With the money they are going to make from the Japanese market? Ichiro is a world HOFer, he doesn't get DFAd for a minor leaguer that has a hot spring. Come on guys...think like you're running a global business not a roto/fantasy team.
No doubt, Ichiro indeed sales seats, tickets. I'd pay anyday to see this Hall Of Famer in the making, perhaps his last year. Nothing like seeing a Hall of Famer, moreso in their peak, yet one last sneak peak before they retire. Shades of early 70s Willie Mays in Shea, or Aaron back in Milwaukee, Ruth in1935-Braves Field in Boston.One last look of a Hall of Famer while playing, history in the making every game.
Of course Ichiro is no Mays, Aaron, especially none are Ruthian. Tho' Suzuki was one of the best hitting machines of his entire generation. Not a flash in the pan. The real deal. IMO, the greatest Japanese MLB player, to ever grace an American Diamond!!!
Ichiro will be remembered as a crown jewel,Internationally, (a Ruthian Feat effecting more than one continent), by breaking George Sislers 1920, 258 Hit Season, with 262 Hits ten years ago (04). A extremely sound accurate rifle arm, not quit seen since Clemente graced MLB fields with his rifle-cannon accurate arm, (as well as perhaps being the one outfielder to have journalist first describe his arm as a rifle, moreso than any other prior outfielder of his time), tho' few arms were alluded to as gun like, rocket like, "on a rope", (Of course other great arms have been seen in RF with rifle arms, from 50 to present: Kaline, Aaron, Dewey Evans, Gwynn, Winfield, Parker, Barfield, Victorino, Puig is developing into a rocket arm, not a rifle cannon, (the highlight reels that kid has already made, & if he keeps his wreckless abandoned tempered, he too could upset many a base runner, and historical stats).
Yet, of all the greats, IMO, none have reminded me so much as Clemente, than Suzuki: Give Suzuki his 7 years in Japan, to MLB stats, and he would rank right behind Clemente...~! Check that, lets keep Ichiro in NY selling tickets, collecting another gapper to add to his HOF numbers.
Yet none IMO can ever live up to the Latino Bambino, and what he did with his arm. Or did for Pan-Am, American, Baseball, changing, effecting lives for generations to come, with is community involvement, and building of Sports Complexes, in the most impoverished of global regions, so much MLB named one of the most coveted personal Trophy Awards after him, be that Roberto, the great man, who always said, quote:
"I always wanted to be a Doy-Yer". Montreal Royals, 1954. As good as it gets.
