Ichiro Is Not Pete Rose, And That's A Great Thing

Ichiro Suzuki tied and surpassed Pete Rose’s career hits record on Wednesday, as an infield single in the first inning against the San Diego Padres gave him 4,256 base knocks for his career, and a ninth inning double moved him to 4,257. Of course, 1,278 of those hits came for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan’s Pacific League. Some believe Suzuki’s mark doesn’t compare to Rose’s. One thing is for sure, Ichiro isn’t Pete Rose, and that’s a great thing for baseball.

Sure, Suzuki hasn’t even reached 3,000 hits during his career in Major League Baseball, but he’s not far away. Rose’s 4,256 hits in MLB will never be equaled, but while he’s been busy promoting himself for the last few decades, Ichiro has been one of the best global ambassadors baseball has ever seen. I don’t care about who we acknowledge as the record-holder, Suzuki is the more notable player not just for his statistics, but because of his impact.

Rose bet on baseball, was banned for life from the game and has since taken every opportunity to take shots at Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, Ichiro helped open baseball up even further into Asian markets. He was a superstar before playing his first game for the Seattle Mariners on April 2, 2001. In Japan he was a seven-time All-Star, three-time MVP and seven-time Gold Glove Award winner. He arrived in the U.S. and became a worldwide sensation.

Since setting foot in the United States, Ichiro has gone to 10 All-Star Games, won 10 Gold Gloves, led the American League in hits seven times, earned two batting titles and won both the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards in 2001. He also holds baseball’s single-season record for hits (262 in 2004), and reached the 200-hit mark in a record 10 consecutive seasons.

While the 42-year-old’s career is winding down with the Miami Marlins, it’s easy to forget he could arguably be called the best player of the 2000s. He completely dominated the game on both offense and defense and was one of the toughest outs in the history of baseball.

In addition to that, Suzuki was a relentless worker who earned the respect of teammates and opponents in each of his three major league stops. Rose was nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” and was an all-out player between the lines as well. He inspired with his intensity and was exciting for fans to watch. But plenty around the league thoroughly disliked him and reveled in his downfall. I’ve never heard a single player say anything negative about the way Ichiro carries himself.

In addition to all of that, Suzuki’s arrival and success, the door was opened for other Japanese players to make the jump to Major League Baseball. His career has also been closely monitored by Japanese fans, who for years would be glued to every Mariners game.

While Rose became a wildly controversial figure after walking away from the game, Ichiro has been the perfect emissary for baseball as it becomes a global sport. Rose has been an embarrassment for years now, a black mark on baseball that just won’t go away. Suzuki has been a white knight, an example of all that’s good with America’s Pastime, even if he isn’t actually American.

No, Ichiro Suzuki is not Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader and he never will be. But his influence and legacy are far more important than just being a guy who could hit a baseball. That’s much more than Pete Rose can ever say.