Man on a Mission

October 7, 2012 – As I wrote in the my last blog entry, Ichiro Suzuki, who has been one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen, has not played in a postseason game since his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners.

Ichiro, who has led the American League in hits seven times in his 12-year big league last played in a meaningful October game in 2001. He recently described this season as one in which will think about in his final hours on earth, which more than anything else led me to write that Ichiro is playing with a burning desire to win this series and ultimately to win the World Series.

Ichiro wasted no time in making that statement. With the Baltimore crowd, whose 15-year postseason drought ended at the beginning of the game, at its loudest noise decibel, Ichiro drove a 2-2 pitch to the left-field gap for an RBI double. The first-inning hit drove Derek Jeter to the plate, and gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

Not a bad start to what Ichiro hopes to be a memorable month.

–Alfred Santasiere III