Ichiro Suzuki takes hilarious shot at Marlins that no one saw coming
The Miami Marlins are not the first thing that jumps to mind when you think of Hall of Fame inductee Ichiro Suzuki. His incredible decade with the Seattle Mariners is what landed him in Cooperstown. But Ichiro was sure to mention the New York Yankees and the Marlins in his induction speech. The Hall of Famer took a shot at Miami during the speech that had the upstate New York crowd howling.
'Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015, I had never heard of your team,' Ichiro quipped.
That 2015 season was the Marlins' 23rd season in MLB, their fourth with the 'Miami' moniker as opposed to 'Florida', and they had won two World Series. That includes a championship in 2003, when Ichiro was already in the league.
To defend Ichiro, he only played nine games against the Marlins in his career. He hit .195 with a .404 OPS in those games, so it makes sense he would want to forget them. The 16 seasons he spent in MLB when he was not with the Marlins were in the American League, with limited interleague play.
Ichiro was 41 years old when the Marlins signed him for the 2015 season. That first year in Miami, he hit only .229 in 153 games. But in classic Ichiro fashion, he bounced back the next year with a .291 batting average and .354 OBP at 42 years old. While the Mariners' seasons put him in the Hall of Fame, his success in his 40s should not be overlooked.
In Ichiro's three seasons with the Marlins, they never made the postseason or won over 79 games. Despite the poor team performances, he made sure to shout out the team and the people who were there in Cooperstown. He also gave the Yankees a shout-out, while acknowledging the fans and team brass were all there for CC Sabathia.
Related: How Ichiro Suzuki 'cleansed himself' at Hall of Fame
Related: Astros' perfect Sandy Alcantara trade offer to Marlins
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