Latest news with #IchiroSuzuki
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shohei Ohtani Sends 6-Word Message After Sad News on Monday
Shohei Ohtani Sends 6-Word Message After Sad News on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The country of Japan has produced some of baseball's greatest players. From Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, many of MLB's most exciting talents began their professional careers in Japan. Advertisement While Major League Baseball has benefitted greatly from Japan's contributions to the game, not every Japanese baseball legend played professionally in the United States. One of these players is Shigeo Nagashima, who spent his 17 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, first rising to superstardom in the late 1950s. On Monday, it was reported by several outlets, including the Japan Times, that Nagashima passed away at the age of 89. "Shigeo Nagashima, a Yomiuri Giants legend who was so revered that he was known to many as 'Mr. Pro Baseball,' died on Tuesday due to pneumonia at the age of 89, according to an announcement by the Yomiuri Shimbun," the Japan times wrote on Monday. Advertisement Many across the baseball world have been mourning Nagashima's passing, including Ohtani who posted a message on his Instagram page. "May your soul rest in peace," he wrote in Japanese (translated to English by Instagram). Many filled the comments with their condolences for Nagashima's family and all who were touched by his legacy. "Another great baseball man has passed away 😢 RIP," one fan wrote. "Please pray for the soul of Shigeo Nagashima 🙏," one added. "The historical greats who supported Japanese baseball! Rest in peace," said another. "A superstar has passed," another wrote. "Rest in peace." Advertisement "Rip Legend," another added. Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Two of the photos Ohtani shared were from this season's opening series in Tokyo, Japan. The Dodgers faced the Chicago Cubs in a two-game series that gave the passionate baseball fans in Tokyo an opportunity to see some of the game's biggest Japanese stars up close. Based on several reports, Nagashima passed away in Japan on Tuesday, with Ohtani and those in the United States receiving the news on Monday, as there is a 16-hour time difference between Japan and Los Angeles. As Ohtani's message and the many comments show, Nagashima was a legend of the game who will be missed. Advertisement Related: Mets Star Francisco Lindor Sends 7-Word Message Before Dodgers Game Related: Yankees Announce Move After 18-2 Loss to Dodgers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Mariners to retire No. 51 in honor of Randy Johnson in 2026
June 2 - Seattle Mariners fans will be seeing double 51s next season. The team announced Monday it will retire the No. 51 worn by Baseball Hall of Fame member Randy Johnson during his nine-plus seasons with the club in 2026. The news came on the 35th anniversary of the day Johnson threw the first no-hitter in Mariners history. The Mariners traded Johnson to the Houston Astros at the 1998 trade deadline, and when Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki joined the team in 2001, he took No. 51. The Ichiro version of No. 51 will be retired by the franchise on Aug. 9, just after his Hall of Fame induction this summer. "Randy is both one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history, and one of the most important figures in our organization's history," said John Stanton, the Mariners' chairman and managing partner. "During the 1995 season that changed the future of this franchise, his 18-2 record (in a 145-game season) was properly recognized with his first Cy Young Award. "More importantly, and somewhat lost to history, the Mariners were an amazing 27-3 in his 30 starts that season, an incredible 24 games over .500, compared to a record of 52-63 when any other starter took to the hill for the club. His domination that year carried the Mariners to our first-ever postseason, which led directly to the construction of T-Mobile Park and the Mariners remaining safely in Seattle forever. "Randy's extraordinary accomplishments will forever be remembered and recognized with the retirement of his number 51." The date for the Johnson retirement ceremony will not be set until the 2026 schedule is issued. Ichiro will become the third Mariners player to have his number retired, joining the No. 24 of Ken Griffey Jr. and No. 11 of Edgar Martinez -- both Hall of Fame inductees. Johnson, also a Hall of Fame member, will be the fourth. The Mariners, like all MLB teams, also have retired Jackie Robinson's No. 42. In his 22-year career, Johnson, now 61, had a record of 303-166, a 3.29 ERA and 4,875 strikeouts, second only to Nolan Ryan (5,714) in major league history. He and Ryan are two of the only four players to record at least 300 wins and 4,000 strikeouts, joining Roger Clemens and Steve Carlton on the short list. He was a 10-time All-Star and won five Cy Young awards, his first with Seattle in 1995. With the Mariners, he was 130-74 with a 3.42 ERA in 274 appearances (266 starts) with a now unheard of 51 complete games and 19 shutouts. He also played for the Montreal Expos (1988-89), Astros (1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004, 2007-08), New York Yankees (2005-06) and San Francisco Giants (2009). The Diamondbacks retired his number in 2015. --Field Level Media
Japan Times
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
New Japanese baseball exhibit to open at Baseball Hall of Fame in July
An exhibition highlighting the long and storied history of baseball in Japan will open at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in July — the same month Ichiro Suzuki will become the first Japanese player inducted into the Hall. 'Yakyu Baseball / The Transpacific Exchange of the Game' is a partnership between the Hall of Fame and several Japanese institutions that will explore the connection between Japan and America's pastime over the 150-plus-year history of baseball in the nation. The opening coincides with Ichiro's induction into Cooperstown. Ichiro, who has visited the Hall of Fame eight times, expressed his support for the project and lent items to the exhibition. The wristbands he wore when he collected his 261st and 262nd hits of the 2004 season, the year he set the single-season record, will be displayed along with his batting helmet from the 2006 World Baseball Classic, the spikes from his 500th career stolen bases and other artifacts. Shohei Ohtani has also provided various items, including the hat he wore when he struck out Team USA's Mike Trout to secure the 2023 World Baseball Classic title for Samurai Japan. 'Probably about two years ago was the first time that we had a chance to sit down and have dinner and explain to (Ichiro) what we were doing, well before he was elected,' Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch said. 'Going back 15 years, almost 20 years, more than 20 years, he's been giving artifacts and visiting the Hall of Fame. So we've always known he's been supportive. I can't think of another player who has come to Cooperstown eight times, seven times while they were still playing in the big leagues. 'He would come in the winter time in the offseason after a long season and come just visit. So to have that sort of support, to know how much he cares about what we're doing there, to know that Shohei has followed in his footsteps and donated so many artifacts, to know that they believe that this is the perfect place for these to be, it's very clear when you talk to them how much they recognize it and how much it means to them.' The exhibition will cover more than 160 square meters. Among the Japanese institutions that helped with the exhibition is Japan's Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which donated items including a jersey worn by baseball legend Mickey Mantle during the New York Yankees' tour of Japan in 1955. Fukuzawa Yukichi Memorial Keio History Museum and The Museum of Hanshin Koshien Stadium also donated artifacts to the exhibition. The Masutaro Shoriki Award given to former Chiba Lotte Marines manager Bobby Valentine will also go on display. 'I really commend the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, which is a beautiful little town in upstate New York,' said Valentine, who led the Marines to the 2005 Japan Series title. 'And the Hall of Fame itself is like a sacred monument. 'When you walk in, you can feel the presence of greatness. And working on this, I learned many things, and I believe that the American public will learn so much about this great relationship that not only was important on the field but also the relationship of us and Japan off the field.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top Asian News 4:39 a.m. GMT
What's the future of baseball in Japan as the best players leave for MLB? TOKYO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is widely regarded as the best player in Major League Baseball, and Ichiro Suzuki enters the Hall of Fame later this year, reminders that some of the top talent in American baseball is now Japanese. That's a point of pride at home, but also a reason to worry. What happens to baseball in Japan, to the country's pro league, if the stars all leave for the United States? About a dozen Japanese played in MLB last season, headlined by Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They came up through Nippon Professional Baseball and waited for free agency under the Japanese system, or were allowed to go earlier by their clubs.
Washington Post
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
What's the future of baseball in Japan as the best players leave for MLB?
TOKYO — Shohei Ohtani is widely regarded as the best player in Major League Baseball, and Ichiro Suzuki enters the Hall of Fame later this year, reminders that some of the top talent in American baseball is now Japanese. That's a point of pride at home, but also a reason to worry.
