Ich hero: Suzuki wins AL MVP

MLB.com ^ | November 20, 2001 | jim street

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	Ichiro Suzuki  /  RF
	Height: 5'9" Weight: 160 Bats/Throws: L/R	Bio | Stats | Hit chart Playoff highlights:  56k | 300k Regular season:  56k | 300k

In one of the closest votes in MLB history, Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki was named Tuesday as the American League's Most Valuable Player. He edged Oakland Athletics first baseman Jason Giambi by just eight points.

Ichiro, named last week as the AL's Rookie of the Year, received 11 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Association voting panel and 289 points overall. Giambi, who was expected to win his second consecutive MVP award, finished with eight first-place votes and 281 points.

It is the 10th-tightest MVP vote in MLB history.

Ichiro is the second Mariner ever to win the AL MVP, joining Ken Griffey Jr., who was the AL MVP in 1997.

Mariners second baseman Bret Boone finished third with 259 points, including seven first-place votes. Ichiro also received 10 second-place votes, three third-place votes, one fourth-place vote, one fifth-place vote and two seventh-place votes from the BBWAA voters.

Ichiro, 28, becomes only the second player ever to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors in the same season, joining Fred Lynn (Boston, 1975).

"It is a great honor to win this award, especially when so many players had such great years, including my teammate, Bret Boone," Ichiro said.

  "I'm very pleased for Ichiro," said Mariners Manager Lou Piniella. "It's a well-deserved reward for the season he had. He did a great job for our team, both at the top of the order and in the outfield."

After winning seven consecutive batting championships for the Orix Blue Wave in Japan, Ichiro led the Majors Leagues -- and set the MLB rookie record -- with 242 hits. He also set AL rookie marks with 192 singles and 692 at-bats.

Ichiro led the AL with a .350 batting average, just the second rookie ever to win a batting title (Tony Oliva, 1964), and 56 stolen bases, becoming the first player to lead either league in batting average and stolen bases since Jackie Robinson in 1949. Ichiro also led MLB in multi-hit games with 75 and finished among the league leaders in runs (second), total bases (ninth) and triples (tied for seventh).

He batted a Major League-best .445 with runners in scoring position, and his 23-game hit streak tied for the longest in the Majors. Ichiro's 242 hits were a new Mariners club record and the most in the Majors since 1930.

Ichiro was also named the Mariners Co-Player of the Year by the Seattle chapter of the BBWAA and The Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year and won a Gold Glove for his defensive skills.

Ichiro, who signed with Seattle as a free agent on Nov. 18, 2000 after nine seasons with the Blue Wave of Japan's Pacific League, was a three-time league MVP in Japan. He is the first Japanese-born position player to play in the American Major Leagues and the first to win the MVP award. He also became the third to capture the top rookie award, following Hideo Nomo of the Dodgers and fellow Mariner Kazuhiro Sasaki.

JimStreet covers the Mariners for MLB.com.

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[Operation Infinite Jumble]

What a joke, Suzuki had a mediocre on base percentage as far as leadoff hitters go (the most important statistic for leadoff). Baseball's a joke now anyways, so I guess it really doesn't matter.

[The Thin Man]

My thoughts exactly. A single's hitter who doesn't get any walks. Overrated!

[codebreaker]

Dang Ferernors! (just kidding)

Both had great seasons, I think Ichiro broke Shoeless Joe Jackson's records for rookies.

[RetiredArmy]

You don't watch much baseball do you? Ichiro hit .350 and set a record for rookies for most hits in a season with 242 hits. He stole 56 bases and won a gold glove in the outfield. Without him at the top of the lineup, Boone does not hit 37 HRS or drive in 142 runs and the Mariners do not win 116 regular season games. He was their game. I watched him play over 125 games on TV this season. He is for real.

[Hugh Akston]

He was nowhere near the players Giambi and A-rod were this year.

He is a good player, but he wasn't even the most valuable American League right fielder this year.

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((pin g)))))

[gdani]

What a joke, Suzuki had a mediocre on base percentage as far as leadoff hitters go (the most important statistic for leadoff)

Yeah, but this isn't an award for most valuable leadoff hitter. And wasn't Ichiro a leadoff hitter by default simply because he was the Mariner who best fit the job description? I don't believe he was a leadoff hitter in Japan.

[PoisedWoman]

Ichiro was terrific to watch catching impossible balls in the outfield. But Boone is DEFINITELY a better looking fellah and has my vote for baseball player I'm willing to look at one more time this season being interviewed on TV.

[Pokey78]

Totally stunned.

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But Boone is DEFINITELY a better looking fellah and has my vote for baseball player I'm willing to look at one more time this season being interviewed on TV.

Arousal Gapper.

[Golan Trevize]

As an M's fan, while I think Ichiro is an absolutely fantastic player, Bret Boone is the MVP. He had possiby the best offensive seasons for a second baseman in A.L. history. What are the voters saying, that 2nd basemen can't be MVP?, because if Boone didn't get it this year, no one ever will.

Additionally, the Mariners knew they were getting a great player in Ichiro (they ponied up $13 mil just to negotiate with him). Boone was signed as a stop-gap. This team was picked to finish as low as 3rd in the division because nobody believed that they could make up for the loss of A-Fraud's power. Boone stepped into that slot, not to mention he plays great defense.

[The Thin Man]

I think the criteria you used for voting for MVP is obviously no worse than that of the baseball writers who selected Ichiro. :-)

[codebreaker]

Ichiro is also not a true rookie per se, since he has been playing in Japan for some time.

[pollyshy]

Good for Ichiro - my personal preference was Bret Boone. He had a terrific year.

[Sabertooth]

What are the voters saying, that 2nd basemen can't be MVP?, because if Boone didn't get it this year, no one ever will.

Considering Jeff Kent of the Giants won the NL MVP last year, I'd say "no."

[Clemenza]

(Mayor Giuliani voice)But shouldn't the MVP have gone to a New Yawker as we have suff-ed so much(Rudy Voice OFF)

Congratulations Ichiro.

Oh, before I forget : LETS GO METS IN 2002!!!

[GoreIsLove]

What are the voters saying, that 2nd basemen can't be MVP?,

Uh, Jeff Kent, 2B for the SF Giants won the MVP last year.

More than likely, Ichiro pulled votes away from Boone. There is no conspiracy.

[GoreIsLove]

Baseball's been a joke since Terry Pendleton won the MVP in 1991 over Barry Bonds.

The joke got even funnier when MLB had the audacity to vote for post-season awards during the strike year of 1994.

[The Thin Man]

That's true. The only award he deserved was the Gold Glove.