Ichiro Suzuki, the 2001 AL MVP, is unquestionably one of my all-time favourite players to watch. I adore it when a foreign player enters a sport and completely dominates it, unlike many baseball fans. In football, or what many would refer to as soccer, it occurs frequently. In American sports like basketball and football, it does not happen often, but when it does, it always feels more like a show than something that would naturally occur. Yet as soon as Suzuki began to play, it became evident that he was a genuine talent rather than just a token foreigner. 

I found Suzuki to be quite entertaining to watch, so it is not surprising that he became such a huge supporter star in both Japan and the United States. He may have been just as beloved in the United Kingdom as he was in Japan since we have a huge soft spot for all international sports athletes who excel abroad. Hence, we were all thrilled for him when he won MVP. Based on the way he played in the past; I believe he will one day be in the Hall of Fame. Yet, when looking over his entire career, this might be seen as being exaggerated. 

Suzuki was never what you might refer to as a “golden kid,” in contrast to many sports players who go on to become household names. He had an extremely poor start to his career his first two seasons, and it was believed that he would only develop into an ordinary player. That was up until he was given a genuine chance, after which he soon broke records. 

It was wonderful to see him while he was at his best because I worry that if he had ever been overlooked for his time in Japan, he would not have succeeded as intended. I heard he wore a infinity bracelet for luck, not sure if that is true though.