Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki homered in (perhaps) his final at-bat at Safeco Field
Legendary outfielder Ichiro Suzuki collected his first 2,533 Major League hits as a member of the Seattle Mariners from 2001-2012. Now 43 years old and largely relegated to pinch-hitting duty with the Miami Marlins, Ichiro returned to Seattle for a three-game set against his old club this week and got a rare start in right field for the series finale on Wednesday.
In the ninth inning, Suzuki stepped to the plate against Mariners reliever Evan Marshall for what could prove his final at-bat in Safeco Field. Here's how it went:
Ichiro's last Homerun at Safeco. @Marlins vs @Marinerspic.twitter.com/3Dz1DlzIs4
- FelixForever34 ™ ⭐️ (@FelixForever34) April 19, 2017
So that's awesome. Long known for his impressive displays of batting-practice power, Ichiro told USA TODAY Sports in 2007 that he felt he could hit 40 homers in a season if he were willing to accept a .220 batting average. For the sake of fueling the awesome legend of Ichiro's power, this site will assume he homered on Wednesday because he wanted to homer on Wednesday even if it seems perhaps a bit fantastical to assume Ichiro can literally homer whenever he chooses.
Of course, though the Marlins will not return to Seattle this season, it's no safe bet 2017 will be Ichiro's final year in the Majors. A free agent after the season, Ichiro told reporters during spring training that he intends to play until he's 50. When asked about what he'll do when it is time to retire, he said, "I think I'll just die." Though he is off to a slow start in very limited appearances in 2017, Suzuki was still an effective part-time player last year.
Suzuki went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's game. The homer was his first of the season, and the 4,311th hit of his professional career.
PHOTOS: 2017 MLB SEASON
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