The Heisei era has come to an end, and Japan has ushered in a new era of Reiwa. So, who are the national sports players who represent Japan's Heisei era over the past 30 years?
A national sports player of the Heisei era
At the end of 2018, Japan's authoritative investigation agency released the voting results of the "National Sports Players", and Ichiro Suzuki topped the list, pressing the popular figure skater Yu Yusuke, becoming a well-deserved "Japanese National Sports Player". Recently, Sports Japan also released a report that Katsuya Nomura (a well-known player and coach in the Japanese baseball world, who has played in Japanese professional baseball all his life) was interviewed by The Japanese TBS and rated the "best 9 people in the Heisei era" of Japanese professional baseball, of which Ichiro Suzuki was successfully selected as the best right fielder with his "impregnable defensive skills".
Ichiro Suzuki, Japan's no. 1 baseball player, is also the holder of the most hits record in Major League Baseball. His fame resounded around the world and he was one of the best blowers in the world. The Japanese don't like to call him "Suzuki," but rather "Ichiro."
Ichiro Suzuki was born on October 22, 1973 in Toyoyama,Nishi kasuga-nishi-Ichii-gun, Nagoya, Japan. He has loved playing baseball since he was a child, and once wrote in his elementary school composition class: "I want to become a professional baseball star." In high school, he played the ball at a speed of 130 kilometers per hour, favored by the Orix Blue Wave Scouting Tri-Round Field Victory.
"Ichiro Whirlwind" Blowing from Japan to the World
In 1992, Ichiro Suzuki officially joined the Orix Blue Wave and began his professional baseball career. In that year, with a strike rate of 366, he became a newcomer who won the second army to strike the king since Takagi Shoudao.
By October 9, 1994, Ichiro had played 210 hits (safe hits, effective base), setting a record for the most hits in a single season in Nippon Professional Baseball. In the 1994 season, Ichiro won many awards such as MVP, Strike King, Hit King, Best Nine, Golden Glove, etc., and Toyoyama-cho also awarded him the "Town People's Honor Award". As a result, a "Ichirō Whirlwind" was formed in Japanese society.
In 1996, Ichiro received 26 strikes (3 hits in 26 matches). In 1997, Ichiro set a record of 216 consecutive hits, becoming the second person in the history of winning the blow king for four consecutive years after Zhang Benxun, becoming a veritable prince of record. In 1998, it set a record of hitting Wang for five consecutive years, with an annual salary of 500 million yen. In 1999, he reached a career 1,000 hits, setting a record for the fastest 1,000 hits in history with 757 games, breaking the record for the fastest 781 NBA games set by Boomer. During this time, he won the "Most Valuable Player Award" three times, and he helped Orix win the title of Japan United in 1998.
In 2001, Ichiro Suzuki entered Major League Baseball with a transfer fee of $28 million and joined the Seattle Mariners, successfully blowing this strong "Ichiro Whirlwind" to the world. Although Americans once harbored deep doubts about Ichiro Suzuki, he crushed all prejudices with his great strength and legendary experience.
In 2001, he set a record for the most major league rookies in a single season with 242 hits in mlb (the first man in 70 years), becoming the 2001 MLB rookie king. And played the 4th baton on mlb's Seattle Mariners, becoming a center-hitter in the absolute sense of the mlbed, the ace batsman.
In 2004, he won the home of 262 hits, breaking the 257 hits that U.S. Professional Baseball player George Sisler had maintained for 84 years. On September 17, 2006, he played his 200th homer of the season, maintaining his six consecutive years of 200 homerings, becoming the second in major league baseball history. Ichiro Suzuki's high strike rate made his opponents very jealous, and he was often deliberately sent to base at key moments.
In 2007, in a game the Seattle Mariners played against the Oakland Athletics, Ichiro Suzuki became the third fastest player in the major league to hit 1,500 hits. He reached this milestone in just 1,060 games, surpassing Ty-Cobb's 1,070 games. In 2009, he became the first player to beat more than 200 hits in 9 consecutive seasons, breaking the 140-year record.
In 2013, Ichiro played 4,000 hits of his career. In 2016, he played his 3,000th hit in MLB. On July 27, 2017, in the Texas Rangers' MLB game against the Miami Marlins, Japan's Derby and Ichiro Suzuki played against Shuuyuki Dabi, achieving a contest between two generations of baseball players.
In the american professional baseball league full of masters, Ichiro's yellow race looks particularly unique and dazzling. As a balanced hitter, unlike a strong hitter, he does not give people a great sense of oppression, but often gives people surprises unexpectedly.
In addition, Ichiro Suzuki's defense is also excellent, Ren's right outfielder is not only good judgment, fast, catching flying balls or blocking the earth are both accurate and stable, and the infield passing is also very good, winning the Golden Glove Award every season for six years and being selected for the All-Star team every season.
After retiring, the influence remains
During his 27 years on the baseball field, Ichiro Suzuki, as a professional baseball player, has brought tens of billions of immeasurable economic benefits to Japan and the United States. At the same time, as a typical Japanese, he was stubborn, serious, and pursued perfection, and he won himself the title of "Japanese National Sports Player" with dazzling results.
On March 21, 2019, Ichiro suddenly announced that he would end his baseball career at the end of the year and retire from the team, which made many people feel sorry. But it has to be said that Ichiro's obsessive love of baseball has inspired generations of baseball players.
To this end, the Japanese government tried to award Ichiro the "National Honor Award" twice in 2001 and 2004, but Suzuki Refused. On the day Ichiro Suzuki announced his retirement, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga issued a statement at a press conference saying: "Ichiro's baseball has always brought dreams and hope to fans, and is a superstar worshipped by children", expressing his intention to award him the National Honor Award again. But he still refused the government's goodwill and explained to the Japanese government through an agent: "I will accept this honor when my life is over." ”
Although he refused the title of "National Honor Award", Ichiro's influence was not affected in the slightest. For a time, there was a "Ichiro scramble" between the major Japanese television media. Some relevant media said: As a well-known figure in the baseball world, many people are very interested in his life reality and future planning. Therefore, compared with sports reports, variety shows can better explore Ichiro's little-known character, so as to truly show Ichiro in front of everyone. So whether it's the team or the agent, there are already major media competing with each other, and various program commissions are piled up. ”
In addition, Ichiro has received many offers to appear in TV series and movies. In 2006, Ichiro Suzuki starred in "Renzaburo Furuhata", which received high praise. It is reported that in the upcoming NHK Okawa drama "Kirin がる" in 2019, Ichiro Suzuki may participate.
Although the passage of time is traced, it is inexorably reflected in Ichirō's increasing gray hair and weakened dynamic vision. But Ichiro tried his best every time he played, swinging the bat for the indelible baseball spirit. As a result, Ichiro Suzuki is not only a national sports player in the Heisei era, but also a spiritual benchmark that inspires all young people to move forward.