Just how good is Ichiro?

#1
Co. Aytch

Co. Aytch

Southern Leaguer
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#1
200 hits, a Gold Glove, and All Star appearence,and has hit over .300 in ten straight seasons. That is unreal.


Was reading about baseball players from the deadball era, and his game reminds me of how they played baseball. I know that all the old time ballplayers love watching him field and hit. Hitting especially.

YouTube - the tenth inning - ichiro's "the throw"

And for even racking up 200 hits a season, he still has 2,000 more to go to get to Rose. That is amazing in itself of what Rose accomplished in his playing career. Ty Cobb set the bar so high, but Pete got him. Seems to me like DiMaggio's consecutive games with a hit, and Rose's all time hit King records are going to be tough to get too.

Is it just the Sportscenter age of fascination of the long ball that the chicks dig so much, that a true, pure hitter can go under the radar? Even with astronomical numbers?

So, for some that go back to the old days...how good do you say Ichiro is?? Is he even the best player right now in or in the last 5 years??

What say you..:):)
 
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#2
#2
Ichiro is a Hall-of-Fame player. He hasn't been the best player in baseball at any point in his career though.
 
#3
#3
He hasn't been the single best in any given season, but he's definitely been one of the best if not the best over the last decade cumulatively.
 
#4
#4
and this is almost like his second wind playing in the mlb. he had something close to 2,000 hits in japan. dude is legit and would probably be higher in the mvp conversations if he played for a contending club. hall of fame will be calling first go round.
 
#7
#7
And ill take A-Rod, but really as consistent as ichiro is he is definitely up there.
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#8
#8
Albert has been much better at the plate, but Ichiro is as close to an automatic hit machine as there has ever been, more than adequate enough to build any lineup around, and ought to be in the discussion for best OF ever. If he played for the Yanks or Sox, he would have been declared best-ever by this point (exaggeration but you get what I mean). Only Mays and Clemente ever posted more consecutive GG's, and this is after Ichiro has spent 8 years of his prime in Japan.
 
#9
#9
Dude, you are off in the head...discussion of best OF ever? He is a great fielder and he racks up a ton of hits, he is good at stealing bases.

He is nowhere near the class of ploayer as Griffey,Bonds, Mays, Clemente, Musial, DiMaggio, I could name 30 or so more players.

He is great but not in that discussion.
 
#10
#10
Going on pure stats, and not looking at championships or big market teams, he is in the top 3 going right now in the majors.

Not a pitcher of course.
 
#14
#14
VOLnVEGAS said:
Going on pure stats, and not looking at championships or big market teams, he is in the top 3 going right now in the majors.

Not a pitcher of course.
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I think that's what has hurt him -- he plays in a media black hole for a franchise that has accomplished jack squat. Ichiro has been top three in AL fielding% as RF nearly every season he's been in the MLB, number one a number of years. At the plate, he's been top ten of all MLB in batting all but one year IIRC, with one or two batting titles. Also tops of all players in hits every single year he's been in except '05 I think (finished 2nd).

The guy has absolutely been one of the best two or three OF nearly every season he's been in the bigs. By the end of the 2012 season, he'll be one of the best OF's of all time by any statistical measure you want to use. Look them up. He continues like he has for the next two seasons, 12 straight GG's, 11 out of 12 hitting titles, etc. Don't know what else he can do aside from sell out to go play for the Red Sox, win a title and finally get the recognition he deserves. That's about the only reasonable criticism anybody can make of him.
 
#16
#16
milohimself said:
I think that's what has hurt him -- he plays in a media black hole for a franchise that has accomplished jack squat. Ichiro has been top three in AL fielding% as RF nearly every season he's been in the MLB, number one a number of years. At the plate, he's been top ten of all MLB in batting all but one year IIRC, with one or two batting titles. Also tops of all players in hits every single year he's been in except '05 I think (finished 2nd).

The guy has absolutely been one of the best two or three OF nearly every season he's been in the bigs. By the end of the 2012 season, he'll be one of the best OF's of all time by any statistical measure you want to use. Look them up. He continues like he has for the next two seasons, 12 straight GG's, 11 out of 12 hitting titles, etc. Don't know what else he can do aside from sell out to go play for the Red Sox, win a title and finally get the recognition he deserves. That's about the only reasonable criticism anybody can make of him.
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By any statistical measure?

Like home runs and run batted in? Where he is essentially a no-show when you compare him to the greats, as you continually do.

He is as good as anyone at being able to put the ball in play and hit it where they ain't, so to speak.

But he is essentially just a singles hitter.

He steals a bunch of bags and plays a great OF.

HOF, yes.

Conversation for best ever? Never.
 
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#17
#17
I think he is good, not great in terms of being one of the greatest. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have him as a franchise player during his prime. He's been really consistent.
 
#18
#18
A good arguement is being made for both sides...The way he plays ball is exactly the way I like. Selfless, hustles, puts the ball in play and puts pressure on the defense, and takes great pride in his defense. Does all of this day in and day out on a team that is rarely if ever in the playoff race. Not to mention a team that doesnt have alot of fans in the stadium.

Too me, if you were building a team, and just had a couple of guys on it who played like that, you would have a leg up on the competition always.

I just feel like he is to me, the standard of what an elite ballplayer is.

Side note. I always get a kick out of how many of the players pick Ichiro as their favorite big league player when they do the Little League World Series.
 
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#19
#19
Messed up stat of the day:

Here's how bad the Mariners are. Among players who qualified for the batting title, Ichiro led the AL in hits but he scored less runs than the guy with the fewest hits in the NL.
 
#20
#20
Any of you guys ever seen Ichiro take BP?

If the man wanted to, he could take 50 points off of his batting average and hit 40 HR's per year.
 
#21
#21
MaehlMan said:
Any of you guys ever seen Ichiro take BP?

If the man wanted to, he could take 50 points off of his batting average and hit 40 HR's per year.
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I never believe it when people say that about anybody.
 
#22
#22
MaehlMan said:
Any of you guys ever seen Ichiro take BP?

If the man wanted to, he could take 50 points off of his batting average and hit 40 HR's per year.
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He has pop in BP. So do many pitchers. Ichiro's bread and butter is the slap and run.
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#23
#23
NYYVol said:
He has pop in BP. So do many pitchers. Ichiro's bread and butter is the slap and run.
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Yeah, but I remember reading an old quote where Pinella said that he could be a power guy if he wanted, so I believe it.

He should switch to that until Seattle gets guys that will be able to drive him in. :p
 
#24
#24
MaehlMan said:
Yeah, but I remember reading an old quote where Pinella said that he could be a power guy if he wanted, so I believe it.

He should switch to that until Seattle gets guys that will be able to drive him in. :p
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Sweet Lou tends to exaggerate. If Ichiro tried to change his approach to a power approach, then he would be out of a job.
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