Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro Suzuki

Born to Play Ichiro Suzuki was born in Japan on October 22, 1973. Ichiro's father wanted him to become a great baseball player. He made Ichiro practice up to four hours a day, every day. His father also made Ichiro bat from the left side of the plate. That way, he would be closer to first base. Ichiro and his father didn't always get along.

In high school, Ichiro woke up very early to do his chores. He wanted to make sure he had enough time to play ball and study. All his hard work paid off. When he was eighteen, the Blue Wave chose him to be on their team.

Japan's Favorite Player Ichiro played seven years with the Blue Wave baseball team in Japan. He led the team to its first championship in 1996. Ichiro also led the league in hits seven years in a row. He played in seven all-star games. In time, he became the most famous person in Japan.

Ichiro's fans loved him. They saw him on TV. They saw him in ads. They liked his hair and the way he dressed. Ichiro was so popular that his father built a museum. The museum holds thousands of things from Ichiro's life. These include his report cards, clothes, and video games.

Later, when Ichiro began to play in the United States, many of his fans followed him. They watched his games on television. Some fans even flew across the ocean just to see him play.