Ichiro Suzuki

WHEREAS, Ichiro Suzuki was born October 22, 1973, in 1
Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi, Japan, where his passion for baseball began 2
at an early age; and 3
WHEREAS, Suzuki's extraordinary baseball career started with the 4
Orix BlueWave in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he set 5
records, including being the first player in Japan to exceed 200 hits 6
in a season, winning seven consecutive batting titles, and earning 7
three Pacific League MVP Awards; and 8
WHEREAS, In 2001, Suzuki became the first Japanese-born position 9
player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history when he joined the 10
Seattle Mariners, quickly becoming one of the game's brightest stars; 11
and 12
WHEREAS, During his rookie year, Suzuki led the American League 13
(AL) in batting average and stolen bases, earning both the AL Rookie 14
of the Year Award and the AL MVP Award, a historic feat achieved by 15
only one other player in MLB history; and 16
WHEREAS, Suzuki's tenure with the Seattle Mariners from 2001 to 17
2012, and again from 2018 to 2019, cemented his legacy as one of the 18
franchise's greatest players; and 19
WHEREAS, During his Mariners career, Suzuki earned 10 consecutive 20
All-Star selections, 10 Gold Glove Awards, and two AL batting titles; 21
and 22
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2025-4646, by Representative Corry
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WHEREAS, He set a franchise record for the Mariners for career 1
hits, surpassing Edgar Martínez, and achieved 10 consecutive seasons 2
with at least 200 hits, the longest such streak in MLB history; and3
WHEREAS, In 2004, Suzuki broke George Sisler's 84-year-old record 4
for most hits in a single season, finishing with 262 hits and earning 5
international acclaim; and 6
WHEREAS, Over his professional career, Suzuki amassed 4,367 hits 7
across NPB and MLB, a record unmatched by any player in baseball 8
history, and in 2016, he reached the 3,000-hit milestone in MLB, 9
joining an elite group of only 30 players to achieve this; and10
WHEREAS, Suzuki's dedication, sportsmanship, and iconic style 11
inspired fans worldwide, with his trademark "pendulum" swing, 12
defensive brilliance, and exceptional skills as a leadoff hitter 13
earning him recognition as one of the greatest players in baseball 14
history; and 15
WHEREAS, Suzuki was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of 16
Fame in 2025 on his first ballot, receiving 99.7 percent of the vote, 17
tying for the second-highest percentage in MLB history, and becoming 18
the first Asian-born and Japanese player to achieve this honor; and19
WHEREAS, Suzuki's legacy continues to inspire young athletes 20
worldwide, demonstrating the values of perseverance, precision, and 21
passion for excellence in sports; 22
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House 23
of Representatives honor Ichiro Suzuki's remarkable achievements, his 24
groundbreaking contributions to baseball, his profound impact on the 25
Seattle Mariners, and his role in uniting fans and players across 26
cultures and nations; and 27
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be 28
immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk to Ichiro Suzuki and the 29
Seattle Mariners. 30
31
I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of32
Resolution 4646 adopted by the House of Representatives33
April 3, 2025 34
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__________________________ 1
Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk 2
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