各国名人英文介绍-Ichiro Suzuki（在线收听）

Ichiro Suzuki is probably the best-known and most successful Japanese baseball player to play outside of Japan. He moved to Major League Baseball in 2001 and immediately started breaking records and making history. He is the first MLB player to join the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. He was also selected as the 2007 All-Star Game MVP.

Ichiro was born in Japan in 1973. From the age of seven he practiced for hours every day under the guidance of his father. He wrote the word ‘concentration’ on his glove. By the age of 12, Ichiro knew he could be a professional baseball player. Although many teams were put off by his small size, he turned professional aged 18.

Ichiro made his debut in 1992 with Kobe’s Orix Blue Wave. He spent most of his first two seasons fighting to get into the first team. The manager didn’t like his swing. In 1994, a new manager came and put Ichiro in the leadoff spot. He was a household name by the end of the year. Japan’s media dubbed him the "human batting machine”.

In 2000, Ichiro signed a three-year $14 million contract with the Seattle Mariners. He was the first Japanese position player ever to play in America. Many American baseball fans believed Ichiro was too small to make a mark. He proved them all wrong. Ichiro has broken dozens of MLB records and has established himself as one of baseball’s most outstanding players.