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TOKYO — When a future documentary on Ichiro Suzuki’s baseball career is released, you can expect the A’s to be heavily featured in the highlights.
The Japanese superstar began his MLB career against the A’s in 2001 and he is expected to end it against the A’s on Wednesday. It’s an Opening Day farewell game for the 45-year-old, one more ring in the circus of the A’s and Seattle Mariners opening the season in the Tokyo Dome.
This was Ichiro’s wish and, with rosters expanded to 28 for the two games here, the Mariners were able to grant it. The future Hall of Famer — Class of 2024 if he stops now — will be in the starting lineup Wednesday, but that is expected to be the end of it. At least, that’s the Mariners’ expectation. Ichiro might have other ideas.
If the A’s are, in fact, the last MLB team Ichiro faces it will be entirely appropos. The two go back a long way.
Ichiro’s major league deubt came on April 2, 2001 — against the A’s, in Seattle. His first career at-bat came against Tim Hudson — a groundout. His first hit came later in that game off TJ Matthews — a tapper up the middle for a single.
The moment Ichiro put baseball on notice also came against the A’s, nine days later, at the Oakland Coliseum. That was the night he made a throw from deep right field that cut down Terence Long going first to third. It became known as The Throw, and still is.
No hitter in history has been more prolific. Ichiro holds the record for hits in one season (262). He had 10 consecutive seasons of 200 hits or more, another record. He has 4,367 hits in a career that began in Japan at age 18. Of his 3,089 hits on this side of the world, more have come against the A’s (320) than any other MLB team.
Bob Melvin has witnessed the greatness of Ichiro not just as A’s manager, but as Ichiro’s manager for two seasons in Seattle.
“He’s had a spectacular career. One of the great players in the game if not the greatest hitter as far as volume of hits worldwide,” Melvin said. “On top of that, a great entertainer. We know it’s our job as professional sports athletes to not only play but to also entertain. He did that as well as anybody.”
Melvin’s two seasons managing Ichiro formed a bond that has lasted to this day. The two often get together in spring training, going out for dinner along with their wives who have also become good friends.
“He had been there a couple of years on a veteran club and I was the new guy in town,” Melvin said of his first interaction with Ichiro. “He really helped me out as far as that went. Playing and preparing, there was nobody better. You tell him what time the game was and he was ready to play. It was a manager-player relationship at first and then became a little closer. He’s a bit of a foodie as well, so we have some things in common.”
The A’s have been designated as the home team for the two games here, but they know there won’t be too many fans on their side.
“There’s a little bit of a home-field advantage for them,” Melvin said. “Certainly their crowd is going to be behind them.”
Ichiro is not what he once was, but he’s still Ichiro. Nor is he the only Mariners player making a homecoming.
Yusei Kikuchi, a 27-year-old left-handed pitcher, is making the jump from Japan to MLB, just as Ichiro did 18 years ago. Signed to a four-year contract worth $56 million, Kikuchi will start against the A’s on Thursday.
There is some video on Kikuchi, but he will be largely unknown to hitters. Here’s a scouting report: A fastball that tops out at 98 mph. A 30-10 record over the last two seasons and more strikeouts (370) than innings pitched (351.1).
“We know he’s talented. I think we have to use the eye test a little bit,” A’s third baseman Matt Chapman said. “Get out there and feel it out. We know we’ll be playing him a lot, so it’s kind of that back and forth where he might have the advantage at the beginning.”
“He got the contract and signed with these guys for a reason,” Melvin said. “He’ll be a definite challenge and being in our division we’ll see quite a bit of him this year. This will be our first taste. So Game Two will be exciting probably even more because he’s on the mound.”
Marco Estrada of the A’s completes the pitching matchup for Game Two. In the opener, the A’s will send Mike Fiers out against Seattle left hander Marco Gonzales.
It will be the first Opening Day start in Fiers’ nine-year career — a big deal but not one Fiers expects many friends and family to watch live. The games start at 6:35 p.m. in Tokyo, which is 2:35 a.m. on the West Coast.
“My Dad is definitely going to record it. My friends won’t be up,” Fiers said. “They’re not staying up for that, they have to be up for work early in the morning. I’m sure they’ll find a way to watch it somehow.
“We’re the only two teams playing right now so I’m sure the whole world will be watching.”
The A’s battled with the Mariners for the second American League wild-card for most of 2018. Seattle faltered toward the end and finished 89-73, but this is a completely different team. They have added slugger Edwin Encarnacion, but lost key pieces like former No. 1 starter James Paxton, slugger Robinson Cano and All-Star closer Edwin Diaz.
The Mariners went 8-8 in the Cactus League while the A’s finished 11-8.
“We’ll have to do a little more homework as far as what type of team we think they will be,” Melvin said. “I wish I was able to watch their exhibition games here.”
One Mariner still around whom the A’s won’t be facing is Felix Hernandez.
Once one of the game’s elite pitchers, Hernandez has struggled over the past few seasons. He’s in the final year of his contract and has now been relegated to a role as the club’s fifth starter.
King Felix has started the last 10 openers for Seattle, many against the A’s, most of them a success. As such, Melvin, for one, welcomes the change.
“I wanted to go over and kiss him when I saw him earlier,” Melvin said of avoiding Hernandez in the opener. “He’s had his way with us for a while now. Maybe he’s a little different at this point in time. But when you have experienced him on Opening Day, every time since I’ve been here you feel on the short end of the stick.”
