When Ichiro Suzuki's teammates emerged from the dugout to join him at first base in celebration of his historic 4,000th career hit last night, the Yankees right fielder felt embarrassed. The game had been halted, and Ichiro said he initially attempted to prevent his teammates from joining him.
But Ichiro — a Yankee for just 13 months — admitted having his teammates celebrate with him was what truly certified the accomplishment as so memorable.
"Having the 4,000th hit was important, but what is going to make it the most special moment was the fact that the players, my teammates, came out," he said. "When I look back on this, that's what's going to make this very special."
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
SORI, R.A.! Alfonso Soriano reacts after his go-ahead eighth-inning homer off Toronto's R.A. Dickey in the Yankees 4-2 win over the Blue Jays last night.
Ichiro's moment was special in plenty of ways, as he achieved something only Pete Rose and Ty Cobb have accomplished before. In the Yankees' 4-2 win over the Blue Jays in The Bronx, a victory in large part because of Alfonso Soriano's tiebreaking two-run, eighth-inning homer, Ichiro smacked a first-inning single to left, lining a solid shot off R.A. Dickey to reach 4,000.
Ichiro, who bowed to the fans after he reached first base, has now amassed 2,722 hits in the majors and 1,278 in Japan's Pacific League. Among players in MLB and in Japan's highest level, Rose (4,256 hits) and Cobb (4,191) are the only players with more.
"[Mine] is a record that is from two leagues. Those guys did it in one league," Ichiro said. "I don't think you have to put me in that same category as them."
In his 13 MLB seasons, Ichiro has a career .320 average, 470 steals, 10 All-Star appearances and 10 Gold Gloves, ranking as one of the sport's finest outfielders of the last 15 years.
"He's a great player," manager Joe Girardi said, "and he's been a great player for a long time."
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Ichiro said shooting for Rose's major league record is "not a goal that I have" and claimed collecting 3,000 hits in the majors is not a priority yet either since he is still 278 shy.
"I don't make goals that are so far away," he said.
The Yankees are no longer completely out of the playoff picture, as their recent surge has seen them capture four straight games and nine of 11. They're 61/2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East, but only four behind the A's for the second wild card.
"I think [this team] believes a lot," Girardi said.
The Yankees are now 11-1 versus the Blue Jays this season, have won nine straight against them. They shoot for a four-game sweep this afternoon before heading to St. Petersburg, Fla., for a huge series with the Rays that begins tomorrow.
Mariano Rivera saved last night's game after pitching in both ends of Tuesday's doubleheader, though Girardi said the closer is likely unavailable today. Lefty David Huff earned the win, firing five shutout innings and surrendering just one hit.
In the eighth, Soriano's drive off Dickey ended his 0-for-17 funk. Acquired last month, Soriano now has nine homers and 28 RBIs with the Yanks in just 24 games.
Said Huff, "That guy is unreal."
— Additional reporting by Brian Lewis
mark.hale@nypost.com
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