It was on this day 25 years ago that the M's signed Ichiro Suzuki.
Monday, Jan. 5, represents a very important anniversary for the Seattle Mariners franchise.
It was on that day, 25 years ago, that the M's initially signed Ichiro Suzuki to a three-year contract. It marks one of the most significant moves in team history.
About Ichiro
One of the best players to ever play the game, Ichiro spent 28 seasons as a professional between Japan and the United States. In total, he had 4,367 professional hits.
He spent 19 years in the United States with the Mariners, New York Yankees and Miami Marlins, amassing 3,089 hits. He played parts of 14 years with the Mariners and just became the third member of the M's to enter the Hall of Fame, joining Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.
He is the first player in both the National Baseball and Japanese Baseball Halls of Fame.
He also helped lead Team Japan to championships in the first two World Baseball Classics: 2006 and 2009.
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About his time in Seattle, specifically
Ichiro took the baseball world by storm when he came over in 2001, as his unique hitting style and brilliant throwing arm wowed fans across the globe. He hit .350 in his rookie campaign, winning the American League Rookie of the Year and the American League MVP awards. He also stole 56 bases, which led baseball, and captured a Gold Glove.
With the Mariners, he was a 10-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glover. He won two batting titles and set the record for most hits in a season (262) in 2004. He was also a three-time Silver Slugger who helped the Mariners win an American League record 116 games in 2001.
The Mariners traded him to the Yankees in 2012 but he returned in 2018, and he got a heroes sendoff in Japan in 2019.
About his impact on the organization
The Mariners just retired his No. 51 in a ceremony in 2025 and he continues to be a fixture around the team. He's on the field at home games, going through a routine as if he was going to play, and he's a sounding board for players in the organization.
I was at his induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y., last July and put the following on social media after a pre-induction press conference:
Ichiro was asked why he's still motivated to go to the field and work out. He says it's because if he's going to be available to help current players, he has to be physically ready to help.
For instance, Julio Rodriguez asked him for help throwing to bases, and he wanted to be able to do it.
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