Ichiro is a big Cleveland fan

[poopdungbeatle]

I can't say if Ichiro is right or wrong because I have never been to Cleveland. But he makes some interesting comments every once in a while. Last year during the WBC, he said that Japan would beat Korea so badly that the Koreans wouldn't be able to play Japan for another 30 years, or something along those lines. My girlfriend, who is Korean, was so upset at those comments that she wouldn't shut up about it for 2 weeks, not to mention cursing at him during the entire game. In the beginning of this season he made that "I plan to face him (Matsuzaka) with the zeal of a challenger.'' comment.

Ichiro said that it would take Korea about another 30 years until they are on the same level as Japan in baseball.

WBC was wack. I went to 2 games. both of the Korea VS Japan. there were 3 games total between the 2 nations. Korea won the first 2. Then Japan won the last one (i was pretty bummed). and Japan advances!?!? thats crap.

[Laean]

all i know is san diego is the best city in the world.

and as a korean, i think the ichiro comments were blown out of proportion. i was more offended by shaq's comments when yao first came into the nba.

[d18Mike]

Ichiro has a reputation in Japan as being a very thoughtful and articulate guy. The more complex the thought, the easier it is for things to lost or at least some misinterpreted in translation. As any of you who speak multiple languages know, translation is an art, not a science. So I think a lot of what we see -- and what comes out as odd -- is just poor translation. A good translator will distill things a lot better than his crew.


* On facing Dice-K: "I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul. I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger."

* On the then-slumping Mariners' prospects of improvement: "If there is a problem, we need to notice what creates the problem. The problem usually isn't just on the cover. You need to look much deeper. For example, if we're talking about a tree and the tree has a problem, you need to look at the root. But you cannot see the root. The mistake is to keep watering the fruit. That's not going to solve anything."

* On losing a fly ball in the flint-gray Anaheim sky: "The ball became the same color as the sky. So, I wasn't able to see it. … I was sending mental signals for the ball not to come my way, because during that time of day it's impossible for me to see the ball, so I lacked mental signals. I lacked in that area. … Usually, I don't send mental signals. So, because this is the first time, I thought, 'Please don't come my way.'"

[acsguitar]

One allstar game clip I remember seeing after the speech by the coach Ichiro said in English (Cleaned up for society)

Lets go "Make love to them in an uncomfortable place"

It was hilarious

“[on monday] when I was playing, inside my head I was saying, ‘I want to go home quickly,’ and I swung and hit it because I wanted to go home,” Ichiro said through interpreter Ken Barron. “Today I thought, ‘I want to hurry up and get something to eat,’ and I swung and I hit it.”