Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki joins Mariners legends with No. 51 retirement

San Francisco Chronicle​

6 hours ago

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners retired the iconic No. 51 on Saturday, honoring Ichiro Suzuki in a pregame ceremony at T-Mobile Park before facing the Tampa Bay Rays.
'What's up, Seattle!' Suzuki screamed. 'I'm so grateful to be here today, to receive this highest honor.'
The recent Hall of Fame inductee becomes just the third Mariners player to have his number retired by the franchise, joining legends Ken Griffey Jr. (No. 24) and Edgar Martinez (No. 11).
'Congratulations on being inducted into the Hall of Fame and having your number retired,' Griffey said in a video tribute. 'It's about damn time. I mean, what took you so long? I've been there for five years.'
Suzuki made history as the first Japanese-born player inducted into the Hall of Fame, earning a near-unanimous 99.7% of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
After spending eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, Suzuki made his major league debut at the age of 27. In his rookie season in 2001, he captured both the American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards, becoming just the second player ever to do so in the same season, joining Fred Lynn.
Over a 19-year MLB career, Suzuki was a 10-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, two-time AL batting champion, and three-time Silver Slugger. He set the single-season hits record with 262 in 2004, which still stands today. Across NPB and MLB, he amassed 4,367 hits, including 3,089 in MLB.
Before Suzuki's arrival, Hall of Famer Randy Johnson also donned No. 51 for nine seasons in Seattle.
Johnson threw the franchise's first no-hitter in 1990 and won the Mariners' first Cy Young Award in 1995. After departing Seattle in 1998, The Big Unit added four more Cy Youngs and a World Series title with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
'For nine years, that was the only number I had in Japan,' Suzuki said. '(No.) 51 was my identity. But I knew that number already had a rich history here.'
But Seattle won't forget Johnson's legacy. The club announced that in 2026 they will also retire Johnson's No. 51, a unique and rare honor shared by two icons in the Pacific Northwest.
'I'm grateful to Randy for attending my ceremony today,' Suzuki said. 'It will be a great honor to attend his next season.'
After brief stints with the New York Yankees (2012–14) and Miami Marlins (2015–17), Suzuki returned to Seattle in 2018 and officially retired in 2019 following a two-game series in Tokyo.
As Suzuki made his way in from center field, chants of 'Ich-i-ro! Ich-i-ro!' echoed throughout a sold-out crowd. He was awaited by former teammates and Mariners Hall of Fame members Johnson, Griffey, Jay Buhner, Alvin Davis, Felix Hernandez, Edgar Martinez and Dan Wilson.
'I'm also damn proud to be a Seattle Mariner,' Suzuki said, referencing Griffey's 2016 Hall of Fame induction speech.
Chairman John Stanton announced that the Mariners will place a statue of Suzuki at T-Mobile Park in 2026. He said it will feature his iconic batting stance pose.
Suzuki has remained a fixture with the Mariners, serving as a special assistant to Stanton. Suzuki is often seen in full uniform, working out with players during pregame routines in Seattle.
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