The Associated Press
Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki hit a bunt single in the first inning of a 5-1 win over the Twins in Seattle on Saturday.

Suzuki sizzles on bobblehead day

Fans thrill to Ichiro's performance, promotional offer of figurines

RICH MYHRE, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published July 29

SEATTLE -- Eight months ago, when he signed his first American professional contract, few Seattle Mariners fans had ever heard of Ichiro Suzuki.

On Friday night, undeterred by a persistent rain, hundreds laid sleeping bags and lawn chairs outside Safeco Field to assure themselves of Suzuki bobblehead dolls, which were distributed to the first 20,000 people arriving for Saturday's game.

These days, anything Ichiro is golden. Saturday was his day and Suzuki lived up the moment, slapping three hits in four at-bats to help the Mariners to a 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

"His head wasn't bobbing at home plate," said Seattle manager Lou Piniella with a laugh. "It may have been bobbing in the stands, but it's wasn't bobbing at the plate.

"He got three hits and it was good to see. We need Ichiro to get hot again. We need him to get untracked and get on base, just like he was early in the season. He really makes our offense go."

Nearly lost in the hoopla for Suzuki -- Mariners reliever Jeff Nelson dubbed it "Ichi-mania" -- was another superb outing for Seattle's pitching staff.

Starter Jamie Moyer pitched into the seventh to earn his 11th win of the season, and Arthur Rhodes and Nelson struck out six hitters in 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

There were other heroes, too. Bret Boone and Stan Javier each had two hits, and Mike Cameron made a sprinting over-the-shoulder catch to take an extra-base hit away from Corey Koskie in the second inning.

In truth, though, those fellows and every other Mariner were merely a supporting cast this day. Suzuki had the spotlight and he responded handsomely, reaching base on each of his first three trips to the plate.

In the first, Suzuki led off with a drop bunt down the third base line, with Minnesota's Corey Koskie not even bothering to throw.

On the first pitch of the third inning, Suzuki lashed a sharp double just inside the first base bag -- he had thoughts of a triple, but settled for an easy jog into second. And with the bases loaded in the fourth, he bounced a single up the middle to drive in two runs, then later scored himself.

His 3-for-4 effort raised his season average to .329, pushed his hitting string to eight games and gave him a league-best 151 hits.

For good measure, Suzuki swiped his 35th base of the season in the sixth. "It's great to see all this happen for him," Javier said. "It's awesome for baseball and it's great for him. I'm enjoying it myself. But I think what he enjoys is the team doing so well. I think that's the main thing."

His coaches and teammates have witnessed the Ichiro phenomenon with curiosity and wonder. They have seen Seattle fans embrace the team's new right fielder, and they have also watched as hordes of Japanese fans and media have made Mariner games an international experience.

All the Mariners are celebrities of a sort, but none has endured this level of individual acclaim.

"He's as big as they come in Japan," said Seattle pitching coach Bryan Price. "I don't think I could ever understand what it would be like to be Ichiro, and what it's like to have an entire country watching everything that you do. How does anyone, unless you're in that situation, understand what that's like?

"Even if you're an average major league player, you still can't fathom what it's like to be a guy like Ichiro. More than just a great player, but a hero and a sex symbol. It transcends baseball."

For his part, Suzuki was brief in his remarks to the media after Saturday's game. Speaking through an interpreter, Suzuki said he didn't know what that long line was for when I came to the ballpark. He admits a few of his teammates are teasing him about the fanfare, he thinks the doll looks like a little sleepy face, but says he will keep one and display it.

Does he enjoy the popularity?

Suzuki wasn't saying, but others in the clubhouse say he does.

"With one of your teammates, you can tell if he's enjoying himself or if he's miserable," Boone said. "And he's having a good time."

"He's enjoying it," Piniella said. "He's on a first-place team and he's having a good year, so he should be enjoying it."

All the Mariners were given an Ichiro doll, and Piniella has an idea in mind for his.

"I'm going to put it on e-Bay," he said with a tongue-in-cheek grin, referring to the escalating value of all things Ichiro.

Against Kansas City on Thursday night, the Mariners were playing to avoid a three-game losing streak. Now they have won three in a row, including six straight over the slumping Twins, who have lost 11 of their last 14 games.

Seattle is 12-5 since the All-Star break, and continues to shrug off all suggestions of a late-season swoon. Much of it, of course, is due to Suzuki.

"If we can get him on base, things happen for us," Price said. "He's been nothing short of sensational for this team."

A crowd of 45,681 attended Saturday's game. It was Seattle's 21st straight sellout and the 31st overall this the season.

Mariners 5, Twins 1

- Record: 75-29.

- Today: Minnesota (Milton 9-3) at Seattle (Garcia 11-3), 1:35 p.m. (FSN).

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