Why Ichiro 'was everything' to Seattle Mariners fans

T-Mobile Park is sporting some new bling: A freshly unveiled plaque celebrating one of the most beloved Seattle Mariners of all time. The team retired Ichiro Suzuki’s number on Saturday — and sent the Hall of Fame outfielder off with a great big love fest from Seattle.

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ype music booms across the sold-out T-Mobile Stadium. It’s a sea of Suzuki jerseys, signs, and baseball caps. Once the pre-show starts, the concession stand lines become empty. The more than 45,000 fans don’t want to risk missing the legend.

Messages from legendary players and former coaches and teammates play on the big screen. Chants of “Ichiro” echo through the arena and tears fall down some attendees' cheeks. Voicemails play from fans from across the country, all professing their love for the beloved player.

Now, it’s time to call in the man of the hour. All eyes are down center field as the brand new plaque honoring the newly retired number bathes in the hot sun.

A jolt of energy runs through the crowd. Suzuki steps out in a black suit from a tunnel in center field. He takes a bow, then struts towards the pitcher's mound and podium.

Read this story in Japanese: イチロー、なぜマリナーズファンにとって唯一無二の存在だったのか

“What’s up Seattle,” he shouts into the microphone.

It’s a rare occurrence to see the Japanese player speak in public, especially in English.

“I am so grateful to be here today to receive this highest of honors,” Suzuki said through laughs, “but whose idea was it to have me give two speeches in English in two weeks?”

Suzuki joked that making public speeches in English is “one of the toughest challenges” of his career. Mariner legends like Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Félix Hernández, and others sat behind him as he spoke.

Randy Johnson was also at the ceremony. Number 51 used to be on Johnson’s back. But it was Suzuki’s number when he played professional baseball in Japan for nine years.

“That was the only number I ever had. By the time I came to Seattle, 51 was part of my identity,” Suzuki explained. “But I knew that number already had a rich history here.”

Suzuki said Johnson let him have a number — and he worked hard to uphold the honor of 51.

At Saturday’s ceremony, Suzuki thanked Johnson for letting him wear it.

During the ceremony, the Mariners announced that Johnson will also be recognized for his prolific career by retiring number 51 in his honor.

In the stands, die-hard fans like the Audrey Bastian and her family cheered. They wore hats with limited edition Suzuki patches and headbands with a letter spelling out the name "Ichiro."

Bastian is Japanese American. While she was growing up, her entire family were big fans of Suzuki.

“Ichiro taught us to be humble and that the little things matter,” Bastian said. “He was everything when we were growing up, he really united our family.”

Her sister Elenore Bastian chimed in, adding he also taught them to be proud of their heritage.

Their mother Alicia Nakata said she considers Suzuki as her honorary son.

“He’s part of my life and I honor him,” Nakata said as she teared up. “This is also a monumental moment in my life, so I’m just proud to be here and proud for him.”

A number of fans made the journey from Japan to celebrate Suzuki, including Hideki Tani and his son Ryotaro Tani. They are from Nagoya, Suzuki’s hometown.

Getting a chance to watch this ceremony made him emotional, Hideki Tani said. The Tani family lived in New Jersey for about four years, back when Suzuki was still playing.

“Watching him play made me feel encouraged,” Hideki said, “so I knew I had to be here today for him.”

They held a sign with the Japanese flag on it, with the words “Ichiro, Hall of Fame” in Japanese written on it. Ryotaro was in elementary school and middle school when Suzuki was on an active roster.

He played baseball with other Americans who were bigger than him.

“Just like Ichiro, I was relatively small compared to the players around me,” Ryotaro recalled. “He gave me lots of courage to keep playing.”

As Suzuki wrapped up his speech Saturday, he turned to the current Mariners, telling the team that this year could be their season.

“I am confident that you can seize the moment,” Suzuki said.

He then looked into the crowd, and with a big smile yelled, “Now, let’s play ball!”

The sold out crowd buzzed with electricity, and the team held onto the energy. The Mariners went on to win the game against Tampa Bay, 4-7.

The next morning, Suzuki joined reporters. He was dressed much more casually, in athletic clothes with sunglasses perched on his Mariners cap.

Asked how it feels to have a statue of himself at the park, Suzuki smiled and said it was a surprise to him that the park would build a statue in his honor.

“Seeing my number up there, and then now having a statue — I guess I could die peacefully," Suzuki said with a laugh.