Ichiro Reached Historic Milestone With the Marlins 10 Years Ago Today
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“More than the number 3,000 itself ... it’s about my teammates and my fans. That’s powerful today.”
Those were Ichiro Suzuki’s words after becoming the 30th player in Major League history to reach 3,000 hits on Aug. 7, 2016. The humility stood out considering the magnitude of the achievement.
Ichiro drove a pitch from Rockies left-hander Chris Rusin off the right-field wall at Coors Field and raced into third base. His Marlins teammates quickly poured from the dugout to meet him, celebrating a milestone with a team that had entered his story only in its epilogue; the team most associated with the Japanese icon, however, was located far west of Miami.
Ichiro collected 2,542 of his 3,089 Major League hits with the Seattle Mariners, establishing himself as one of the franchise’s defining players long before Miami entered the picture. Yet, one of the closing chapters of his career occurred there.
Ichiro’s Miami Chapter
Ichiro entered the 2016 season just 65 hits shy of 3,000 after re-signing with Miami for another year. There was little expectation that he would be a major contributor, but he was still capable of accumulating hits in the slap-hitting style he was known for.
Age also appeared to have done little to diminish his preparation. Marlins president David Samson praised Ichiro’s conditioning, saying he was “in the best shape of any player I’ve seen at any age.”
Ichiro’s single-minded dedication to the sport could also produce some unintentionally funny moments. During the 2017 season, Tom Brady reportedly texted him after getting his number through Alex Rodriguez. Ichiro’s response was simple: “Who the f--- is Tom Brady?”
Football knowledge aside, Ichiro remained plenty capable on a baseball field.
He appeared in 143 games for Miami in 2016 and hit .291/.354/.376 while collecting 95 hits. Rather than serving strictly as a ceremonial veteran collecting one more paycheck, he remained a useful fourth outfielder and pinch-hitter behind a young, star-studded outfield featuring Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna.
That production eventually gave way to baseball history. When hit No. 3,000 finally arrived, even the opposing team understood what it meant. Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado moved away from third base to give Ichiro space as the celebration unfolded. At the same time, the Coors Field crowd rose to recognize a visiting player whose milestone transcended the game's importance.
Seattle will always own the largest portion of Ichiro’s Major League legacy, and fittingly, he eventually returned there to put a bow on a Hall-of-Fame career. Miami’s place in that history is smaller, but permanent.
Miami first gave a 41-year-old legend the opportunity to keep playing when his everyday years were behind him, and that chance ultimately produced one of baseball’s most respected milestones. It may not have come in the Mariners uniform he was best known for wearing, but the moment and the milestone belonged to Ichiro the player, not any one uniform.
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Wesley Dixon is a sports writer focused on thoughtful analysis, roster-building angles, player development and feature-style storytelling. He has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA, with work centered on breaking down team direction, player fit and the larger stories behind the game. Wesley is a lifelong MLB fan, following multiple teams throughout the league. He is excited to bring that same detail-oriented approach to On SI.