The Seattle Mariners retired Ichiro Suzuki’s No. 51 during a pre-game ceremony at T-Mobile Park on 9 August, making the 50-year-old outfielder the first Japanese player to have a number retired by a Major League Baseball club. The event capped a month in which Suzuki entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame and drew a sell-out crowd that included franchise luminaries Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martínez. Appearing in a suit from the center-field wall, Suzuki joked about delivering a second English-language speech in as many months, then told fans he was “proud to be part of Seattle.” He thanked Hall of Fame left-hander Randy Johnson for allowing him to wear 51 when he joined the Mariners from Japan in 2001. Johnson’s own No. 51 will be retired by the club next year. The Mariners also announced plans to unveil a bronze statue of Suzuki at the ballpark next season, only the fourth such monument on the grounds. Suzuki played 19 MLB seasons—14 of them in Seattle—winning both American League MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in 2001 and setting the single-season hits record with 262 in 2004.
Former Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki’s No. 51 was retired during a ceremony at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Saturday, becoming the first Japanese player to have a retired number in the majors. https://t.co/NpjWgInaXN
イチローさん「51」マリナーズの永久欠番に「誇りに思う」 https://t.co/Ggm5DuAoKA #nhk_news
米国野球殿堂入りのイチローさん、マリナーズ本拠地で永久欠番式典に出席 背番号51 https://t.co/jMe3ECYwe9 イチローさんは「シアトルの51といえばランディ・ジョンソンだった。彼の寛容さなくして自分がつけることはなかった」と式典に出席した大投手、ジョンソンさんに感謝を述べた。