Former Seattle Mariners Slugger Nelson Cruz Discusses Playing With Ichiro Suzuki
Many former Seattle Mariners hitters have received recognition over the past several years for their amazing careers.
Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez were both inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 and 2019, respectively.
Those two Mariners greats will likely get some company in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., after Tuesday when the 2025 Hall of Fame class gets announced.
Seattle's all-time leader in hits, Ichiro Suzuki, is on the ballot for the first time. And it's all but certain he'll be announced as one of the newest members to baseball's elite echelon of players. The only real question is if he'll be the sports second-ever unanimous selection.
Suzuki came stateside in 2001 after playing nine years in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball with the Orix BlueWave and instantly became one of the best hitters in the game. He won the American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in his first season in the league, which was also the last time the Mariners made the playoffs before breaking the drought in 2022.
Suzuki spent the better part of 19 seasons in the major leagues with Seattle. That stretch included him setting the MLB record for the most hits in a single season, which he set in 2004 with 262.
Former Mariners outfielder/designated hitter, seven-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Nelson Cruz went on MLB Network on Jan. 20 to discuss what it was like playing with the former MVP:
"Ichiro — great guy. I had the chance to fly from my first All-Star from Seattle to St. Louis and it was incredible to be with Ichiro (in 2009). ... So that was my first experience hanging out with Ichiro and then we got the chance to play together in Seattle. I thought I was great with timing and the way you do stuff and (to) see Ichiro — 'Wow I need to get better.' Because everything that he does was on point every single day. ... He has his food at the same time, shows up at the stadium at the same time, workout at the same time. And even last year when I went to Seattle to retire with Seattle, he was still doing it."
Nelson Cruz joins #MLBNHotStove to discuss facing CC Sabathia and playing alongside Ichiro Suzuki with the Mariners ahead of Tuesday's Hall of Fame Election Announcement! pic.twitter.com/BrCqmeoUKI
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 20, 2025
Cruz played with Seattle from 2015-18. His last season overlapped with the first year of Suzuki's second stint with the team. The latter retired in 2019.
Suzuki has received high praise from his peers in the lead up to the Hall of Fame announcement.
And that praise will likely continue if/when Suzuki finds out he will be selected to the Hall of Fame.
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