the bottom half of the order will actually have the knowledge to lift their bat off of their shoulders. More hittable pitches because opponents don't want to face a 2001 version of Bret Boone with a runner on. Right now, he deserves a little over 12 million. But if he was on a winning team, he would deserve around 20 million. That's how good Ichiro is. If you think Ichiro is over rated, then you haven't watched him play closely enough. He is not one of the players that you can judge by one game, or even one series. Watch him for an entire year. Watch him play like every game is his last. Watch him run out every ground ball until the umpire makes his call. Nobody can get 262 hits in a game, you have to watch the entire season. Then you can truly understand how talented he is.
If you have a suggestion on who next week's Over and Under player should be, please leave a comment below. Thanks!
Ichiro's skill set is so good, it's like a force of nature
-Written by: Nakamura. This article is copyrighted © by Nakamura and may not be reproduced, recopied, or used in any form without permission from Nakamura
Baseball Author
Tech Poke
Writing Edition
Anything or Everything?
1. Ichiro Suzuki (.378)
2. Luis Castillo (.370)
3. Grady Sizemore (.367)
4. Chone Figgins (.360)
5. Brian Roberts (.356)
6. Johnny Damon (.355)
Additionally, look into a stat called "times on base". Ichiro has had top 10 finishes in times on base every season including his injury-riddled 2009. There is only one other player who came into the league on or after 2001 who has more career times on base: Albert Pujols. #2 is Ichiro, and he's not that far behind.
Baseball Author
Tech Poke
Writing Edition
Anything or Everything?
----------------------------- ----------------------------- -------------
""" And he ranks 1st amongst all active hitters who have hit leadoff for more than half their at-bats (minimum 3000 career PA).
1. Ichiro Suzuki (.378)
2. Luis Castillo (.370)
3. Grady Sizemore (.367)
4. Chone Figgins (.360)
5. Brian Roberts (.356)
6. Johnny Damon (.355)
Additionally, look into a stat called "times on base". Ichiro has had top 10 finishes in times on base every season including his injury-riddled 2009. There is only one other player who came into the league on or after 2001 who has more career times on base: Albert Pujols. #2 is Ichiro, and he's not that far behind.""
FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMED
go SUCKAAAAAA DIIIIIIIIICK
-------
They come from Baseball-Reference, though I had to use my knowledge of who has hit leadoff for most of their careers to compile the list (there's no automatic filter for leadoff hitters to my knowledge).
Great this year he is in the top 5 of leadoff hitters in getting on base and has been basically useless in the SB departmnt this year and given his age i doubt that gets better.
Ichiro and his hits are similar to Nolan Ryan and his K's people think the Ryan was a top 5 pitcher of alltime when infact he wasnt a top 20 pitcher of alltime.