玉虫左太夫の徒然草

Chicago suntiome on Sept 23

Now he's on the verge of becoming a big part of it.

After two big games against the Angels, the Seattle Mariners star is nearing one of the longest-standing offensive records in the major leagues: the 84-year-old mark for most hits in a season.

After a day off Thursday, Suzuki will go into a weekend series at Texas with 247 hits, giving him 10 games to break George Sisler's record of 257 set with the St. Louis Browns in 1920.

11 TO GO

Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki needs 11 hits to break George Sisler's single-season hits record.
Thursday: Seattle did not play
Games remaining: 10

THE TOP 10

1. George Sisler, 1920: 257
2. Bill Terry, 1930: 254
2. Lefty O'Doul, 1929: 254
4. Al Simmons, 1925: 253
5. Rogers Hornsby, 1922: 250
5. Chuck Klein, 1930: 250
7. Ty Cobb, 1911: 248
8. Ichiro Suzuki, 2004: 247
9. George Sisler, 1922: 246
10. Ichiro Suzuki, 2001: 242

''I want to get my next hit; that's what I'm focusing on,'' Suzuki said through an interpreter, explaining that his next target is 250 hits. ''It's great that I can be in this position.''

Suzuki went 5-for-5 at Anaheim on Tuesday night and added four more hits in a 16-6 victory over Anaheim on Wednesday night, boosting his average to .374.

''If you throw him inside, he hits a bullet, and if you throw him away, he slaps it the other way or up the middle,'' Angels pitcher Jarrod Washburn said. ''I don't know if you can throw a pitch he can't get a hit on. It's hard to believe that somebody has that good a hand-eye coordination.''

Suzuki is a singles hitter in an era where power is celebrated. The 30-year-old Gold Glove right fielder is the first player to collect at least 200 hits in each of his first four major-league seasons.

His 909 career hits are approaching the major-league record for the most over any four-year span (918 by Bill Terry from 1929-1932).

But Sisler's mark is the big one.

''The man understands the history of the game better than a lot of players born right here in this country,'' said Mariners hitting coach Paul Molitor, a Hall of Famer and member of the 3,000-hit club. ''I don't think he gets too caught up in it, but I think he understands that the record is pretty special.''

Suzuki is an aggressive, free swinger with an uncanny ability to adjust to a pitch in flight.

''His hands are in a good position, he's got great bat speed, and he keeps the bat head in the zone for a long time,'' Molitor said.

Sisler, a left-hander who could hit for power, set the record in an era when complete games were the rule and hitters could settle in against the same pitcher. Nowadays, the left-handed Suzuki might see at least three pitchers in as many as five at-bats, and he has to hit cutters and split-finger fastballs that weren't used in Sisler's day.

''That adds to the accomplishment,'' Molitor said.

Suzuki's pursuit of the hits record is big news in baseball-crazed Japan, as is anything he does.

''He's Michael Jordan times two,'' Seattle manager Bob Melvin said. ''We don't even understand the extent of what he means over there.''

AP

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