In November 2000, one of the greatest players in the history of professional baseball ended one phase of a historic career, and signed a three-year, $14 million contract with the Seattle Mariners. In his nine seasons in the Orix Blue Wave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan, Ichiro Suzuki had 1,278 hits, a .353 career batting average, and won seven Golden Glove Awards. Suzuki had an immediate impact in the United States in his rookie season with the Mariners, leading the American League in hits (242) batting average (.350) and stolen bases (56) as Seattle matched the 1906 Chicago Cubs’ Major League Baseball record of 116 wins. That winter, Ichiro won the American League Most Valuable Player and the Rookie of the Year awards, becoming only the second player in MLB history (after Fred Lynn) to receive both honors in the same season. Ichiro is also the only player in major league history to have won an MVP, Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove Award, Silver Slugger Award, all while starting in the All-Star Game in the same season.

Presented is an Ichiro Suzuki autographed and inscribed limited edition OML Selig baseball.  The surefire future Hall of Famer has signed his name on the sweet spot in blue ballpoint pen, and inscribed “5/151” to the right of his signature.  The ball has the logo “2001 Ichiro 51 Rookie Season” on a diamond shape above the stitching above the sweet spot, in navy, green, black and white printing. Between his Major League career in both Japan and the United States, Ichiro has the most hits by any player in top-tier professional leagues. He also has recorded the most hits of all Japanese-born players in MLB history. This ball comes with a STICKER ONLY from UDA (BAH66619).

Auction Notepad