Comments on: Ichiro: basestealer, leader, slighted

By: DMZ

DMZ — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:54:51 +0000

Thanks for that crazy suggestion.

By: great gonzalez

great gonzalez — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:48:29 +0000

Your writing would be dramatically improved by using the word “crazy” less frequently.

By: JerBear

JerBear — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:38:40 +0000

Nice writeup – thanks DMZ. The only thing more frustrating than watching my favorite team implode because of egregious management is watching that same management and half the fricking fan base ignorantly blame the few things that are still going right.

And if next season starts and Beltre is gone and Washburn is still here…well…I just might cry.

By: Jim_H

Jim_H — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:00:47 +0000

Nice write-up!

And as far as sacrificing the body, Ichiro has this right. If there is any doubt, just look at Mike Morse, or for a more long-term example, Ken Griffey Jr.

Ichiro doesn’t miss games unless he’s told to. He doesn’t play hurt (and hurt his team), because he doesn’t GET hurt. Attributable to his freakish stretching and flexibility, and the fact that he doesn’t ‘sacrifice’ his body.

Let someone else dive for fly balls. I’ll take having Ichiro in the lineup every day for ~15 seasons.

By: Wishhiker

Wishhiker — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:44:17 +0000

In his Record Breaking 2004 Season he didn’t really slow down much on steals as he chased the record. He had a 4 steal game on July 20th(team 18.5GB), a 2 steal game on August 15th (21GB)and during the pivotal stretch of August 28th (doubleheader) to Sept 9th (stretch run for the record) put up this line:

5 SB 0 CS .509/.526/.585

Then closed out the season, still attempting to steal bases for a team so far out of it (29 games) while chasing the hits record, from Sept 10th on:

2 SB 1 CS .330/.396/.351

That last stolen base was the same day he broke the record (Oct. 1st) 2 games before the end of the season one hit after breaking the record. That was a double steal with Winn on first while Edgar Struck out. 3 for 5 with 2 runs and a SB the day he broke it. They won that day and lost the remaining 2, if it matters.

His 40-Game-on-base-streak (Apr. 29th-June 13th) looks like a real hot streak:

11 SB 3 CS .367/.415/.469…Excepting that:
36 SB 11 CS .372/.414/.455 was his line for the season.

Him and Edgar’s DH Award Naming party were the only really enjoyable things that season. Sure, Baeks assisted 3 H Shutout and Meche’s CG Shutout of the BoSox (Champs that year) were fun and there were some other enjoyable games, but not like just watching him every day.

That season was the most amazing display I think I’ve seen up close from one player over a baseball season.

By: Wishhiker

Wishhiker — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:14:07 +0000

Ichiro 2007 Steals 1 base in April. July 1st through 15th is his only stretch longer than 8 games without an attempt after he gets going in May. May 1st through Sept 7th (fell 9 games back):

36 SB 4 CS .357/.400/.431

End of the season:

0 SB 4 CS .362/.408/.404

in 2006 he was caught twice in April out of 8 tries. July 28th through August 18th he didn’t attempt a steal for 21 Games. He finished the year with a run, from the day after his last CS (April 20th on) of:

39 SB 0 CS .331/.375/.422

I’m just going to skip back to the years that they were closer to contending…

In 2003 I targetted August 15th (5 Games Up) through September 18th (hit 5 Games Back) as the stretch that broke the season. During that stretch he Ran off a line of:

3 SB 2 CS .187/.227/.321

In 2002 He had a 9 Game stretch in April with no attempt and a 10 game stretch in June. On August 2nd the M’s were 3 games up on the Division Lead when Ichiro began a season ending run (and 14 games without an attempt)of:

5 SB 4 CS .268/.332/.338

He has definitely come a long way since those playoff runs.

By: Sinking Away

Sinking Away — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:16:46 +0000

Big fan of the man. I am inclined to believe that he did have some hamstring issues and didn’t want to attempt a steal he couldn’t make in late June, besides, remembering some of the games, opposing teams were paying more attention to him, although that doesn’t show in any stats. I firmly believe that Ichiro and Kaz (pay attention, Joh) have a certain amount of pride in how they play as individuals, as part of a team. Ichiro signed a contract that will he believes he can fullfil. He thinks he can be the player that he is today for several more years. Pride in personal performance is a big deal. Kaz knew he might not meet expectations following his great first year. Pride kept him from showing that. Ichiro, may be able to “earn” his contract, in his mind, by playing to our & his level of expectation for another year or two, but as soon as he thinks he can’t perform at that level he will leave on a high note. I don’t think he would have anyone pay for services he didn’t think he could deliver. It’s a matter of pride that is not inherent in American culture. I won’t bother to list the American players who don’t have that pride, that expectation of themselves, for there are far too many.

By: jlc

jlc — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:01:24 +0000

I simply cannot fathom how a baseball fan could not drool over Ichiro!. Thank you for banging the drum for someone who so many take for granted because he’s not their idea of a “real player.” There have been more than a couple of games this season where he was the only bright spot.

By: cody

cody — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:48:47 +0000

Ichiro’s dropoff could be explained like this:
1. Team starts to suck in what was “supposed” to be a good season.
2. Ichiro goes absolutely bonkers trying to keep team in contention.
3. Teamatees suck. Vidro bats fourth. McLaren is still the manager, et., etc.
4. Ichiro smartly slows down, realizing that he should not risk injuring himself for no point.

Or he could’ve gotten injured. No one really knows. Maybe his “injury” could’ve had something to do with him moving to right field. According to baseball-reference, Ichiro played 69 games in center, which puts him going over to right in early June, which is right before they canned McLaren.

That kinda sorta coincides with his slowdown in stolen base attempts, but not really.

By: Wishhiker

Wishhiker — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:44:37 +0000

It was July 14th through 17th that he was out of the lineup. Starting in CF/RF split this season:

CF: 29 SB 2 CS .295/.358/.386
RF: 11 SB 2 CS .325/.368/.381

If he’d been playing his historically worst month in RF instead of CF the main difference would be the stolen bases. In fact, if you take April out of his CF stats it is instead:

26 SB 2 CS .310/.376/.400

Through July 13th day before he was benched for 4 days:

34 SB 3 CS .304 .366 .371

Since he went back in the lineup July 18th:

6 SB 1 CS .321 .357 .408

Doesn’t say anything to me…