His press conference in Japan after playing his last game
On Friday, March 22, Ichiro Suzuki had made two curtain calls at the Tokyo Dome, once after he left the game at the start of the bottom of the eighth inning, and again after the Mariners’ extra-inning win over the Athletics. He then announced his retirement at an early-morning press conference at the Tokyo Dome Hotel that was not well covered by the English-language press.
My friend Jim Allen (see his bio below) was present and asked a question. He has translated the entire press conference from start to finish and, at his site (https://jballallen.com/), included the original Japanese text. The questions, he acknowledges, “have been mercilessly shortened.”
What follows is his complete English translation of Ichiro’s retirement press conference.
Jim Allen’s long record of writing about baseball in Japan is on display here: http://www.japanesebaseball.com/writers/author.gsp?author=jim-allen
“So many people here. That’s a surprise, but I want to thank you for gathering at this late hour.
“With today’s game, I brought my time as a pro, nine years in Japan, 19 years in America, to an end, as I have retired. I felt extremely blessed to wear this uniform approaching this day. These 28 years cover such a span that it’s hard to recall each and every detail. I am grateful to all those who have cheered me on. Also to the people in the organization, and to my teammates I want to express my gratitude. Now I want to answer each of your questions to the extent I can.”
–What was the reason behind the timing of your decision?
“As for when I knew, it was at the end of camp, a few days before I was to come back to Japan. I can’t exactly say how many days before that was, but just some point toward the end of camp. My contract stipulated I would be able to play this time at Tokyo Dome, but I couldn’t hide the fact that I wasn’t getting it done.”
–Is there any lingering regret or remorse?
“After that response at the stadium tonight, what they showed me, no I don’t think there will be any remorse. Of course, I feel I could have done more, but all the things I did in order to get good results … I can’t say I worked more than anyone else, because that’s not the case. But what I can say clearly is that I did things my way as well as I could. If you keep grinding and grinding like that, then I have to think there’s no room for regret.”
–Do you have any message for the kids?
“It’s a simple message, although I’m not good at such things. If you find something you’re passionate about — it doesn’t matter whether it’s baseball or not — then you can pour your energy into that. The sooner you find that the better. If you find it, you can tackle the obstacles in your way. You can go beyond them. Because people give up when they get to an obstacle if it’s not (something they have discovered a passion for) . I think you should try different things, and chose something you like rather than choosing something based on whether it’s easy or not.”
–What scene stands out as the most impressive scene (in your career)?
“Excepting today? As time goes by, I think it will be clear that today was №1. If I exclude today, I’ve surpassed different records, but how special are those? For me, I aspired to achievement in various things, but records of players from past generations are made to be broken by future generations. So how meaningful are they in that sense? Having physically experienced that moment today makes those other things seem exceedingly small.
“In that respect, 200 hits for 10 years, winning an MVP, being an All-Star. Having physically experienced that moment today, makes those other things seem exceedingly small. To be standing where I was, after last May when I was unable to play. I was still, however, able to practice with the team. Had I not kept at it, today never happens. Someday, someone will eclipse my records. I’m sure of that. But what I was able to do last year from May until the final day of the season was an opportunity that perhaps no one else gets and I felt some measure of pride in that. More than my records, I think how things went last year (after May) is something for me to be a little proud of.”
–How about the fans who have supported you?
“I never imagined something like that might happen after the game. I was preparing for my 19th season in America, where one doesn’t normally sense the amount of heat Japanese fans generate. Playing for the first time at Tokyo Dome in such long time, the game proceeded quietly in general. There’s a general impression that Japanese are not good at expressing themselves, and I had felt that, too, but the fans turned that whole image on its head.
“We definitely have passion inside us, but when we express that passion the force of that was something I could never imagine until now. Because of that, that will always be the most special moment.
“There was a time when I played only for myself and for my team. I kind of suspected that I could give joy to spectators, but that was something that really only took hold after I got to New York. My greatest joy became making other people happy. I think it’s fair to say that from that point, I could not generate my own energy without the fans.
“OK that was kind of a weird thing for me to say.”
–Is there something you are really determined or were determined about?
“I’ve loved baseball, and that’s something that has never changed.”
–Ken Griffey Jr has said that when he was able to just unburden himself, he was able to see baseball differently, that it became fun again. Did you experience that kind of moment?
“As a pro? No. That has not been the case. When I was a boy, my dream was to become a pro. Then when I realized that, the first two years, when I was going to and coming back from the first team. Is ‘going and coming back’ a strange way of saying it? How about ‘going and not going?’ It felt like I was always going and coming back. Hold on a second. How do you say that? ‘Going to the first team, and then going to the second team?’ That sounds right. Is that right? In that context baseball was pretty fun. Then in 1994, my third season, having met manager (Akira) Ogi, I was used as a regular for the first time. Until that year, baseball was fun. After that, I shot up the ‘banzuke’ (sumo rankings). That was brutal. It’s very tough.
“You begin to be evaluated based on things that have nothing to do with how well you play. That is really hard. After that was it purely fun? Of course, it was worthwhile. I could derive a sense of accomplishment and a lot of satisfaction. But fun? No it was different. However, after having spent all this time (playing baseball), in the future I still have a notion about simply having fun playing ball. It’s somewhat ironic, but once I’d realized my dream of playing pro ball, I’d sometimes dream of baseball that wasn’t like in the pros.”
–From now one what kind of gift are you going to give us?
“Please don’t ask those announcer-type questions.”
–You said this opening series was a great gift, but this feels like we’ve received a great gift.
“Nothing.
“Please don’t say absurd things. But, still this (experience) was an amazing gift. In March of last year, I received an offer from the Mariners, and that has led me here today. Had my career ended there (in March), it wouldn’t have been unusual in any way. The same goes for the end of last spring. It would have been normal (to end it then). For things to turn out like this is unbelievable. I was thinking about it during the offseason (prior to 2018), when I was preparing at the ballpark in Kobe to play in America. Practicing there in the cold was disheartening. My heart was broken.
“At that time, I was also supported by my friends, but at the end of the day I was thinking that my career would end quietly at the ballpark in Kobe, where I worked out by myself. Something like this is dreamlike. This is also a big gift for me. I’m not quite answering the question, but I have no gift for you.”
–Because we could only see smiles rather than tears, isn’t it the case that you enjoyed this series?
“Even this was not purely joyful. After all, you’re carrying the weight of other people’s thoughts on your shoulders, so it was not a simple thing just to go up and bat each time. For that reason, it was extremely exhausting. I so wanted to get at least one hit. That’s a natural response.
“It seems there are people who think I have no feelings, but I do. More than many people might imagine. So as I approached the very last (plate appearance), I felt getting a hit would be the greatest, but it didn’t happen. Despite that, the fans stuck around for me. Don’t worry I’m not going to do it, but I thought at that instant what it means when someone says, ‘I could now die a happy man.’ I think that expression was made for a situation like that.”
–You had said you would play at least until you are 50. Was coming back to play pro ball in Japan an option for you?
“No. it wasn’t.”
–Why not?
“I don’t really want to get into that here. However, the ‘playing until 50,’ or until 50 at the least was really my intent. It didn’t come to pass and as a result I’ve been someone who can’t back up his words with actions, but had I not said it, I don’t think I would have made it this far. It may be difficult, but putting something into words is one way to get yourself closer to achieving your target.”
–You’ve spent most of your life playing ball. What are you going to do now?
“I don’t know right at this moment, but maybe I’ll be working out again tomorrow. That’s something that won’t change because I’m someone who can’t stay still, so I’ll be moving around. So I’m not going to be taking it easy. I’m going to stay in motion.”
―Would you like to tell fans about your philosophy of life?
“I don’t know much about a philosophy of life, but when I think of it as the way I go through life.… As I said earlier, I can’t work harder than everyone else. Right until the end, you are only measured against yourself. As you do that, as you see your limits, you try over and over to surpass yourself a tiny bit. That’s how I eventually become who I am. One can only do this in small increments, but that is the way to surpass yourself. If you try and change in leaps and bounds, that gap between where you are (and your target) becomes too large and I think unsustainable, so the only way is the steady way.
“But progress is not the only result. There are setbacks, too. And it’s not like every path I choose is the right one, but I believe in myself and my decisions. Sometimes I get on the wrong track and keep at it. However, when I do find I’ve taken a detour, I feel like without it, I would not have come face to face with the real me.
“The emotion of the fans after today’s game resulted from that body of work done in my own way. I thought that possibly, they were seeing that (work). That (thought) made me happy. If it were true, I’d be exceedingly happy, but even if it weren’t I’d still be happy.”
–This is a simple question, but now that your playing career is over, are you going to become a manager or a coach or perhaps take a completely different course and be a media celebrity?
“That’s not a very simple question.”
–So what is the player Ichiro going to become?
“I wonder what I’ll become.
“In the first place what am I going to do with ‘katakana (phonetic script) Ichiro?’ I could become the player who formerly used katakana for the name ‘Ichiro.’ How would that be? I wonder. ‘The player formerly known as Ichiro’ would be weird, wouldn’t it? I think of myself as Ichiro, because that’s how it’s pronounced. How will I write it I wonder? I wonder what I’m going to do. Being a manager is impossible. You can add ‘absolutely’ to that. I’m not popular enough, truly. I lack the popularity for that. Yes. That’s it.”
–I don’t think that’s really true.
“No. It’s beyond me. I think I have the decision making ability. But how should I say it? In Japan there is a peculiar situation, in that a wall exists between amateurs and pros. Even now, how is it, that rule? I wonder. Isn’t it still complicated? To take an extreme example, if I have a child in high school, there had been a rule that I couldn’t teach him. Am I wrong? That’s why it feels weird. Today as the former Ichiro, if it were small kids, or junior high school or high school or maybe even college students I would be interested (in managing).”
–Was there a time when the word “retirement” troubled you?
“More than the word ‘retirement,’ it has been getting released. That’s how it’s always been. Since I moved to New York, I’ve felt that every day. It was the same in Miami. I do not know if everyone here knows New York. It’s a special place. Miami is also special although in a different way, so I lived with that every day, that I could be fired and at that time it would mean (retirement), so it was constantly on my mind.”
–Why did you decide to retire now?
“I didn’t want to go anywhere except to the Mariners, so that was big. I was really happy to return to Seattle last year. I already mentioned how it was before that offer came during spring training, but then May came and I was unable to play anymore. It wouldn’t have been unusual if I had retired at that time. But I was told that there was still a possibility for this spring, so I had the chance to work hard and was able to come here. I’m sorry what was the question?”
–What is your reason for retiring now?
“I see. I think I’ve already answered that.”
–When you returned to the dugout during the eighth inning, Kikuchi was sobbing.
“That was sobbing to end all sobbing. That really surprised me. I couldn’t help but laugh a little.”
–What did you say when you gave him a hug?
“That’s private. I don’t mind if Yusei tells you. I’m not going to.”
–Because it’s a secret?
“Of course it is. It’s private conversation between two people. Furthermore, it would be asinine if I were to tell him something (in private) and then come here and say ‘This is what I told him.’ No one would trust somebody like that. You can’t do that.”
–Do you have any thoughts about the fans in America or a message for them?
“The American fans were really harsh at first. During my first spring training in 2001 they often said, ‘Go back to Japan,’ but there is respect once you produce. I don’t know if I should grade them on this or not. I guess you can say that they can change their opinion of you very quickly.
“My take is that they respond with a powerful demonstration of respect to your deeds as opposed to what you say. So they don’t let you in easily, but once they do, you get the feeling that they are very close to you, making for a strong relationship. I think maybe I was able to achieve that in Seattle, though that’s just my impression.
“Some things about New York are hard. But, if you do make a connection, you feel they are more passionate than anywhere else. Miami has a strong vibe of Latin culture and you don’t feel much pressure, but if you don’t produce, they won’t let you in either. Every place has its own character, it was really interesting, and I was able to build relationships in those different places. Because every place has some special feel to it, you get the feeling how big America is. Just seeing the characteristics of the fans impresses you with America’s size. At the end I wore a Seattle uniform, but feel I owe an apology to those fans for not wearing it [there]; it’s not Safeco Field anymore.…”
–In camp you wear some unique T-shirts. Was that to express some feelings, or are you just wearing them for fun without any special meaning?
“Well, if I said, then it would come out sounding pretty crude, so it’s better if I don’t. I think it’s up to the interpretation of the viewer. If you think you get the meaning, then you can take something from it, although you might get nothing at all from it. Maybe it’s best if I leave it that way.”
–So it’s up to us to enjoy it as we like?
“That’s the kind of thing it is. If I sit here and explain them one by one, it’s going to get crude.”
–So not saying it is the tasteful way?
“I’m refined so I wouldn’t say it. If you do say it, you’ll come across as boorish.”
— What are your thoughts for Yumiko, who has had your back all this time?
“She really gave her all. I think she did the most. I had 3,089 hits in the the U.S. But my wife is, well, before home games I ate rice balls that she made and I took to the stadium. She got to about 2,800, and it seems she wanted to get to 3,000. She really did great. I am not one to take it easy, but I want her to.
“Then there’s Ikkyu. Some of you may not know, but Ikkyu is our dog, a Shiba. Currently he’s 17 years old and 7 months old, 18 this year. He’s like a grandfather, wobbling around every day, but is still hanging in there. When I see him, I think I can’t let up. That may sound like a joke, but I really feel that way. He’s trying so hard to stay alive. He was born in 2001 and came to our home in Seattle in 2002. I would never have believed that he would be with us until I retired. I have strong emotions for him. Indeed, when I think of my wife and of Ikkyu, my heart is filled with gratitude toward them.”
–Has there been any change this year in the sensation when at bat?
“Do you need that here? Let’s talk, later. Somewhere private.”
–You have tackled many decisions so far, such as going to America in 2000, joining Japan for the 2006 WBC, 2007 signing an extension with the Mariners, and now retiring, but which one was the hardest to think through?
“I cannot rank them. I think different ones could be №1 in some way. However, to play in the U.S., although it was a different form of posting system back then, I could not get up and go on my own. I could not go without the team’s consent. At that time, I needed someone on my side.… It is strange to say it like there were sides, friends and foes, but if no one within the team argued my case, they wouldn’t have understood and I wouldn’t have been able to go. The one who most comes to mind from that time was our manager, Ogi. I had been telling him I wanted to play in the U.S. for several years. In regards to manager Ogi, I took him out for good food and drink, when he drank I was able to say that, and if I think about it, that was what worked well. If it hadn’t been for that, nothing would have happened. I think the big thing was choosing manager Ogi as the person to persuade. He said over and over again, ‘It’s no good, no good.’ But that changed over alcohol. That clearly demonstrated how powerful a thing alcohol can be. He’s the one who taught me that, and for that reason I think the things manager Ogi taught me cannot be measured.”
–The date of yesterday’s game coincided with the date in Japan when you won the first WBC. Was that fate?
“When I hear that, I think it must be to some degree. I didn’t know that.”
–In your career, what was the thing you were able to endure the most?
“What a tough question. Actually, I’m not very patient. I’m not good at putting up with things, and tend to indulge in things I enjoy. Things I’m able to do, or want to do, I plug away at those things and I don’t feel it’s something I need to endure. But having said that, I really like exercising a lot, but sometimes working out so much is a problem, so I often have to stop. Nothing else stresses me out as much as that, because I’ve come this far thinking about avoiding stress. At home, my wife puts a lot of thought into cooking, and then when I’m on the road, anything is OK. What there is to eat on the road is actually pretty awful.”
–You have so many fans in Taiwan. Is there something you would like to tell them?
“I’d like to know how Chen Wei-yin is doing. We were teammates (with the Marlins). Is he doing well? I would love to hear that. At the present, I don’t have a plan to visit Taiwan, but I’ve been there before once. I felt the people were nice, very kindhearted.”
–Yusei Kikuchi has joined the Mariners, and last year Shohei Ohtani joined the Angels. Is there a message you would like to impart to the guys who are following in your footsteps?
“I thought it might be good if I went into my retirement the same day Yusei made his debut. I wanted him to do a real good job. Although we were together only briefly, he’s a real good kid. I’ve seen a lot of players in my time, but I have to say, that there are a lot of weirdos among left-handed starting pitchers. I’m not kidding. I think you could also say that there are a lot of geniuses among them. Anyway, there’re a lot of them in America. That’s why I was thinking what a good kid he is.
“That being said, when we traveled to Japan from camp it was by plane and thus there was a dress code. You can wear either a black jacket setup or a black sweater setup. On a long trip, you take comfort into consideration. I said, ‘Yusei, what should we do?’ We agreed that when we left Arizona anything would be OK, but the sweater won’t do when we land in Japan.
“He said, ‘Ichiro-san, what’s best?’ I said, ‘I think I’ll go with a jacket and a T-shirt.’ So he said he’d probably do the same. When the team boarded the bus in Arizona, everyone was wearing the same black sweater setup. When Yusei approached my seat on the bus, I said, ‘Just as I expected, Yusei. You can’t wear that. You have to realize that what you’re wearing won’t do as a major leaguer arriving in Japan.’ He said, ‘Oh no. I suppose not.’
“Anyway, when we arrived at Haneda Airport, (instead of the black jacket setup) he was wearing the (casual) black sweater setup.’ All I could think of was that this guy is the real thing. I haven’t really gotten a good sense of him yet, but it reminded me that so many left-handed pitchers are weird. You get a sense he is a big figure. I hope he gives it all he has.”
“Shohei has already finished his treatment, and physically he’s on such a large scale. In terms of size, he’s not inferior to American players in any way. But because he can move like a player that size shouldn’t be able to, he has to be the best player in the world.”
–You’ve invested your love in baseball. What is its appeal?
“It’s a team competition, but it’s also an individual sport. That’s why baseball is interesting. One could say that if your team wins, then that’s all that matters, but it’s not the case at all. If you don’t produce as an individual, you can’t survive. Also, if one team wins, one might say in general that team is better, and it’s OK to think so, but it’s not really true. I think maybe that difficulty is what makes it interesting. It’s attractive without a doubt. No two moments are the same. Every moment is different.”
–How should we enjoy baseball without Ichiro?
“The baseball played in America in 2019 has completely changed since I arrived in 2001,” he said. “It’s now in the process of becoming a game where you can get by without using your head. A lot of active players see this, too, and wonder how this might change. I don’t see this trend stopping over the next five years, or 10 years or for the foreseeable future. Fundamentals mean nothing. Perhaps saying that might cause trouble. That (saying this) definitely looks like it will be a problem.
“On a fundamental level, baseball is a game that requires thinking. That it’s losing that makes me sick. America is baseball’s birthplace, and I believe a lot of people have a sense of urgency over what the game is becoming. So I think there is no need for Japan’s game to follow America’s. The Japanese game should be a thinking, interesting brand of ball. As long as this trend in America does not stop, I hope Japanese ball doesn’t change and that we remember to cherish it.”
–(After an extremely long buildup) do you have any memories from the games from your first year to today?
“I’m sorry to be rude in answer to such a long question, but no.”
–You succeeded in realizing your dream of becoming a pro baseball player. What have you gained?
“I don’t really know if I succeeded or not. Where do you measure it from? Because if you can’t do that, then I’m unable to judge. I dislike that word, “success.” Trying the major leagues, or any other world, I think requires great courage because you are taking on the challenge of a world that’s new for you. In that sense I would use the word “success,” but that’s because you go because you think you’ll succeed. If you don’t go because you think you can’t be successful, I think that will become a source of regret. Basically, I try things because I want to do them. But what have I gained? I guess that’s how I feel about it. I wanted to get about 200 hits, and I thought I could. My first year our team won 116 games, 93 the next two. So in those three years I didn’t think winning was such a difficult thing. It is in fact extremely hard. That realization might be the big thing I took away.”
–You do your offseason training in Kobe. Now that you’ve retired do you have some emotion to want to repay a debt of gratitude to the city?
“Kobe’s streets are special to me. As for repaying, I wonder what that might be. From my standpoint as a player, I thought of nothing but continuing my career and playing as long as I could. Kobe? Repay a debt of gratitude? I suppose I can do my best to pay them some taxes.”
–(Japanese) players who go to the majors now follow a path from playing (in the high school tournaments) at Koshien Stadium, and from there to Japanese pro ball and then the majors. Based on your own experiences if there was a different system, that would make it easier for Japanese to go to the majors, what would that be? This is hypothetical, but could there be some kind of developmental system or is playing in Nippon Professional Baseball still the best way?
“I really don’t know in much detail about systems as such. My baseball foundations were laid in Japan for my future of playing in MLB. But in the case of building the necessary foundation in order to play in MLB, I know that the sooner you go the better, but Japanese baseball still has much to teach, so it’s really not fair to look just at the different systems.”
–What did you Japanese baseball teach you?
“One could argue that from the standpoint of fundamentals, how to play the game, Japanese junior high school-level players may be better than major leaguers because of the focus on teamwork through things like relay plays. We (Japanese) can execute those things without being told. That’s Japanese baseball, but over there, well … the players used to be athletic and have high individual potential, and I think that is still the case, but (my hope that teammates would become better fundamentally) it was so frustrating. Eventually, it became so frustrating I just put it out of my mind.”
–We were looking forward to your facing the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, but it didn’t come to pass. Did you want to face him?
“I think I answered that already, but my thinking is he is a guy who has to be №1 in the world. It’s unfortunate about a matchup against each other. I wanted to pitch against Shohei if that had been possible. Please don’t misunderstand that. ”
–What kind of player do you think Shohei Ohtani will become?
“What will he be? I think that’s something only a fortune teller can explain. If one was capable of pitching and hitting, what I would like to do is pitch one season and bat the next. In that way one could win the Cy Young Award one year and win the home run title the next. That’s because it’s something I can’t even consider. After all, Shohei is the kind of player who invites that kind of impression. He’s already proved he’s a player who is different from others. I think that playing two ways is pretty cool. You don’t look like that answer is going to satisfy you.
“OK. Let’s say he wins 20 games in one year as a pitcher, and hits 50 home runs the next and is MVP. That’s a monster, but it’s not something you can exclude as a possibility. That’s kind of how I look at him.”
–It is said you agreed with the sentiment that you would hate the idea of yourself as a retired player.
“I don’t think I would say, ‘I hate that.’ I don’t believe I said I dislike the idea of myself as someone who isn’t a player.”
–So can you imagine yourself as something other than a baseball player?
“Since you don’t like that (answer), do you mean seeing myself playing a different kind of baseball? I already talked about that. I’m kind of hungry and my concentration is fading. My recollection of what I said before is…. Did I talk about “kusayakyu” (backlot baseball)? In any case, I think that would be fun. I would be the kind of player who masters kusayakyu. In that case, I’d be really serious at it. Are you listening?
“I am so hungry. Is this not enough? How long have we been going at this? An hour? 1 hour, 20 minutes? Oh my. I was kind of hoping to be out with people until late, and now I’m starving.”
–When you look back on your career, what are you proud of (from Mr. Kobayashi of the Daily Sports)?
“Hold on. I think I answered that already. Mr. Kobayashi is your concentration also wavering? I absolutely definitely answered that, so that’s one less question for me.”
–When you were in elementary school, you wrote in your graduation essay “My dream is to be a top-level baseball player.” What would you like to say to that boy that was you?
“Listen kid. You’re not going to get a 100 million yen ($900,000) signing bonus. Yes, that’s right. No, we say to have big dreams, but they are also hard. I also wrote that I wanted to be a №1 draft pick with a bonus of 100 million, but that proved beyond my grasp. So in a sense, is that not frustration, too? Is that a good place to end this? I really want to polish this off properly, so OK one last question.”
–During your first time with the Mariners, you said a number of times that ‘I feel lonely when I play.’ But with the Yankees and Marlins, your role changed. Then you had that situation last year, and now you’ve retired. Did you continue to play with that feeling of loneliness? Or did the nature of the loneliness you felt change?
“I don’t feel that anymore. At this stage, not at all. This might be a little different (from what you meant), but when I arrived in America, when I came to the majors, I became a foreigner, because I was in America and that made me a foreigner there. Through this thing of becoming a foreigner I began to consider other people, began to imagine things like the pain of others.”
Sayonara, Ichiro was originally published in Our Game on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.