Ichiro

[olyclimber]

WTF???

 

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26888002/

[chucK]

I learned the other day that the numbers "5" and "1" are pronounced "go" and "ichi" in Japanese. Cool, huh?

GO ICHI!...and take Johji with you!

[klenke]

The NBC story is basically a re-write of the Seattle Times series happening right now. The NBC story even says, "...the Seattle Times reported Thursday."

 

Here's the relevant part to Ichiro in the Seattle Times story. Note how some paragraphs are missing from the NBC story and thefore can change the tone and thus the negativity one might generate toward Ichiro (I've bolded the missing paragraphs):

 

"And it was a clubhouse in need of some direction, given the problems engulfing it as the season came undone. When it came to Ichiro, who got off to a typically slow start in April and part of May, the internal turmoil nearly hit its boiling point.

 

"I just can't believe the number of guys who really dislike him," said one clubhouse insider. "It got to a point early on when I thought they were going to get together and go after him." [this is conjecture on the insider's part, by the way; it was what he was thinking might happen, not what did happen]

 

The coaching staff and then-manager John McLaren intervened when one player was overheard talking — in reference to Ichiro — about wanting to "knock him out." A team meeting was called to clear the air.

 

It was a repeat of May 2007, when Mike Hargrove was in charge and a team meeting had to be called during a series at Tampa Bay because of clubhouse bickering over Ichiro being a "selfish" player.

 

Ichiro this year had to battle a midseason hamstring problem, and he was shifted from center field back to right because McLaren thought Ichiro was a better defender in the corner. While Ichiro is said to have recovered from his injury, his stolen-base totals dropped as the season progressed. He also did not get to some balls in the gap and the right-field corner at times, prompting more clubhouse complaints that he cared only about piling up hits instead of sitting out to heal properly.

 

But others point out that Ichiro, along with Ibanez, is one of the few Mariners to put up consistently high numbers during a season in which the team has all but collapsed. They also suggest that Ichiro, being Japanese and not a vocal clubhouse presence, is somewhat vulnerable to scapegoating in a clubhouse that at times appeared divided along linguistic and cultural lines.

 

"He goes about his business, works hard, sets goals for himself and achieves them every year," the team insider said. "How is that selfish? With him, it isn't about the 200 hits. It's about playing the game the right way and playing it hard every time out."

 

No one can dispute the value of a leadoff man who has reached the 200-hit plateau eight consecutive times and scored at least 100 runs each time. Especially in relation to the overall poor performances around him."