Ichiro gave hint of great things to come as a rookie, when he hit ... Counting his time with the Orix Blue Wave of Japan’s Pacific League, he had 4,367 hits in 28 seasons.

Whiting recalled first seeing Ichiro in Japan and thinking a Little Leaguer had talked his way into an Orix Blue Wave uniform ... meant predicting Ichiro’s rookie season. Conventional wisdom ...

Out in right field, the rookie charged Hernandez's hit ... bidding with a $13 million posting fee paid to Ichiro's team in Japan, the Orix Blue Wave, and then a three-year, $14 million pact ...

Starting out with the Orix Blue Wave in ... Hall of Fame. Ichiro’s career serves as a model for how skill, heart, and willpower can transform the game, from his debut as a rookie not expected ...

In Nov. 2000, Seattle announced their signing of Ichiro, a 27-year-old star from the Orix Blue Wave and first Japanese ... the 27-year-old rookie piled a league-best 242 hits with a ...

Bob Melvin was in his second year as manager of the Seattle Mariners when he realized the brilliance of Ichiro Suzuki was borne of a meticulous daily regimen. Reporters from two continents were ...

TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 23: Ichiro Suzuki appears prior to the WBSC ... Suzuki played in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Orix Blue Wave, hitting .353 and adding 1,278 hits to his career ...

Unanimous or not, Ichiro cemented his place among the game’s all-time best with his transcendent style on the field. After beginning his pro career in Japan with the Orix Blue Wave — during ...

In 2001, Ichiro became just the second MLB player to earn MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in ... in nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave. In Seattle, New York and Miami, he posted 3,089 hits ...

Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 Ichiro’s rookie campaign wasn’t just sensational, it was historic. In his first MLB season following nine with NPB's Orix Blue Wave, he led the American League by hitting .350 ...