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Ichiro Suzuki (born October 22, 1973) is the first Japanese-born position
player to play in Major League Baseball. He played nine years with the Orix
Blue Wave in Japan's Pacific League, and led the league in batting average
for a record seven consecutive seasons. He was a three-time league MVP.
Rights to Ichiro's contract were bought by the Seattle Mariners before
the 2001 season. He won the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie
of the Year awards in 2001, hitting .351 and leading the American League in
hits and batting average. Ichiro (who prefers to be referred to by his given
name, even in newspaper accounts) became only the second player in MLB
history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season; the
first was Fred Lynn in the American League in 1975.
Ichiro is a left handed batter and as of the 2003 season played right
field for the Mariners.
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