The M's will . Wednesday night, a photo of Niehaus could be seen on the big screen from outside an empty Safeco Field. America's Pastime. Major League Baseball consists of 30 teams split between the American and National Leagues. Shortly after retiring, Ichiro began as a special advisor to the Mariners, essentially serving as an assistant coach during Spring Training and most home games during the regular season. It lasted an incredible 84 years until Ichiro came along. Mr. Niehaus was more than just an announcer, he was family to the Mariners players and management. And Ichiro catapulted a team that was projected to finish third in its division to 116 wins and an unlikely place in MLB history. In the years since, players like Nori Aoki, Kosuke Fukudome and Kaz Matsui followed. I've never understood it's something like "The throw by Ichiro beautiful, peg he got him." David Arnold Dave Niehaus (February 19, 1935 November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. There were a whole slew of guys that were maybe All-Stars in Japan but just not as outstanding a player [as Ichiro], but they found that there could be a role in MLB for those types of players., In 2008, Hendry engaged in a bidding war for star outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, a member of the Chunichi Dragons who had seen Ichiros success and was inspired to play abroad. ", More AP baseball: www.apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball. The manager gave me a big wet kiss. We thought we had a leadoff hitter, we thought we had a guy that could play right field, so we just went after it, Gillick says. Niehaus was one of the greats. He made The Throw, "something out of Star Wars," as Mariners announcer Dave Niehaus exclaimed. By the All-Star break, it held a 19-game lead over the second-place As. Not only was Ichiro an incredible hitter, he had elite speed on his side, as well. The manager gave me a big wet kiss. This is when America really took notice of Ichiros talent. just drops and shakes his head, Ichiro was the only one in the video not surprised by that throw, It was going to take a perfect throw to get me. He then addressed the current team, which eagerly watched the ceremony from the home dugout rail. In this outtake clip, Niehaus remembers his relationship with Janis as a liberating, wild but delicate one, in which he witnessed her most vulnerable and tender moments. Honestly, I was scared. With one out and Oaklands Terrence Long at first base, catcher Ramn Hernndez grounded a single to right field. Fun Players. Associated Press. Though naturally right-handed, he learned to hit lefty by practicing with a coal shovel, a move that gained him valuable extra steps out of the batters box. Most days, I still wear the Mariners uniform, and I do so proudly, Ichiro said. "The Throw" was electric, and one of Ichiro's first introductions to baseball in the United States. Yet after narrowly escaping Cleveland in the ALDS, their season ended in the Bronx for the second straight year, with a loss to the Yankees in five games. At one MLB Japan All-Star Series in 2014, Small remembers U.S. manager John Farrell telling him the entire Japanese national lineup could have made an MLB roster. Id throw him batting practice, Id hit him fly balls, hed throw the balland if I couldnt make it that day, Id have one of the local scouts in the area do the batting practice for him. During one of Ichiros trips to Seattle, Colborn remembers a boat show taking place inside the Kingdome. Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus passed away on Wednesday in his Bellevue, Wash., home at the age of 75. Check out video, photos and more from his big night here. They dont allow for individual differences. He comes back to the dugout, getting ready to walk down the steps to take his helmet off, and he says, Is that turn on ball, Lou? McLaren says. Remembering Dave Niehaus. All rights reserved. I'll always remember his grand slam call from the Ken Griffey Jr game on Super Nintendo. It read, "Dave Niehaus, 1935-2010." His empty chair and headpones sat in the broadcast booth . Related: Groz Remembers: Ichiro's 'Star Wars' throw in 2001 2. He had a more avant-garde sense of fashion.. Its what makes him a superstar, what makes him such a great player., Along with winning MVP and Rookie of the Year honors, Ichiro reimagined baseball stardom. Importantly, Japanese players could measure themselves against Ichiro, who measured himself against MLB, Colborn says. Colborn smiled. The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Retirement wasn't the 'R' word used Thursday for the how and why of Suzuki moving off the field. Physics says he had to have put a little arc on it but I'm not sure. [People] would pick up the newspaper and see Ichiro got two hits, and then several paragraphs down youd find out Seattle lost the game, he says. I thought to myself if this is customary in America, I might not make it here. David Niehaus had no idea who Janis Joplin was when they first met in Brazil. An airport hot dog? he asked Ichiros interpreter. I was shocked. The Mariners were 60-102 that season and drew only 813,537 fans, the lowest full-season total in club history. "His whole day, his whole night, everything he thought about, was about the next day's game and being prepared for it, from the way he works out to the routine that he's on. "The throw by Ichiro, beautiful peg. I want our players to know that I am with you in your fight to be the best. Ichiro beats Randy Johnson to the bag in his first All-Star Game. Once asked about comparing his body routine to NFL superstar Tom Brady, Ichiro responded with an all time quote: When baseball is your entire life, it may be difficult to find enjoyment in other things. And would anyone be surprised if he was on the field once more? Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Aug 27, 2022. What happened next was not only the greatest rookie season in baseball historyit was a glimpse at both the past and future of the sport. But hes never wanted to be an imposing figure. that is the most lazer-like throw i've ever seen. Go go go go Ichiro. Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis hit his fifth home run in eight games in the big leagues on Wednesday. But . In 2004, he did just that, passing Sisler on Oct. 1. In this outtake clip from Janis Joplin: Little Girl Blue . 2023 Bonneville International. Seahawks running back Chris Carson is struggling with fumbles, and it's imperative he corrects the issue, says Jake Heaps. He was a catalyst for a team that won a record-tying 116 games, and he brought a new style to the majors while laying the foundation for others to follow. There are a lot of things to like with the new MLB rules for 2023, but Seattle Sports' Mike Salk can't get his mind off the pitch clock. "To come over here and pave the way for a lot of Japanese players, what he and (Hideo) Nomo did, that's not an easy thing to do," said Oakland manager Bob Melvin, who managed Suzuki for two seasons in Seattle. Whiting says this stance initially got him in a lot of trouble with minor league manager Shozo Doi, who opposed Ichiros leg kick and kept him on the farm team for the 1992 Orix BlueWave. By high school, he had also developed a contorted batting stance in which he picked up his front leg and moved it like a long, slow pendulum back toward the catcher, as T.R. Youve got to be really, really good to break that mold., As Orixs pitching coach between 1990 and 1993, Jim Colborn remembers hearing Ichiros name echoing constantly throughout the organization. Even though the couple ultimately split as her relationship with heroin and alcohol grew, he still . For the rest of the year, Ichiro and the Mariners didnt slow down. There was never a point in my career that I could have said that this was going to happen, so Im definitely grateful, Ichiro said Friday, through interpreter Allen Turner, who was his translator when he arrived in 2001. With MLBs newly established posting system (which negated much of Colborns and the Mariners groundwork), Gillick leaned on ownershipparticularly principal owner Hiroshi Yamauchi, a Nintendo chairman who loved watching Ichiro play in Japanto make a competitive offer. He is Ichiro Suzuki, and after playing two games with the Seattle Mariners to start his 29th pro baseball season, he has hung up his cleats for good. (Simmons/News) With 'beautiful peg' meaning great throw and he got him meaning well, he got him. I realized that this video didn't have the Niehaus call which was a lot better honestly. Colborn predicted that a bid of $10 million would win Ichiros negotiating rights, but Yamauchi wanted a failsafe number and threw in a couple extra million of his own money. That is absurd. His defensive acumen and acrobaticshis speed, arm strength, and daring pursuit angles on fly ballsearned him a Gold Glove award in right field. ", Let's not forget this one either. MLB.com also offers extensive historical information and footage, online ticket sales, official baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles and fantasy games. He also played for the Yankees and Marlins, albeit less prominently, and nine years in Japan before his MLB debut in 2001. He needed just 15 years to meet a milestone that is pretty much automatic admission to Cooperstown. Love Raible. Ichiro just defies what most athletes are capable of. I think Ichiro and Matsui broke the ice, and from the Japanese players point of view, they wanted to come over here too, and prove they could play in the highest league in the world, Hendry says. When hes working, hes almost always in full uniform and going at maximum physical effort, whether running the bases, shagging fly balls or everything in between. So it was a mutual thing., The Cubs ultimately won negotiating rights for Fukudome, and the outfielder signed a four-year, $48 million contract. Hes funny in that way., We just wanted to see that in a game, Piniella later told the media, a statement that Seattle Times reporter Bob Sherwin interpreted the next day: Everyone can now take a deep breath.. It was so true and so strong. Next door in the press box, Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus described the throw as being like something out of Star Wars, a call that was soon attached to the clip on every sports report that night. He also thanked Mariners ownership for the opportunity to contribute as a special advisor in his post-playing days. Here's the call from 1995: "The stretch. By the time Melvin arrived in Seattle in 2003, Suzuki was already established as a star. I feel like ending is so important, Ichiro said. If they're not careful he'll take third too. WARNING: awesome, What the fuck? While I was playing at NPB and watching Ichiro playing well in the major leagues, my motivation became strong [to] play at the top level, Fukudome says through an interpreter. Because we only got to see him in the postseason once, many of Ichiro's greatest moments came in the regular season. It is my greatest honor to have played for you as a Seattle Mariner.. As Ichiro went, so did the Mariners. Not long after signing, Ichiro and his wife, Yumiko, visited Seattle, where the Mariners set up a private workout inside Safeco Field. Nicknamed Godzilla, the Yomiuri Giants outfielder had been Japans most prolific power hitter, superseding Ichiro in popularity thanks to his teams mainstream appeal. Ichiro would come up to bat and Mr. Niehaus could tell you the funniest story about him. He found similar and prolonged success, racking up 16 home runs and 106 RBIs in his 2003 rookie season and then taking home World Series MVP honors in 2009. Tom Tango comes up with the idea of fun points based on fan polls to determine which players generate the most fun. The Mariners front office, led at the time by general manager Woody Woodward, was skeptical of how Ichiros skill set would translate to the U.S. Its incredible that this throw is that famous since its from a regular season game in April. A laser beam, barely 10 feet off the ground, reached third baseman David Bell on the fly . https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dave_Niehaus&oldid=1131339054, College basketball announcers in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2008, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Owner: Baseball Club of Seattle, LP, represented by CEO, This page was last edited on 3 January 2023, at 18:27. During Suzuki's first month in the majors in 2001 . Ichiro was such an exciting player, and for the rest of the baseball world to get to see him do something like this on the national stage was so special. Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store -- Jazz, Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, R&B, Latin, Brazil, African, World Music, Avant, Rock, Blues & more LPs, CDs, vinyl . Remember, we won 116 games that year. After I saw the batting practice and saw him move the ball around the field, I didnt think he was going to have any trouble adjusting, Gillick says. But emotionally because I was able to finish the way I was able to finish, that kind of beats out all the other things; it just makes it so that I'm at peace.. "Pow, he got him" combined with "pegged him". and the 0-1 pitch on the way to Edgar Martnez swung on and LINED DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE FOR A BASE HIT! When I threw a good split down and away, or when I threw a good sinker in, or when I threw a curveball down over the plate, he found a way to hit that ball harder than anyone else that I would face, says Mulder, who gave up 17 hits to Ichiro in 38 career encounters. I'm not sure he threw that ball at an upward angle. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor for American baseball broadcasters. His breakthrough offered a glimpse of the sports past and future, all while distinguishing him as a singularly timeless talent. Next door in the press box, Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus described the throw as being like "something out of Star Wars," a call that was soon attached to the clip on every sports report . Joe Fann details the six biggest. Since that time, millions of baseball fans around the world have subscribed to MLB.TV, the live video streaming product that airs every game in HD to nearly 400 different devices. From 2001-2010, Ichiro set a Major League record with 10 consecutive seasons of 200 or more hits. "I'm here to tell you, Ichiro threw something out of Star Wars down there at third base," Niehaus said. Are you kidding me? Mariners superstar Julio Rodrguez is in the spotlight as one of MLB's top players. Twenty years later, Ichiros rookie season remains an inflection point, the beginning of a legacy thats opened the door for other Japanese position players to thrive in MLB. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Sitting on the horizon is Seattle's season-opening series in Tokyo next season, and the possibility for Suzuki to shine again in his home country. Ichiro finished the year with 262 hits, a record that nobody has come close to touching since. His 133 hits at the break marked a club record, and his league-leading 3.4 million votes made him an All-Star starter as a rookie. There was a sellout crowd on a summer Saturday night, and the introduction had all the parallels when the center of attention was finally introduced. I've always thought it was "The throw by Ichiro, beautiful peg, he got him." Or maybe at this age what I can do is prepare myself, train and see what I can do and the work I put in, see what happens to my body and performance," Suzuki said. Apr 21, 2017. Bump & Stacy make their picks. Over his first season in Seattle, the then-27-year-old erased any doubts about his transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB. The . I saw this angle 20 years ago and have been looking for it ever since. I could never imagine my career in America would last 19 seasons and that I would still be in Seattle today.. The Double: The most popular . I knew it was going to be special., Earlier in his courtship, Colborn had taken Ichiro to Peoria to tour the Mariners facility and visit Griffeys locker. Aaron Judge led the majors in 2022 in fun points per PA. I thought to myself if this is customary in America, I might not make it here. A Celebration of Life for Dave Niehaus; Podcasts; 2013 Seattle Seahawks Online Scrapbook; Daily Archives: February 24, . It also helped that the Mariners and Orix had a working agreement in which Seattle shared commercial and marketing ideas in exchange for info about NPB players. And his unique approach to hittinghis on-deck stretches, circular bat warmup, and distinct scamper out of the boxdefied all baseball norms. The Mariners gave already provided a number of exciting moments in the first week of Cactus League play. That brought up pinch hitter Ramon Hernandez, who delivered a ground ball base hit to right. Remember, we won 116 games that year. talent - Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki - with no World Series to show for it. Not bad for the first position player to ever make the move from Japan to the majors. Ball-tracking angle of Ichiro's throw in 2001. Heaps: Bench Chris Carson? He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. [Nobuyuki] wrote in one of his books that [Ichiro] had six hours a year to play with his friends and the rest was practicing baseball, Whiting says. That doesn't happen in Japan. My friend and I always used to say Terrensh Long. But the way my career ended in Japan at the Tokyo Dome, and how the fans embrace me there, that is what makes this an easier exit. Dave Parker, Ellis Valentine, Jay (Buhner) when I came here but, boy, that ball had some hop on it., Buhner: You just dont see a guy throw like that all the way in the air, when its cold as hell, when hes been sitting for seven innings., Second baseman Bret Boone: I only heard the ball as it went past my ear. Id never faced a guy who was a better bad ball hitter., The torrid start only made Ichiros spotlight brighter, especially in Japan. HERE COMES JOEY, HERE IS JUNIOR TO THIRD BASE, THEY'RE GOING TO WAVE HIM IN! Dave Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy . I think he liked that challenge and he was uniquely equipped to handle it, Stone says. The former Orix pitching coach had taken the same job with the Dodgers that year, and embraced his friend in the dugout when the Mariners visited Los Angeles for a three-game series in July. Who cares if your glove is clean? Thus was there a craving for approval from overseas, for a vindication of Japan itself, that attached itself to the athletes who made their way across the Pacific., Its a sentiment Masujima explored in a 2002 magazine essay while writing about the transformative power of stars like Nomo and Ichiro. He hit in the batting cage underneath and he ran around the concourse in the upper deck for his running, Colborn recalls, laughing. "The Throw," one of Ichiro's signature moments in his Major League . What sets Mariners OF Kyle Lewis apart from other prospects. Julio Rodrguez had a brief moment that caused concern when he crashed into the wall in center field on Monday's Mariners spring trainng game. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 - November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. That Wednesday afternoon has become folkloric, because its the last time Ichiros ability was ever openly questioned.

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