A Grip on Sports: Ichiro’s induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame connects him, and us, once again to the history of a game known for its generational connections

A GRIP ON SPORTS • This is a column about baseball’s Hall of Fame. A generic label about a place, and the people who populate it, who are as far from generic as one can travel.

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• There are hundreds of baseball moments I remember with clarity. But only a handful concern a certain place.

– Standing at home plate in Anaheim Stadium for a pregame infield and realizing every seat in the facility was aimed at you.

– Heading to our seats. Emerging from a Wrigley Field ramp on a hot, muggy summer’s day in Chicago. My retina’s cone cells overwhelmed by the color green. The seats. The grass. The ivy on the walls.

– Wandering the recesses of baseball’s museum in Cooperstown for the first time. Getting lost, not physically but mentally. Finding the names of two pitchers I had caught in competition in obscure exhibits. Immediately transported back to long-ago games.

And long-ago times.

Baseball and my life have been intertwined since the day I was born. Oct. 8, 1956. Don Larsen jumping into Yogi Berra’s arms at Yankee Stadium. My father handing out cigars at St. Luke’s Hospital a nation away. A Hall of Fame moment in one spot, a hall of fame omen in my dad’s eyes.

Throughout the journey from then to here, the little ball kept bouncing, filling my days, informing my choices, creating, in many ways, who I am.

When I was three, I came down with a kidney disease. Nephritis. As the 1950s gave way to the turbulent ‘60s, I was homebound. Bed-ridden. Not allowed outside. Dad would return home from working his three jobs each day and sit with me. Read from a book. Al Stump’s biography of Ty Cobb. It formed my baseball philosophy – keep your eye on the ball, swing level and run like hell – and resulted, 25 years later, in my eldest son’s name.

Box scores in the morning L.A. Times. Pamphlets from 7-Up. Biographies of players. Histories of the sport. Heck, rule books. A high percentage of what I read growing up pertained to the game. It had an oversized role in how I learned math, how I talked, how I acted. Filled my free time. Made a grab for the attention I was supposed to share with the nuns in school.

The game introduced me to the kindness Rico Petrocelli, the aloofness of Carl Yastrzemski, the knowledge of Earl Weaver, the crudeness of Steve Yeager, the stateliness of Stan Musial, the power of Darrell Evans, the smoothness of Ozzie Smith, the wildness of Matt Young, the control of Todd Worrell. And a thousand traits of a thousand others.

Baseball revealed the world’s character to me. It built a lifelong anticipation for what was about to go wrong – and how to deal with it. It was a part of most everything that came after Larsen’s last fastball got past Dale Mitchell.

It also led me to many of the denizens of the museum in upstate New York. My life has crossed paths with a few of them, from Bert Blyleven to Tommy Lasorda, from Don Sutton to Tony La Russa. My eyes have watched many more. Including the one player with regional ties that enters baseball’s Valhalla today.

Spring training 2001. The first time Ichiro came into our home via TV. A routine ground ball. A routine throw to first. A routine call of … safe. What?

From that moment, every Mariner fan knew Ichiro was different. Special. A superstar with a portfolio like none before him. But like everything in baseball, it had echoes from the past.

Sitting in our TV room that day, I realized something. The newest Mariner star had a simple philosophy. A zen to his game based on a mantra I recited my entire life.

Keep your eye on the ball, swing level and run like hell.

He was not Ty Cobb reincarnated. But I have suspected since that day his game was. All my life I envisioned how Cobb played. The bat control. The speed. The relentless pursuit of perfection. A kid from Georgia, a product of his environment, an unparalleled hitter. Here was a man from Toyoyama, Japan with similar traits. Similar results. The person my dad read to me about almost 50 years before, come to life.

Of course there were stark differences. But the essence of their games was the same.

They saw the ball, they hit the ball, they ran like hell.

Cobb did it 4,189 times in his MLB career. Ichiro 4,367 times in his MLB and Japanese career.

Not their only accomplishments, certainly. When Cobb retired, he held more of baseball’s records than any man ever has. When Ichiro retired, he had more hits than any man in this world ever had. And more in one season than any MLB player.

Their baseball accomplishments deserved induction into the Hall unanimously. Neither were, Cobb because his off-the-field failings made him many enemies, Ichiro because, well I have no clue. Maybe because someone believes only lifelong Yankees deserve that honor. Or because of where he was born. Or because he wasn’t a power hitter.

Everything about baseball reveals character, even in those who vote for the highest honor.

The Hall of Fame is a special place. If you’ve ever been, you know how the game’s history envelopes you, overpowers you, saps your powers of concentration. Every word, every picture, every moment is a part of the game’s cherished history. That history from this day on will include a person who captivated the Pacific Northwest. A player who successfully completed his at-bats with a hit more often than any player ever. And who allowed me to feel as if someone I had only seen in my imagination had come to life in the batter’s box.

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WSU: Greg Woods continues to look at certain positions in the run up to preseason camp. Today’s spot? Tight end and how the position will evolve in Jimmy Rogers’ first season. … A hat tip to former Cougar weights coach Rob Oviatt for calling our attention to the news Fred Shavies, who was part of the golden era of WSU football early this century, has been named police chief in Piedmont, Calif. He may be the only police chief ever disciplined for his actions before an Apple Cup. But who knows for sure, considering the depth of emotion that game has produced since 1900. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, John Canzano passes along a bunch of notes from the Big Ten media days. … Recruiting never stops. Just ask Washington. … The latest Oregon State position preview covers cornerback. … At Arizona, it is the entire secondary. Plus there is a look at the Wildcats’ big victories this century. … Deion Sanders and Colorado are ready to kick off training camp. … What will Utah’s won/loss record be? … There are five games that will make-or-break Arizona State’s season. … There are five things to watch as San Diego State opens camp. … In basketball news, the latest injury at USC just adds to the program’s recent run of bad luck. … San Diego State’s breakout center almost broke away. But Magoon Gwath changed his mind.

EWU: One of the first women’s college basketball coaches in this area I ever met was Eastern’s Bill Smithpeters. I’m not sure of the circumstances around the meeting but I do remember how much I liked him. Smithpeters, who coached the Eagles from 1977 to 1994, dies in late June at age 94. Dan Thompson has this obituary in today’s paper.

Gonzaga: We missed this CBS Sports piece on the top 25 biggest men’s basketball stories of the first quarter century when it appeared on the site a few days ago. But GU is mentioned in a few instances.

Preps: We linked Dave Boling’s column about former Rogers High standout Levi Horn yesterday when it popped up on the S-R’s website. It is in today’s paper, so we link it once more.

Indians: Stu Flesland, now a starter, did his job Friday night. Six shutout innings in Everett. But once he departed after a season-high 70 pitches – the Mt. Spokane grad began the year in the bullpen – his former relief comrades couldn’t hold the lead and Spokane fell 3-2. Dave Nichols has more in this story.

Velocity: John Allison has the coverage of Spokane’s 1-0 loss to the Sacramento Republic in their final USL Jagermeister Cup group stage match at ONE Spokane Stadium. Friday’s match also included the pro debut of Mead High’s Rocky Wells.

Mariners: Maybe someday a father will take his son or daughter to Cooperstown and point out an exhibit concerning Cal Raleigh’s 2025 season. It’s becoming more and more historic every game. Raleigh hit his 40th home run of the season last night in Anaheim and the M’s went on to a 7-2 win. The number of special accomplishments the switch-hitting catcher already has garnered this season just continues to grow. … Ichiro’s Saturday was so typical of him. He played baseball. … We linked this Matt Calkins’ column on Ichiro yesterday in the Times. Today too, as it is on the S-R website. … Larry Stone was around for Ichiro’s entire Seattle career. He has some thoughts. … There are other players headed into the Hall today as well. … One of my favorite baseball writers ever, Tom Boswell, was inducted into the Hall yesterday, earning the career achievement award. I didn’t get to read Boswell until later in life, when the Web became a thing, but his books on the game are part of my extensive library. … Back to the M’s, Gabe Speier’s value just continues to grow. … So does that of prospect Ryan Sloan. … Finally, on this day of Hall of Fame ceremonies, Dave Nichols has a story on a man who has made it his mission to increase the number of Negro League and pre-Negro League players inducted into the place. The story is well worth your time, though David Shuffler’s efforts have not borne much fruit just yet. 

Seahawks: The Hawks suffered their first major injury of training camp yesterday, probably losing backup running back Kenny Washington to an ACL injury. … DeMarcus Lawrence showed again Friday he has the potential to be a huge upgrade for the Seattle defense. … Bryon Murphy II has a similar potential. … There is a changing of the receiving guard this season. … It’s football. Tensions boil over on a consistent basis.

Storm: Win one, lose one. That’s been the way for Seattle recently. The Storm fell Friday 69-58 at Washington.

Sounders: Seattle was outplayed all match. And yet, with seconds left in extra time in Atlanta, the Sounders were just about to pick up three points with a one-goal win. Then they gave up a Hail Mary shot and goal and settled for a 2-2 draw.

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• The cat woke us at 5 a.m. today. For the usual reason all cats wake up their humans. An emergency? Loneliness? Love? Hah. She was hungry. After filling her bowl and checking her water, I was wide awake. Decided to get started with today’s column. She has slept next to me ever since, snoring away on her pillow. The Christmas one she commandeered from the dog. Until later …