POST 2001 SEASON NEWS
Ichiro is home
On Dec 9, Ichiro came home thru Kansai International Airport with his wife Yumiko. He was welcomed with cheers from his fans. Immediatly, he held a homecoming press conference. He said that he wished to see his friends.

Ichiro is MVP
The Japanese people and government officials too were thrilled to learn on Nov 21 that Ichiro was named American League's Most Valuable Player. He's one of only 2 players to gain the title together with Rookie of the Year.

Ichiro gains more titles
It was learned in Japan on Nov 7 that Ichiro has been awarded the Gold Glove. On Nov 12, Ichiro received the honor of Rookie of the Year, making him the 3rd Japanese after Hideo Nomo and Kazuhiro Sasaki. He is reported to have said that he felt he was required to win the title.

ICHIRO WITH THE SEATTLE MARINERS IN 2001
2001 American League Championship Series
October 22
Ichiro was positioned at left field this time. In the 3rd inning, the Yankees scored first. Little by little the Yankees accummulated more runs. In the 7th the Mariners, including Ichiro's grounded hit got 3 runs in. But that was all. The game ended 12 to 3 for the Yankees clinching its 4th win--a league championship victory and the Mariners's season came to a close. Unfortunately Ichiro could not celebrate his 28th birthday with a win.

October 21
Roger Clemens started for the New York Yankees. And Ichiro could not hit off him. His post season hitting streak ended at 8. He did steal base though. As for his team's performance, in the 8th inning, Bret Boone homered to give the Marines a run first. But in the bottom of that inning, the Yankees' Bernie Williams homered too for a tie. In the 9th, Kazuhiro Sasaki came to pitch. But he was homered by Alfonso Soriano a game finishing double. The game turned out 3 to 1 for the Yankees.

October 20
The venue was moved to New York. In the first inning, the Yankees scored already. Ichiro attempted to help his team. In the 3rd inning, he hit to first and stole base, but he could not come home. In the 5th, he was walked and came home. So did he in the 6th. And the Mariners won a whooping 14 to 3 to the Yankees.

October 18
Ichiro got on base the first time at bat. But could not come home. In the 2nd inning, the New York Yankees scored 3 runs. In the 4th, the Mariners' Stan Javier's 2 run homer gave the team hope. But in the 7th, Ichiro was deliberately walked. And the game ended 3 to 2 for the Yankees.

October 17
At the point the New York Yankees batted in 3 runs, Japanese TV commentators said that it's be difficult for the Mariners to catch up. In the 9th inning, Ichiro doubled and came home on a wild pitch, but the Mariners could not do anymore. It lost 2 to 4.

2001 American League Division Series
October 15
Ichiro had 3 hits again. In the 7th inning, he not only got on base, but also came home on Edgar Martinez's hit. The Mariners clinched its 3rd game against the Cleveland Indians 3 to 1, to proceed to the league championship.

October 14
Ichiro hit well. He had 3 base hits. In the 7th inning, he got a runner home. In the end, the Mariners managed to defeat the Cleveland Indians 6 to 2.

October 13
It was a horrible game for the Mariners. But Ichiro did all right, as usual. The first time he was at bat, he got a hit to left. And his fourth time, he hit to center to welcome home a runner. But the Mariners lost a devastating 2 to 17 to the Cleveland Indians.

October 11
Ichiro was walked to first base and he came home on Mike Cameron's homer. Ichiro had a hit too and he stole base right after. The Mariners this time clinched the game 5 to 1 over the Cleveland Indians.

October 9
The day before the play off, Ichiro had a very important visitor. It's Akira Ogi, who just finished his term as skipper of Orix BlueWave, with which Ichiro used to play. Perhaps the visit did him good. Ichiro had 3 hits. However, the Mariners lost to the Cleveland Indians 0 to 5.

2001 American League Regular Season
October 7
Ichiro did not play in the previous game. In this game, the final game of the regular season, he had a hit placing his average to .350 to when the batting title. He also stole his 56th base to earn also the most bases stolen crown. It's the first time since Jackie Robinson in 1949 that a rookie wins both crowns. His team however lost the game 3 to 4 to the Texas Rangers. Now, the team is looking forward to the playoff.

October 5
Ichiro made it to first by grounding the ball. And he became the first Major Leaguer since 1930, to his 241 in all during a season. The Mariners won the game agains. It was 6 to 2 over the Texas Rangers.

October 4
Ichiro hit his 240th hit of the year, tying with the active player record. He stole his 55th base, to tie with the leader. The Mariners defeated the Texas Ranger 16 to 1.

October 3
Ichiro was superb. He had 4 hits to improve his average to .351. He stole base too making his total to 54. He was great out in the field, saving his teammate Kazuhiro Sasaki from losing runs. The Mariners defeated the Anaheim Angels 4 to 3.

September 30
Ichiro had one hit which was his 8th homerun. He's with a hitting average of .348 still staying on top. His team was able to defeat the Oakland Athletics 6 to 3.

September 29
Ichiro broke the rookie record with his 234th hit. And his next target, is to exceed 240. However, the Mariners lost this game to the Oakland Athletics 4 to 8.

September 28
Ichiro tied with the US rookie record set 90 years ago with his 233rd hit of the season. He had 2 hits in all this day. His team defeated the Oakland Athletics 5 to 3.

September 26
Ichiro is amazing. He not only had 2 hits, He stole base 3 times making the total to 53. He is 2nd in bases stolen. The Mariners won 7 to 5 over the Texas Rangers.

September 25
Ichiro had 2 hits again. And he stole base twice to record his 50th. He's tied with his record in Japan. The Mariners defeated the Texas Rangers 3 to 2.

September 24
Ichiro had 2 hits. He stole base too, his 48th. And he still leads in batting with .348 average. The Mariners at last won, 9 to 3 over the Texas Rangers.

September 22
Ichiro had 2 hits this day. His 2nd marked his 224th this season to become the rookie who's completed the 2nd most hits in the US. But the Mariners lost this game to the Oakland Athletics 2 to 11.

September 21
Ichiro had one hit, his career total 1500th. The Mariner lost to the Oakland Athletics 1 to 5.

September 20
Ichiro only batted once as a pinch hitter. And his team lost to the Anaheim Angels 3 to 6.

September 19
During the game, it was learned that runner up, the Oakland Athletics lost. The Mariners clinched first place in the AL West. In this game, Ichiro doubled. It was his only hit, but he still kept the hitting lead at .349. The Mariners defeated the Anaheim Angels 5 to 0.

September 18
In the first game for the Mariners since the terrorist attack in the US, Ichiro played well. He had 3 hits, and his batting average improved to.350. His team also won 4 to 0 over the Anaheim Angels.

September 9
Ichiro did not have a hit. Still his team defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6 to 0.

September 8
Ichiro not only broke his team's hitting record, he also slammed his 7th homer of the season. His batting average rose to .352. He also stole base twice. The Mariners defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6 to 1.

September 7
Ichiro had 3 hits recording his total 215th with the Mariners. With this, he's tied with the team record held by Alex Rodriguez. The game finished a 10 to 1 with the Mariners winning over the Baltimore Orioles.

September 5
Ichiro had just one hit. His team had a big victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 12 to 6.

September 4
Ichiro did not have a hit. And his team took a devastating lost of 8 to 3 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

September 3
In the 9th inning, when the game was tied, he was walked. Then in the 11th inning, he got a base hit. And his team defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 3 to 2. Ichiro broke his seasonal hit record in Japan with his 211th hit of the season in the US.

September 2
Ichiro showed his stuff. He had one hit, got out to base another time while getting his teammated killed on third. But he made up for it by stealing to 2nd and then to third. He was also great out in the field by killing the opponent at home. The Mariners in the end won 1 to 0 to the Baltimore Orioles.

September 1
Ichiro was incredible. He had 3 hits, batted in 2 runs and stole base. His batting average rose to .352. The Mariners managed to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 6 to 4.

August 31
This time, Ichiro had just on hit. His team lost 0 to 3 to the Baltimore Orioles.

August 30
Ichiro was again successful with 2 hits. His team won 4 to 0 over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His batting average inched up again to .351.

August 29
Ichiro cannot be stopped. He had 2 hits and came home too. He's ranked first still with an average of .350. And the Mariners defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5 to 2.

August 28
Ichiro marked his 200th hit in the US with his 2nd hit of the day. His team though was shut out by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 0 to 6. Ichiro kept his lead in the league's hitting average with .349.

August 26
Ichiro stayed out of the game the day before. This time, he showed that he can hurl the ball fast when he killed an opponent who could not return in time to first. In the 9th inning, with bases loaded, he had a chance to reverse the scene, but could not get a hit. The Mariners, thus lost to the Cleveland Indians 3 to 4. Still, Ichiro kept the lead in the hitting average.

August 24
Ichiro for the 3rd straight game had 3 hits. And his batting average went up to .350. Roberto Alomar who played in the same game finished it at .345. The Mariners defeated the Cleveland Indians 4 to 1.

August 23
Ichiro did it again. He had 3 hits and an RBI. His batting average went up to .348 beating the Indians Roberto Alomar for first place. His team too achieved a record. Winning 5 to 1 over the Detroit Tigers, it's clinched its 92nd win, the most ever in a season for the Mariners.

August 22
It was a one-sided game. Ichiro had 3 hits out of 4 times at bat. His batting average rose to .3447, just .0002 behind the Indians Roberto Alomar at the end of the day. The Mariners won 16 to 1 over the Detroit Tigers.

August 21
Ichiro had a hit to the right for this game. And the Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers 4 to 1.

August 20
Ichiro made it to first base to start the game. And that was his only hit for the day. The Tigers defeated the Mariners 4 to 1.

August 19
Ichiro had just one hit again. His team defeated the New York Yankees big. It's 10 to 2.

August 18
Ichiro had one hit. His team managed to win. It was a 7 to 6 game over the New York Yankees.

August 17
Ichiro with 2 hits improved his batting average to .345. From 3rd place, he's gotten himself up to 2nd place. However, his team lost to the New York Yankees 0 to 4.

August 16
Ichiro had 2 hits again and an RBI, to take the Mariners to a 6 to 2 win against the Boston Red Sox. .

August 15
Ichiro had a 2 base hit, and also a base hit to get a runner home. Ichiro's batting average upped to .342. His team defeated the Boston Red Sox in the end, 6 to 2.

August 14
It was the 3rd time Ichiro faced Hideo Nomo. He was struck out and also had a hit. But after Nomo was off the mound, Ichiro had 3 hits contributing to reversing the game. The Mariners in the end won 6 to 3 over the Boston Red Sox.

August 12
Ichiro had 2 hits this time. And the Mariners defeated the Chicago White Sox 2 to 1.

August 11
Ichiro did not get a hit during his 4 times at bat. In the 9th inning, Ichiro's turn came with bases full and the Mariners losing. He hit the ball over the shortstop, and 2 runners came home to tie the game. His teammate Mark McLemore hit the winning run. The Mariners won 4 to 3 over the Chicago White Sox.

August 10
Ichiro was hit in the back, and so got to first base. He also had a bunt hit. But the Mariners lost to the Chicago White Sox in the end 6 to 8.

August 9
Ichiro was walked once, and in the 9th inning, he made it to first. His team was behind the Toronto Blue Jays but Ichiro hit lifted up the mood. He came home, and the Mariners needed one more run to tie the game. However, the game ended 6 to 5 for the Blue Jays.

August 8
It was a great day for Ichiro. He had 4 hits, and batted in 2 runs. His batting average improved to .337. His team defeated the Toronto Blue Jays smoothly this time, 12 to 4.

August 7
It's the first time Ichiro had to come to bat 7 times during one game. He had just one hit. Now this game went on and on. In the 14th inning, with bases loaded Edgar Martinez was walked, and that gave the Mariners a 5 to 4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The game was 4 hours and 37 minutes long.

August 6
Ichiro broke the rookie hit record with his 162nd. And he also had 2 more hits to up his batting average to .335. The Mariners defeated the Indians this time 8 to 6

August 5
Ichiro had a hit, and with a sacrifice fly batted in 3 runs in all. His team was doing well too, taking a 12 run lead by the 3rd inning. But little by little, the Cleveland Indians accummulated runs. And in the 9th inning, at 2 outs and 2 runners on base, Kazuhiro Sasaki was suddenly called to pitch. He lost 2 straight hits. The Indians caught up. And in the 11th inning, the Indians finished the game 15 to 14.

August 4
Ichiro hit well this time. He had 3 hits in 6 times at bat. His batting average rose to .332 or 3rd in the league. The Mariners defeated the Cleveland Indians 8 to 5.

August 3
Ichiro had one hit in 4 times at bat. His team won 2 to 1 over the Cleveland Indians.

August 2
Ichiro came on as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning. But he could not get on base. So his hitting streak was halted. However, his team won 2 to 1 over the Detroit Tigers.

August 1
Ichiro had 2 hits, stole base, and also made a lazer beam hurl from right field to home. His team defeated the Detroit Tigers 7 to 1.

July 31
Ichiro hit to place his consecutive hit per game record to 10. He had 2 hits in the game but his team lost to the Detroit Tigers 2 to 4.

July 29
Ichiro had one hit. Still the Mariners defeated the Minnessota Twins 10 to 2.

July 28
Ichiro hit well. He had 3 hits. His batting average improved to .329. He stole base too. And the Mariners defeated the Kansas City Royals 5 to 1.

July 27
Ichiro blasted his 6th homer. He stole base too, his 34th. And his team defeated the Kansas City Royals 4 to 1.

July 26
Ichiro managed to get himself 2 base hits. And his team defeated the Kansas City Royals 4 to 0.

July 25
Ichiro had a hit, but again just one, and he fell in the batting ranking to 5th place. His team lost again to the Kansas City Royals 1 to 5.

July 24
This time Ichiro had just one hit. And his team lost to the Kansas City Royals 1 to 6.

July 23
Ichiro had 2 hits. His batting average, slightly improving again to .327. The Mariners again defeated the Minnesota Twins 3 to 2.

July 22
This time, Ichiro had more hits. He tripled. Also, his bunt got him to first base. The Mariners won again 6 to 3 to the Minnesota Twins.

July 21
Ichiro at last had a hit, but only one, and his batting average fell further to .324. The Mariners won 6 to 3 over the Minnesota Twins.

July 20
From the game before, Ichiro's no hit streak continues. And his batting average fell to .325. Still, the Mariners defeated the Minnesota Twins 4 to 0.

July 18
Ichiro had 2 hits again. And his batting average slightly improved to .335. His team ended up in winning the 10th inning game over the Kansas City Royals 2 to 0.

July 17
Ichiro started as a designated hitter this time. And he finally made hits. 2 out of 4 times at bat. He stole base too. The Mariners defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6 to 1.

July 16
It's the third game in a row that Ichiro did not get a hit. Now, this is very rare for him. His batting average fell further to .333. And his team lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 3 to 5.

July 15
Ichiro did not have a hit again. His batting average fell to .337 However, his team managed to defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8 to 0.

July 14
Ichiro batted a sacrifice fly crucial to the team's win. He stole base too. But he did not make a hit. His team won 3 to 2 over the San Francisco Giants.

July 13
Ichiro did not make a hit. He did steal base, his 29th. And the Mariners lost to the San Francisco Giants 3 to 5.

July 12
Ichiro had just one hit in 5 times at bat. His batting average at .345 is 3rd in the league. The Mariners, in any case, defeated the San Francisco Giants in a 11-inning game, 4 to 3.

ALL STAR GAME on July 10
Ichiro was the first on the plate in his home ground Safeco Field. He faced Randy Johnson. And he swung hard the ball, which was caught by first baseman way off the base. The ball was passed to Randy who was beaten by Ichiro in the race to first base. Ichiro also stole base, contributing to the excitement of the game. Kazuhiro Sasaki closed the game perfectly in the final inning. The American League defeated the National League 4 to 1. Japanese fans were no doubt delighted that the game was started by a Japanese and ended by a Japanese.

July 8
Ichiro swung one important hit of the game. But with only that, he fell to third place in the batting average ranking. His team, won 9 to 2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

July 7
Ichiro's batting average dropped to .348. He could not make a hit in 3 times at bat. And his team was defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers 1 to 2.

July 6
Ichiro suddenly hit a homerun, as the first to bat for the Mariners. And he had 2 more hits. His team overwhelmed the Los Angeles Dodgers 13 to 0. Ichiro had 2 RBIs.

July 5
Ichiro could not get a hit. And the Mariners lost to the Texas Rangers 2 to 14. Ichiro's batting average dropped to .342.

July 4
Ichiro had one lucky hit that dropped out in the field. But he struck out twice, which is very ususual of him. And the Mariners lost to the Texas Rangers 3 to 6. The good news that day was Japanese Kazuhiro Sasaki was also selected on the all star squad.

July 3
Ichiro had 3 hits, which includes a triple and a double. He stole base for the 28th time too. The Mariners won 8 to 4 against the Texas Rangers. But Ichiro did not do enough to regain first place in hitting average. Roberto Alomar had a fantastic day achieving 5 hits to widen his lead to .365 while Ichiro .352.

July 2
Ichiro did not start the game. But he contributed greatly. In the 9th inning, he slammed a 2 run homer to tie the game. The game went into the 10th inning. The Mariners in the end clinched it 9 to 7 from the Texas Rangers. Kazuhiro Sasaki closed the game. It was learned that day that Ichiro won a whooping 3,373,035 votes for the all star game. That's more than anyone else, making him the first rookie to be the number one choice. Among those votes were 680,000 from Japan.

July 1
Ichiro could not get a hit during 4 times at bat. His batting average fell to .348, and Roberto Alomar of the Cleveland Indians replace him to lead. However, the Mariners beat the Anaheim Angels 5 to 0.

June 30
Ichiro doubled, and grounded the ball to center off the Angels' Shigetoshi Hasegawa, his former teammate in Japan. He kept the top position with his batting average. The Mariners won 5 to 3 over the Anaheim Angels.

June 29
Ichiro had 2 hits in the first inning. He successfully stole base in the 3rd inning. His batting average at the end of the day was better than Roberto Alomar's. The Mariners beat the Angels 9 to 5.

June 28
Ichiro's batting appeared to be good, but he actually recorded only one hit. And Roberto Alomar of the Cleveland Indians bet him in the batting average slightly although he did not have a game. The Mariners lost to the Oakland Athletics again 3 to 6.

June 27
Ichiro had only one hit. But he still kept first place in the batting average. However, his team lost to the Oakland Athletics 3 to 6.

June 26
Ichiro took a break from the game before this one. And it was worth it. He was walked, had 2 hits, one of them giving the Mariners a winning RBI in the 6th inning. His batting averaged was .354. The Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics 7 to 3.

June 23
Ichiro did not have a hit this time. It's the 7th hitless game for him this season. And the Mariners lost to the Anaheim Angels again, this time, 1 to 2.

June 22
Ichiro made it to base, twice this time. And his batting average improved against to .358. He furthered his lead from Manny Ramirez. But the Mariners lost 1 to 8 to the Anaheim Angels.

June 21
Ichiro was a wonder. He had 3 hits in 5 times at bat. He not only stole base to second, but also to third. And with a batting average of .356, he exceeded Manny Ramirez to surge to the top. The Mariners won 12 to 10 to the Oakland Athletics.

June 20
Ichiro again had 2 hits. But with his team one run ahead of the Oakland Athletics in the 9th inning, gave up a 3 run homer. It was Kazuhiro Sasaki who was pitching at the time. The Mariners lost 4 to 6.

June 19
The game was a competitive one. When the Mariners were up to bat in the 8th inning after the Oakland Athletics took the lead, Ichiro got himself on base. And he was batted in home to tie the game. After that, the Mariners batted in another run. And it won 8 to 7. Ichiro in all had 2 hits.

June 18
Ichiro did not have any hits this time. And his team lost again. This time 3 to 4 to the Oakland Athletics.

June 17
Ichiro had 3 hits this time. But his team failed to win. The Mariners lost 9 - 11 to the San Diego Padres.

June 16
Ichiro may only have had one hit. But it was a worth while 3 base hit that got him an RBI. And he rated second in the league's batting average. The star of the day, no doubt, was John Olerud who cycled. And the Mariners beat the San Diego Padres 9 to 2.

June 15
Ichiro not only had 2 hits. He stole base--his 22nd. And his batting average stood at .354. The Mariners defeated the San Diego Padres 8 to 4.

June 14
It was a double header slated for the Mariners. In the first game, Ichiro performed a bunt which turned into a hit. His team lost 2 to 8 to the Colorado Rockies. Ichiro was given time to take a break from the following game.

June 12
It was learned the day before that Ichiro had so far won 781,229 votes for the all star game. It's the most number of votes in the American League. Then the following day, he was found to be winning the most support in both leagues. And in the game against the Colorado Rockies, Ichiro had one hit. And the team barely won 10 to 9.

June 10
Ichiro's 100th hit in the US turned out to be a 2 run homer. And the Mariners defeated the San Diego Padres 8 to 1.

June 9
Ichiro had only one hit this time. And he was the final batter in the game. The Mariners winning streak ended at 15 losing to the Padres 3 to 6.

June 7
Ichiro had 2 hits this time. And his average upped to .363. The Mariners defeated the San Diego Padres 7 to 1.

June 6
Ichiro was back hitting again. He had 2 hits. The Mariners won 7 to 3 against the Texas Rangers--the team's 14th straight win.

June 5
This time, Ichiro earned an RBI by sacrificing himself. He didn't have any hits. Still, his team won 5 to 4 over the Texas Rangers.

June 4
Ichiro was back playing out in the field. He had 2 hits, was walked twice, and batted in 2 runs. Another feat! His batting average was even better at.366. The Marines won 11 to 6 over the Texas Ranger to extend its winning streak further. And as of the all star voting released on the day, Ichiro has earned 451,865 votes--the most among out fielders.

June 3
Ichiro played only as designated hitter for the first time. He had 3 hits, he stole base twice and batted in a run. Incredible! His batting average surged to .362. And the Marlins broke its team record of winning streaks making it 11 in the 8 to 4 game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

June 2
Ichiro had 2 hits in 5 times at bat. And it included 2 RBIs. The Mariners finished the game 7 to 4 over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

June 1
Ichiro batted in a run, and also stole to third. It was an effective steal which allowed him to come home. And he's become the leader in the league with 18. The Marines won 8 to 4 over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

May 31/b>
Ichiro got on base once, in the 7th inning. An his team , with Kazuhiro Sasaki' save defeated the Baltimore Orioles 2 to 1. The team clinched its 8th straight win.

May 30/b>
Ichiro was on base 3 times. One was due to Delino DeShield's error out in the field. So he effectively had 2 hits. And he came home, and batted in a run too. The Mariners defeated the Baltimore Orioles 12 to 5.

May 29/b>
Ichiro contributed in many ways. He batted in a run to take the lead from the Baltimore Orioles. And he played well out in the field, to prevent the Orioles from scoring. Ichiro had 2 hits in all. And the Mariners won 3 to 2. By the way, it was learned before the game that the Ichiro has so far earned 187,730 votes for the July all star game. It's the 2nd highest among outfielders, and the 4th overall in his league.

May 28/b>
Ichiro had 2 hits, one to the right, and one to center. And the Mariners defeated the Kansas City Royals 13 to 3.

May 27
Ichiro was taken off the starting line-up, probably deliberately so that he can rest. He was playing from the 8th inning. But could not gain a hit. Instead, he got on base, as he was walked by the Kansas City Royals. The Mariners clinched that game in the 11th inning 5 to 4.

May 26
Ichiro had an infield hit, but that was all. His batting average went down to .357. He did pressure a Royals runner on third from touching up to home when he caught the ball at right. The Mariners won 7 to 2 against the Kansas City Royals.

May 25
Ichiro batted in a run. And he had 2 base hits in all. At his final time at bat, he grounded and it obviously looked like the runner coming into 2nd base would be killed. But there were no Kansas City Royals player to cover up. And Ichiro was safe at first to, thus contributing to the team's 9 to 6 win.

May 23
Ichiro had 2 hits in 5 times at bat. And the Mariners defeated the Minnesota Twins 5 to 4.

May 22
Ichiro got on base with a grounded infield hit. And that was his only hit for the day. The Minnesota Twins blasted early in the game. The Mariners tried to catch up, but the game finished 11 to 12 for the Twins.

May 20
Ichiro was not affected by his no-hit game the previous day. He got himself on base, and the Mariners won 6 to 2 to the New York Yankees.

May 19
It was not a good day for Japanese fans. Ichiro could not get a hit off Orlando Hernandez, the pitcher even hit Ichiro in the back. His record was ended at 23 games. And his teammate, Kazuhiro Sasaki lost. The game which the Mariners were leading ended 2 to 1 for the New York Yankees.

May 18
Ichiro had a hit to center in the beginning, and he not only achieved 2 hits in all, he stole base twice. And his total number of steals came to 15, placing him on top of the league. However, the Mariners lost to the New York Yankees 10 to 14.

May 17
Another great day for Ichiro. He had 3 hits and his team defeated the Chicago White Sox 5 to 1.

May 16
Ichiro got on base again. And he did so, 3 times, including a walk. He had an RBI too. The Mariners won 7 to 2 over the Chicago White Sox.

May 15
In a game against the Chicago White Sox, Ichiro had 2 hits. And he stretched his consecutive game hit record to 20. And the Mariners defeated the White Sox 4 to 3. By the way, it was reported that in 2000, Ichiro was the highest tax payer among sports players in Japan. It's estimated to be 195 million yen.

May 13
Ichiro doubled, was hit by pitches twice, he tripled and singled. What a wonder. And his batting average rose to .360. The Mariners won too 7 to 5 over the Toronto Blue Jays.

May 12
Ichiro had a whooping 4 hits in this game alone. His batting average improved to .351. His consecutive game hit reached 18. And the Mariners won 11 to 7 over the Toronto Blue Jays.

May 11
Ichiro got on base twice. His fast running contributed to his making it to first both times. And his total of number of hits reached 55, the most in the league. The Mariners defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7 to 2.

May 10
Ichiro faced Tomokazu Ooka of the Boston Red Sox for the first time. He managed to get on base and at the same time bat in a run the 3rd time at bat. It's his 17th consecutive game hit. And the Mariners defeated the Boston Red Sox 5 to 2.

May 9
Ichiro grounded the ball to get on base. And what was astonishing was that he stole base 3 times this day along. And the Mariners defeated the Boston Red Sox 10 to 5.

May 8
A dream match was realized again. This time, Ichiro batted off 2 hits from Boston Red Sox Hideo Nomo. And he even recorded an RBI. And his consecutive game hit was extended to 14. However, the Mariners lost 4 to 12.

May 6
This time, Ichiro had only one base hit. And his team had a whopping defeat against the Toronto Blue Jays 3 to 11.

May 5
It was a pretty good day for Ichiro. He had 2 hits during 4 times at bat, improving his batting average to .350. He marked his 12th consecutive game hit. He helping his team win 7 to 5 over the Toronto Blue Jays.

May 4
Ichiro recorded 2 base hits, but he could've had one more. You see, he hit to the left field, and the Blue Jay outfielder appeared to have caught the ball before it landed, but in slow motion, it showed otherwise. The result of the game was 8 to 3 for the Toronto Blue Jays.

May 3
Ichiro not only got on base 3 times, he came home each time. He even stole from 2nd to 3rd. His contribution gave the team a 10 to 3 win over the Boston Red Sox.

May 2
It's been 7 years since Ichiro faced Hideo Nomo in pro baseball. The day finally came in Seattle. Ichiro would not get on base the first 2 times at bat. But the 3rd time, Nomo hurled a pitch into Ichiro's back. Ichiro could not get up immediately. But managed to walk over to first base. Ichiro, had a triple after that, and even came home. The Mariners defeated the Red Sox 5 to 1.

May 1
The Mariners were back in Seattle facing Pedro Martinez of the Boston Red Sox. He was a touch guy to fight. Ichiro himself was able to make it to first base on a roughly grounded ball. However, in the end, the Mariners lost 0 to 2.

April 29
Ichiro had one hit, and stole base too. But his team's winning streak was halted. The Mariners in the very end lost 1 to 2 to the White Sox.

April 28
Ichiro had 3 hits in 6 times at bat, improving his batting average to .345. And while his teammate Kazuhiro Sasaki broke the April record of earned saves with his 12th, the Mariners clinched its 9th straight win in the 8 to 5 game.

April 27
Ichiro batted in the team's first run. And it's winning streak has been extended by beating the White Sox 8 to 3.

April 26
In the 7th inning, Ichiro stole 2nd base--his 4th steal of the season. And he had one hit in 5 times at bat, contributing by batting in runs too. The Mariners again defeated the New York Yankees 7 to 3. The Mariners winning streak is 7.

April 25
In this game, Ichiro managed to get on base twice. And he batted in 2 runs. He contributed to his team's 7 to 5 win over the New York Yankees.

April 24
Ichiro faced New York Yankees Roger Clemens, but could not get on base while Clemens pitched. At his final time at bat, Ichiro distracted the Yankees and made them mess up. He got on base. And the Mariners won 7 to 5.

April 22
This time, Ichiro managed to not only get on base, but send a runner home. And the Mariners defeated the Angels 5 to 0.

April 21
Ichiro had a chance to bat 4 times. But he could not get on base. And his game hitting streak record was halted. But the Mariners won over the Anaheim Angels.

April 20
As the first to bat again for the Mariners, he doubled. And he came home. Then, he again had a base hit. So his game hitting streak is 15. And the Mariners won 4 to 1 against the Angels.

April 19
Ichiro extended his game hitting streak with a lucky hits, one to the outfield, another which he barely earned by running quickly to first. He stole base to second, and came home during Olerud's base hit. He Mariners won 3 to 2 to the Anaheim Angels.

April 18
Ichiro did not get a hit during his first 3 batting opportunities. But in his 4th, he singled a homerun. That means, he broke the Mariners' rookie record of game hitting streak. It's now 13. However, his team failed to win. The game went to the Texas Rangers 8 to 6.

April 17
Ichiro's game hitting streak reached a record tie for a Mariner rookie. And he actually had 4 hits in 4 times at bat. He batted in a run too. And in the field, he jumped to catch what may have become a homerun. The Mariners defeated the Texas Rangers 6 to 4. t

April 16
Ichiro continued his hitting streak. He was on base twice improving his hitting average to .333. The Mariners won 9 to 7 over the Texas Rangers. Ichiro's just one short of a rookie tie record for his team.

April 15
Ichiro faced Hasegawa again. But this time Hasegawa won. In the end, that's in the 9th inning Ichiro succeeded in extending his base hit streak to 10 straight games. He even stole 2nd base. The Mariners won 7 to 5.

April 14
In the 5th inning, Ichiro helped the team score a run. It also marked his base hit in 9 straight games. The Mariners defeated the Angels 2 to 1.

April 13
For the first time, Ichiro faced a Japanese pitcher in the US. It's Shigetoshi Hasegawa, his former teammate in Japan. Ichiro grounded the ball to shortstop, and made it to first base. Howewer, since Sasaki gave up a 2 run homer to end the game, the Mariners lost 3 to 4 to the Anaheim Angels. It turned out that the Ichiro-Hasegawa match was the first between a Japanese pitcher and fielder, so the ball used entered the hall of fame.

April 11
Ichiro was not in the starting line-up for the first time. He came on in the 8th inning, go on base and came home. He also played well out in the field. He got a runner out at third with his amazing throw from the right. Sasaki closed the game against the Oakland Athletics 3 to 0.

April 10
This time Ichiro was able to bat in a run, and helped the team clinch the game against the Athletics. And Sasaki came out in the end to close the game 5 to 1.

April 8
Ichiro today had one hit in 5 times at bat.

April 7
Ichiro grounded a single which became a lead off to his team batting in 3 runs. He had 5 turns at bat, and recorded 2 hits. His batting average at the end of the day was .417. Although Sasaki lost 2 runs in the final inning, the Mariners won 6 to 5 over the Texas Rangers.

April 6
In Texas, Ichiro was a wonder. He started off with a double. And he was able to come home. He hit a single too. In the 10th inning, Ichiro broke the 7 to 7 tie. He blasted a 2 run homer. And Kazuhiro Sasaki closed the game. The Mariners won 9 to 7, thanks to Ichiro.

April 4
This time, Ichiro has 2 base hits during 5 times at bat. He was even walked deliberately. And his team defeated the Athletics 10 to 2.

April 3
This time, Ichiro failed to make any base hits. And Sasaki neither had the chance to appear. The Mariners were defeated by the Athletics 5 to 1.

April 2
In the season's opener, before 46,000 fans, Ichiro was in the starting lineup--and the first to bat. He grounded the ball for his first time at bat, and he was out. In the 7th inning, with the Marines behind the Oakland Athletics 2 to 4, Ichiro 's turn came. He grounded the ball pass the pitcher, and it became his first base hit. And he also came home. In the 8th, he performed a bunt towards first base. The opposing team's pitcher and catcher ran into eachother, and missed the pitch to first. Ichiro ran all the way to 2nd base. And John Olerud's sacrifice gave the Mariners a game winning run. In the 9th,Kazuhiro Sasaki closed the game. It was a great US debut for Ichiro.

Ichiro plays as first in exhibition game
On Mar 1, Ichiro started in the exhibition game in Peoria, Arizona against the San Diego Padres. He grounded the ball the first time at bat, and it went passed the pitcher, giving Ichiro his first base hit. In the next game on Mar 2 Ichiro had 2 base hits during his 3 times at bat.

IN 2000

Ichiro officially signs with Seattle
On Nov. 28, Ichiro left for Seattle from Kansai Airport with his wife. He had 2-day of medical check up, and on Nov. 30, he officially signed to become a ML player. He visited his new franchise with his wife and was surrounded by the US and Japanese media. During the press conference with Mariners' CEO, Ichiro said that it was like being in a movie. He also joked that his one concern is that Kazuhiro Sasaki, his new teammate is a big drinker, and that he may have to accompany the pitcher. That day, Ichiro opened NBA game between Supersonic and LA Lakers. Ichiro is reported to have signed a 3 year contract for 18 million US dollars.

Ichiro agrees to join the Mariners
After 2 days of discussions, Ichiro, his agent, and the Seattle Mariners spoke before the press to announced on Nov. 19 that they have reached an agreement. This was at Nintento's headquarter in Kyoto. Ichiro has been offered a 3-year contract, but his salary was not disclosed. He will wear number 51, the same number he's worn for the Orix Blue Wave. He's to become the 11th Japanese US Major League player, but the first to play as a hitter.

Ichiro in US posting system
The Orix Blue Wave disclosed on Nov. 9, that a Major League team had won the right to negotiate with 7-time Pacific League leading hitter, Ichiro, by offering 13,125,400 dollars to the team. The team was not revealed until the next day. It's the Seattle Mariners with which Ichiro had spring camp early this year. Negotiation will begin next week.

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