Ichiro Batting .356-101 Pts Higher Than Last April

[yankeesAZ]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm..._ichiro02.html

The guy just hits. If anyone can touch .400 it is him, though I doubt he will. Too bad Betre and Sexon are batting like the Yanks and not driving him in.

[RhodeyYankee2638]

I think its a possibility that he can hit in the .380 - .390 range, but .400 is almost damn near impossible. I think Ichiro may be the last person in a while that we see who has the tools and a chance to hit .400

[nnysiny]

its hard to say where Ichiro will end up. he had been known as someone who gets tired during the end of the season but he was on fire for the second half of 2004. this year he started hot again. i guess he will hit around .365

[Mystic Merlyn]

Nobody will hit .400 again.

[ChewieTobbacca]

I think if anyone is going to hit near .400 its either Ichiro or IMO Pujols

He has a great eye and great bat control, increasing his walk totals every year while strikeout's have decreased

He's turning into a hitter kind of like Ted Williams - needs to take more walks of course but high average, high power, low strikeout numbers and increasing walks makes him a really special hitter

[RhodeyYankee2638]

I
He's turning into a hitter kind of like Ted Williams - needs to take more walks of course but high average, high power, low strikeout numbers and increasing walks makes him a really special hitter

something tells me he wont hit 500 HR's though

[yankeesAZ]

something tells me he wont hit 500 HR's though

Probably not, but he is good for more HRs than Juan Pierre.

[Shlong]

Ichiro hit over .400 every month last season except for two. And hit .420 the second half of the season, if he goes on a hot streak he has a great chance.

[PippyPinstripes]

Ichiro is just sick. I love him.

[yankeesAZ]

He made quite a "web gem" tonight. What a catch!

[The_Explorer]

Ichiro hit over .400 every month last season except for two. And hit .420 the second half of the season, if he goes on a hot streak he has a great chance.

i agree. i think his phenomenal speed also keeps him from any prolonged slump. And when he's on, he can hit anything anywhere in the field. i used to think no one had a shot at .400, but i think he can do it. also, not speaking english might benefit him with not having to deal with 'our' media (although he'll still have to deal with the japanese media following him).

[yankeesAZ]

i agree. i think his phenomenal speed also keeps him from any prolonged slump. And when he's on, he can hit anything anywhere in the field. i used to think no one had a shot at .400, but i think he can do it. also, not speaking english might benefit him with not having to deal with 'our' media (although he'll still have to deal with the japanese media following him).

He actually gave a speech in English, when he was honored for his hits record a couple weeks ago at Safeco. Sure, it was prepared, but he's learning.

[cubswin]

I think if anyone is going to hit near .400 its either Ichiro or IMO Pujols

He has a great eye and great bat control, increasing his walk totals every year while strikeout's have decreased

He's turning into a hitter kind of like Ted Williams - needs to take more walks of course but high average, high power, low strikeout numbers and increasing walks makes him a really special hitter

? high power? Ted Williams? Suzuki has 39 career HRs, 119 career doubles. He has exceeded 10 HRs once (13), 30 doubles once (34). He is a singles hitter. He broke the record last year on the strength of 225 singles -- and I don't know where to find the info, but the # of bunt and other infield hits was staggering (60+, iirc?)

Suzuki is a very good player, but much is due to his speed. Comparing him to Williams is laughable.

[blue_monkey2]

I think if anyone is going to hit near .400 its either Ichiro or IMO Pujols

when Nomar was good back in the late in 1999+2000 i thought he had a chance. didn't he hit like .370 or something near there. thats pretty damn good.

[RhodyYanksFan]

Ichiro doesn't walk nearly enough to hit .400. I know it sounds weird, but he gets too many hits, thus has too many AB. If he walked more then 49 times a year it would get his AB down so 250 hits could equal a .400 average.

[Vin]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm..._ichiro02.html

The guy just hits. If anyone can touch .400 it is him, though I doubt he will.

*paging Mr. Steinbrenner*

[CptCrunch]

? high power? Ted Williams? Suzuki has 39 career HRs, 119 career doubles. He has exceeded 10 HRs once (13), 30 doubles once (34). He is a singles hitter. He broke the record last year on the strength of 225 singles -- and I don't know where to find the info, but the # of bunt and other infield hits was staggering (60+, iirc?)

Suzuki is a very good player, but much is due to his speed. Comparing him to Williams is laughable.

I think he may have been referring to Pujols in that post

Still, neither Ichiro nor Pujols (at this point) can be compared to Ted Williams.

[yanksphan]

If I could only figure out a way to wrestle him from the last place fantasy team in one of my leagues...

Sweet catch last night though.

[WashingtonYankee]

If I could only figure out a way to wrestle him from the last place fantasy team in one of my leagues...

Sweet catch last night though.

He is amazing. I was going to say dude! I know you watched the M's game last night.. and you better have. (yankeesAZ) that was an INCREDIBLE PLAY! OMG, I totally like jumped out of my seat and was so impressed by his play.

I have a feeling that Seattle will be one of the best teams in the AL this year. Go M's! And go Ichiro!

[SoCal Pinstriper]

The catch of the year, thus far.

[yankeesAZ]

He is amazing. I was going to say dude! I know you watched the M's game last night.. and you better have. (yankeesAZ) that was an INCREDIBLE PLAY! OMG, I totally like jumped out of my seat and was so impressed by his play.

I have a feeling that Seattle will be one of the best teams in the AL this year. Go M's! And go Ichiro!

Can't go that far about the M's. Their pitching is almost as bad as the Yankees. They will not lose 99 games this year, but will be around .500. Perhaps Pedro instead of Beltre may have helped them.

[Looie #19]

A perfect example of how overrated batting average is..

[jimmyclark]

Ichiro plays alot and that has to wear you down. Lots of Japanese players have problems with the daily grind and long trips with little rest between games..Japan is only the size of California. Ichiro prepared for it his last year in Japan by limiting his sleeping schedule. When someone like Bobby Cox calls him the best defensive RF he's seen in 25 years that is praise. Certainly he does not have the power most RF had, and I suppose you can rate Vladimir Guerrero and a couple others higher for that but not many. He can play on my team any day.

[SoCal Pinstriper]

Ichiro plays alot and that has to wear you down. Lots of Japanese players have problems with the daily grind and long trips with little rest between games..Japan is only the size of California. Ichiro prepared for it his last year in Japan by limiting his sleeping schedule. When someone like Bobby Cox calls him the best defensive RF he's seen in 25 years that is praise. Certainly he does not have the power most RF had, and I suppose you can rate Vladimir Guerrero and a couple others higher for that but not many. He can play on my team any day.

Ichiro is an artist with the bat, and one of the west coast players that makes it a treat to have the MLBEE package out here.

An aside to jimmyclark; I normally wouldn't put this here, but, you aren't accepting PMs. Is your user name a reference to GP great, World Champion, Indy 500 Champion, Jimmy Clark the driver.

You can PM your response.

[ChewieTobbacca]

Yes I was referring to Pujols

of course he can't be compared to Williams - he doesn't walk enough which even for 80 walks

However he certainly has that ability - his ability to slug, hit for average, and his incrsaing walk and decreasing strikeout rates makes it interesting to see what will happen