Why does Seattle Mariners Outfielder, Ichiro, have his first name on his Uniform instead of his last (Suzuki)?
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Who, in your favorite team, would you say is the underrated "Watch out for him" player?
It is simply because "Ichiro" has been known by his first name during the majority of his baseball career in Japan where he was a major star (refer to above answer for original rationale) - and Major League Baseball wanted to widen its fan base in Asia.He was actually granted permission by the Commissioner of Baseball when he came over here from Japan to play to have his first name on his uniform instead of his surname. "Ichiro" is known by that name just like George Herman Ruth was "The Babe", Joe DiMaggio was "Joltin' Joe", etc.
It is mainly a marketing tool here in The States, but quite effective, actually. If we referred to him as "Suzuki", we'd think he was a violin teaching method or motorcycle or something similar, wouldn't we? Yet whom do you think about when you hear the name "Ichiro"? See? The marketing has worked, hasn't it?
Because he came in with nobody with that name. I don't know, wanted to be different, I suppose.
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cuz hes a chink in the baseball chainRate my fantasy baseball team??
That's the way the Japanese, Chinese, and many Europeans do it. Ichiro is his surname. In basketball, Yao Ming has "Yao" on his jersey.Japanese names are different - they always list their family name first. It's like having your last name first, and then your first name last.
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pretty sure it's a cultural (Japanese) thing, though i can't answer with 100% certainty.Who pitched the most no hitters?
Because in Japan, there were so many guys on his team named Suzuki, that it was actually the best way for him to be identified as Ichiro Suzuki. I kind of like it, just because I've never seen anyone else do it before.Will Freddy Sanchez win another batting title this season?
I am seattle person and i think it is because many people can not pronounce his last name and because he wanted to be unique. this is a hard question though.Alex Rodriguez. Will He Be The All time home run leader and surpass hank aarons record?
Japanes names to us are backwards. Lets say Yao Ming. In our language it would be Ming Yao. It's weird but that is why. He also has Yao on his shirt.Is Gil Hodges a hall of famer?
In Japan, Suzuki is a common name. He first used his first name on his jersey as a member of the Orix Blue Wave in Japan. "Ichiro's new manager, Ogi Akira, decided Ichiro was such a unique player that he deserved to be more then to be just another Suzuki running around of the field. So that year he had Ichiro printed on the back of his jersey. Ichiro was a little embarrassed to be singled out like this, but it seemed like a fitting tribute to him." So he prefers it now, and used it for his MLB jersey. Good thing for him he plays baseball and not football. The NFL wouldn't stand for someone trying to be different like that. By the way, Yao is Chinese and Ichiro is Japanese. Completely different.Whois the better baseball player vladimir guerrero or rafael palmiero?
maybe he's first name is suzuki and he's last name is ichiro go to www,mlb.com and find itHow Much could i sell a Jimmy Rollins Game-Used Baseball Bat for on EBAY?
To most of the answers, Suzuki is his family name and Ichiro is his given name. In Japan he would be sign his name Suzuki Ichiro. However, by becoming the best player in Japanese baseball, which does have many "Suzuki's", he became known as Ichiro, a unique way to refer to one person in Japan. The equivalent of "Madonna" here.In his third year as a pro baseball player w/ the Orix Blue Wave in Japan, Ichiro's batting coach (who helped him perfect his 'furi-ko' batting style yet whose name escapes me at this moment), saw the superior talent and championship-mentality that Ichiro possessed. One day during spring training, this coach entered the office of the 'kan-toku' (manager), Ogi. He reasoned that since they already had three players surnamed Suzuki (very common surname), a player of Ichiro's caliber showed stand out- having one of the most common surnames in Japan did not help. Putting his given name on the back of his uniform not only put the spotlight on Ichiro, but on the entire club itself (which was a small market club- in fact, facing bankruptcy, they were forced to merge with another club, the Kintetsu Buffaloes and now play as the Orix Buffaloes) .
It's interesting to note that Ichiro played the majority of his rookie year in the minors and that he was sent down at the beginning of his second year for hitting a monstruous HR off Hideo Nomo- his previous manager was enraged that his rookie lead-off batter would aim to for the fence. Urban legend says the manager also called for a hit-&-run and in Japan that means nothing higher than a line drive...fly balls, even HRs, are seen as failing to execute.
Back in the minors, Ichiro began tinkering with his swing and realized that he could make better contact with control to all fields (' hit 'em where they ain't ') using his 'furi-ko' batting style. I However, upon being called back up to the Blue Wave at the end of his second season, Ichiro was again lambasted by this manager, who concluded that Ichiro would not be able to make contact with top-flight pitching and worse, sacrificing power.
Ichiro credits Ogi (who was also liberal enough to allow Nomo to tinker with his 'tornado wind-up' that would become famous) as the man who allowed him to 'be the nail that sticks out (and not get hammered down)' and gave him the confidence to trust his natural abilities and become the player he is today. He is also very grateful to the batting coach who convinced Ogi to have Ichiro put his surname on the back of his uniform- I just wish I could remember this coach's name.
Finally bit of trivia- 'Ichi Ro' means 'first son' in Japanese and was a very common given name up until about fifty years ago.
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