“The Legend Lives On”… 51-Year-Old Ichiro, 9-Inning Complete Game Win

by times news cr

‘Local Baseball Team’ selected by the owner
17-3 victory over the girls’ high school baseball selection team
10 strikeouts, 3 runs… 4 hits on the plate

Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki is now the owner and manager of the local baseball team Kobe Jiben after retiring in 2019. Pictured is Ichiro during his time with the New York Yankees. AP News

Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki (51), who is now the same age as the number 51 he wore as a player, showed off his ‘iron arm’ as ever this year. He is the starting pitcher for Kobe Jiben, a ‘neighborhood baseball’ team of which he is the owner and manager.

Ichiro, who was called a “hitting machine” after hitting 3,089 hits in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States, played as the starting pitcher and leadoff hitter in the game against the girls’ high school baseball team held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 23rd, leading the team to a 17-3 victory.

This match, which has been held once a year since 2021, is a friendly match, but it attracts a lot of attention in Japan. It is held at Tokyo Dome, the home of the Japanese professional baseball team Yomiuri, and is broadcast live nationwide on terrestrial TV.

Although it is a match against high school girls, Ichiro is also famous for playing with all his might. Ichiro led the team to a 1-0 victory with a 9-inning shutout in 2021, and gave up 1 run in 9 innings in 2022. Last year, he also won 4-0 with a 9-inning shutout.

This year, unlike the past three years, he started off by giving up 3 runs in the first inning. However, he quickly regained his condition and did not give up any more runs until the 9th inning. Ichiro’s final score that day was a complete game win with 10 hits, 10 strikeouts, and 3 runs in 9 innings. He threw 141 pitches, and his fastball topped out at 138 km/h. He hit 4 hits and scored 4 runs at the plate.

Hideki Matsui (50), who also played in the MLB, and Daisuke Matsuzaka (44), a ‘monster pitcher’, played together in the Kobe Giben uniform. Matsui, who played as the 4th batter and center fielder, hit a 3-run home run over the right field fence in the 8th inning. Japanese local media reported, “Ichiro greeted Matsui with a big smile as he came in after hitting a home run.”

Reporter Lee Heon-jae [email protected]

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2024-09-26 08:14:26

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