[Opinion] Ichiro and Bob Sherwin

In 2001, Japanese pro-baseball player Suzuki Ichiro made his debut with the Seattle Mariners in the U.S. major leagues. Asked how he liked Yankee Stadium after his first trip to New York, Ichiro, who was infamous for his refusal of any exclusive interviews, grinned and answered, “I liked it because the fans did not throw anything at me. Instead, they just yelled at me.” He showed his sense of humor in a rare interview.

In Japan, Ichiro set numerous records, including winning the batting title for seven years in a row, not striking out in 216 at-bats, and walking in 69 games in row. The press hounded him like an idol. He avoided the press to protect his privacy, causing a conflict with them. A reporter who wrote about him when Ichiro was in Japan recalled, “When doing interviews, Ichiro just says yes or no.” This is probably why his popularity is lower than Matsui Hideki of the New York Yankees.

U.S. baseball writers did not take Ichiro, an Asian import, seriously. And Bob Sherwin of the Seattle Times was among them. However, not long before the opening of this season, he wrote a column apologizing for his previous attitude. He confessed his error in ignoring Ichiro’s capabilities: his fast feet that shake up the pitcher once he is on base, his excellent defense, and his strong throwing arm.

As Ichiro was getting closer to breaking the 84-year-old record of the most hits in a season, the Japanese press showed increasing interest in every single at-bat by Ichiro. They were excited that Ichiro gave a 40-minute interview when he broke the record. When he danced with his team members in the locker room, they ran long reports about the other side of a cold-hearted Ichiro. Once antagonistic, the press is busy praising him. Ichiro has always been the genius of the baseball. However, he now appears to be born again as a genius of public relations. However, the press is not alone in failing to see substance at face value.

Cho Heon-joo, Tokyo correspondent, hanscho@dona.com