Baseball notes: Piniella cheers as Suzuki chases 3,000 hits
Still unsure exactly what to expect from the Japanese newcomer, Lou Piniella kept waiting for the rookie to pull a ball. Too many hits sprayed to left field, he thought- too easy for defenses to adjust.
So the veteran Seattle manager summoned the translator and told him to deliver a message to Ichiro Suzuki: “I want to see some bat speed.”
Piniella saw them huddle in the dugout and share a laugh. A couple of innings later, Suzuki led off with a home run into the bullpen in right-center.
“He rounds the bases, he steps on home plate, and he says, `Happy now?’ when he shook my hand,” Piniella recalled. “I said, `Yeah, yeah, you can do whatever you want.“’
All these years later, with Suzuki on the verge of joining the 3,000-hit club in the big leagues, his first skipper in the majors is taking a lot of pride in watching the pursuit. As much as Piniella believed in Suzuki from the start and was in awe of those early accomplishments with the Mariners, he never would have guessed the outfielder would still be playing at age 42 and going for such a lofty perch.
Suzuki hit .335 with a .412 on-base percentage in 164 at-bats over the first half with Miami. He stood at 2,990 career hits as the Marlins returned from the All-Star break to open a weekend series at St. Louis.
Now gray-haired and no longer a regular in his 16th major league season, Suzuki might have lost a step, but not much. Credit his commitment to an intense regimen that has long included an on-deck routine that features a deep warmup squat, then a one-of-a-kind stance and a sweeping twirl of his bat.
Suzuki was 27 and had 1,278 hits in Japan before he came to the big leagues. Piniella got so excited after Suzuki’s two-hit debut in 2001 that he kissed him.
“I was so happy for him, that’s why,” Piniella said. “It’s hard for a player to come here from Japan, especially with the scrutiny that he had. I’m an emotional guy. I got caught up in the moment. I gave him a hug and at the same time I gave him a little peck. Look, I really enjoyed watching this young man play and I knew from seeing him in spring training that he was a special player.”
Rounding the bases
The Pirates have moved struggling left-hander Jonathon Niese to the bullpen. … Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was in the lineup after having a cancerous mole surgically removed from his upper back three days ago. … The Chicago White Sox reinstated first baseman Justin Morneau from the 15-day disabled list after a rehab assignment in Double-A, and they purchased the contract of right-hander Carson Fulmer from Double-A Birmingham and optioned outfielder Jason Coats to Class-AAA Charlotte. … The Houston Astros have called a news conference for Saturday amid reports the club has signed Cuban free agent infielder Yulieski Gurriel. … Suspended outfielder Hector Olivera has started a minor league rehab assignment but has no guarantees he will return to Atlanta after his arrest on domestic violence charges. … Outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. has been placed on the bereavement list by the San Diego Padres.