Gambatta na kimi! America no senshu ha homerun yori hit no ho ga ii to sukkari wakattara ii to omou!
American baseball players need to realize that directed batting like ichiro's can be more productive than whiffing for a homerun every pitch. Ichiro did play for Orix Blue wave, a soon to be dissolved team here in Japan.
Ichiro is going next for the MLB single season at bats record of 705, set in 1980 by Willie Wilson of the KC Royals. He has 700 before today's game. Juan Samuel has the NL record, set in 1984 with the Phillies.
But it isn't more productive. Guys like Lance Berkman, Jim Thome, Adam Dunn were more productive than Ichiro this year through basically striking out, drawing a walk, or hitting a home run every time they were at bat.
Baseball has long been a game of contrasting styles. In modern baseball playing for a big inning is the way most people think to maximize your chances of winning.
Thus there are tablesetters, ie top of the order guys, whose job it is to get on base and power guys, ie middle of the order guys, whose job it is to drive them in.
There are also at least two ways to be a table setter. One can get base hits and rarely walk like Ichiro or one can like Tim Raines Sr. and Ricky Henderson get on base by walking, hitting and even show a little power. The latter was is probably a little more valuable.
None of this subtracts from Ichiro being a fabulous hitter and baseball player. What he accomplished in breaking this record and in setting the record for most hits in a four year period is flat amazing.