One of baseball's all time great players is going to take one more crack at playing on a major league roster after throwing down one of the most extraordinary MLB careers. The all-time single season hits leader, Ichiro Suzuki, 45, may just have a few tricks left up his sleeve.
MLB.com reports:
While Mariners fans and baseball followers across the globe ponder whether the ageless Ichiro Suzuki can and will play beyond Seattle's two-game Opening Series in Tokyo next month, the man himself prefers not to let his mind venture that far down the road. Ichiro has reached a point where few ballplayers ave dared to dream, competing for a roster spot at age 45 for the franchise that gave him his first shot in the Major Leagues in 2001. But there's a reason he checked in after Mariners physicals this weekend with the lowest body fat of any player in camp at 7 percent. The laser focus that has driven Ichiro throughout his career now keeps him zeroed in on getting to Japan for those two games against the A's on March 20-21, an opportunity general manager Jerry Dipoto has promised, as long as he proves he's healthy this spring.
Beyond that?
"I think a 45-year-old baseball player really houldn't be thinking about the future," Ichiro said through long-time interpreter Allen Turner after the Mariners' first full-squad workout of the spring on Saturday. "It's about today. I'm very satisfied with today and how it went. I'm just going to take it day by day."
Last year, fans will recall the official announcement was made about the return of the legend:
The Mariners made it official: Ichiro is coming back to Seattle.
Two days after USA Today's Bob Nightengale broke the news that the M's were close to a one-year reunion with the 44-year-old outfielder, the club announced Ichiro's signing.
"The addition of Ichiro gives our team another versatile and athletic outfielder," Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. "His incredible work ethic, preparation and focus will enhance our environment in many ways.
"He's truly one of the great players in the history of the game and his unquestionable presence is a valuable addition, both on the field and in the clubhouse," Dipoto continued. "We're very glad to bring him back home."
Terms of the contract were not immediately available, but it has been widely reported as a one-year deal. A re-introductory press conference has been scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Pacific at the Mariners' spring training home in Peoria, Arizona.
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