After a long and illustrious career with Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball, it was announced today that Ichiro Suzuki will join the Seattle Mariners front office as the special assistant to the chairman.
Ichiro Suzuki to Join the Seattle Mariners Front Office
#Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is transitioning to the role of Special Assistant to the Chairman, effective today.
Read: https://t.co/HlZyrGdcVz pic.twitter.com/Gn4O2UB1Ee
— MarinersPR (@MarinersPR) May 3, 2018
Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement, “We want to make sure we capture all of the value that Ichiro brings to this team off the field. This new role is a way to accomplish that. While it will evolve over time, the key is that Ichiro’s presence in our clubhouse and with our players and staff improves our opportunity to win games. That is our No. 1 priority and Ichiro’s No. 1 priority.”
Thank you, Ichiro.
The Mariners legend is transitioning to a front-office role, effective today. pic.twitter.com/rshgQ96AQv
— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2018
Moving Ichiro into a front office role will effectively end his 2018 season, but not his career. His agent, John Boggs, told The Athletic, “He’s taking on a different role for 2018, and 2019 has yet to evolve. The future has yet to be determined.”
Career
Ichiro started his professional career with the Orix BlueWave in 1992 when he was 18 years old. He played in Japan for nine years where he was a seven-time All-Star, a three-time MVP, a seven-time Gold Glove award winner, and a seven-time Best Nine Award winner.
In 2001, Ichiro started his career in MLB when he signed with the Seattle Mariners. Ichrio would also have stints playing for the New York Yankees and the Miami Marlins before returning to Seattle for the 2018 season. In his 19 year MLB career, Ichiro is a 10-time All-Star, a one-time MVP (2001), a Rookie of the Year award winner (2001), a 10-time Gold Glove award winner, and a three-time Silver Slugger award winner.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
