Ichiro’s quest attracts limited U.S. response

OAKLAND, Calif. — Media attention on Ichiro Suzuki’s pursuit of George Sisler’s hit record has become frenetic. An entire nation, in fact, has become fixated on his every move, waiting to burst forth with adulation if and when it finally becomes a fait accompli.

That’s the way it is in Japan, anyway.

“The whole nation is rooting for him,” said Akio Hayano, a producer for Tokyo-based NHK television. “It leads the news reports each night, not just the sports reports.”

Here in America, however, something intriguing has happened, or not happened. Ichiro’s conquering of a long-standing, major record has inspired tremendous local interest, but nationally has not come anywhere close to matching the hubbub that surrounded Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998.

Oh, there’s been considerable coverage, including a welcome re-examination of the greatness of George Sisler, perhaps baseball’s most overlooked pioneer. But considering that the hits mark has stood for 84 years — more than half of it, remarkably, after the season expanded to 162 games — one would expect more.

In Oakland, for instance, the public-relations staff reported that it issued 140 extra press passes Monday — an impressive total, but the vast majority was for Japanese outlets. It appeared that no major American newspaper outside the Puget Sound or Bay Area came to Oakland to watch Ichiro in his final countdown, although some are likely to arrive when he gets close enough to catch Sisler in one game.

Part of the explanation, it seems obvious, is that we dig the long ball. There’s something undeniably alluring about home runs. Numbers like 60, 61, 70, 73, 714 and 755 resonate with baseball fans. Who but the most serious fan could rattle off 257 before this season began?

Yet hits are baseball at its most elemental. Save for the home run mark, Joe DiMaggio’s consecutive games, a .400 batting average and Hack Wilson’s 191 runs batted in, it’s hard to come up with a season hitting feat that should carry more weight than this one.

Seattle Mariners manager Bob Melvin disagreed that the record is being downplayed — but he’s the one fielding the daily onslaught of Japanese questions.

“The focus is worldwide,” he said. “The home run chase might have had more teeth to it, but it’s been quite a while since anyone approached this record. … It’s a tremendous record. Believe me, in the baseball world they talk about this guy in amazement.”

Oakland manager Ken Macha, more removed from the situation, had a slightly different view.

“I hate to say it, and maybe it’s unfortunate, but if this was Derek Jeter going for it, it would get a lot more play,” he said.

Macha clarified that he mentioned Jeter because he played in a big market, not because he’s an American player.

Macha hit on one key factor. The Mariners are not only isolated in the upper left corner of the country and mired in a miserable season, but their games don’t begin by the time many Easterners go to bed. It’s hard to become invested in an event that’s not included on the nightly highlights shows.

If there’s any bias, it might be against the once-proud but increasingly passe single, which constitutes the vast majority of Ichiro’s hits. In the new world of “Moneyball” and Sabermetrics, on-base percentage and OPS (on-base plus slugging) are king.

“It was Ichiro’s misfortune to come along when some people who have written about statistics almost deride singles hitters, as if it’s not an accomplishment of merit to hit singles and get on base,” said Steve Hirdt, executive vice president of the Elias Sports Bureau, baseball’s official statistician.

“Somehow, getting on base by walks is great, but singles are not. Had he done this in an earlier time, he might have gotten more credit. To me, what shouldn’t be lost, in all the analysis and debate, is that there’s one other component: the entertainment component.

“It’s still an entertainment activity; it’s not nuclear fission. We’re watching someone do something no one else can do. The variety of hits he gets — I thought Rod Carew was the best I’ve ever seen at getting a variety of hits. Ichiro is far and away above him.”

He is a master of what he does, which should soon make him the season hit champion in the history of major-league baseball. Japanese fans are justifiably proud of their native son.