| ICHIRO SUZUKI |
| He made his debut in Major League in 2001. He is one of the most popular athletes in Japan. His uniform number is 51, which he had worn to honor one of the famous pitchers, Randy Johnson when he had joined Mariners. Therefore he managed to keep a good image the number has. Furthermore many fans expected a lot him, he worked very hard. As a result, he became the MVP and the rookie king. That's one of reason he got many fans in the United States, too. He was called samurai going to America. |
| He joined the Japanese baseball team, Orix Blue Wave, in 1992. Although he is a hero now, he was not treated warmly at the beginning. He was picked fourth in the draft by the team. He became the leading hitter in the first year. Therefore it seemed that he made a good start. However he made little progress after two years. Afterward he changed his batting style. It' s called furikodahou. He became the P.L. Batting Champion seven times since 1994. In addition, he gained many titles in the Japanese League, for example, P.L. RBI Leader, P.L. Stolen Bases Leader, and his great record, a 200-hits in one season, influenced many fans. Without his noticing, everyone came to call him a genius. |
| In this way, he is certainly a superstar. However, no one can understand how terrible hope he feels! He always keeps himself cool and tries not to be aware of it. That?fs his splendid point. Furthermore, he continues to meet our expectations. |
| Reference: World News Today 2002 |
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