As cheers filled the stadium, Ichiro— as a sign of traditional respect to his many fans— removed his batting helmet, bowed his head twice to the crowd and stepped up to the same plate he has for over a decade— only this time, he was in a uniform other than the Mariners teal and white.
Ichiro, who was traded to the Yankees from the Mariners Monday, had one other glaring difference— his uniform number.
The outfielder's familiar No. 51 was replaced by No. 31— at the request of the future Hall-of-Famer himself. Out of respect for Yankee great Bernie Williams— who once wore the number and to honor the Yankees sense of history— Ichiro personally asked for the new number as a symbol of a fresh beginning with his new team.
The 38-year old Ichiro is in his final year of a five-year, $90 million deal and having his worst season ever.
The Yankees traded for Ichiro as a quick fix for the injured Brett Gardner and can only hope a new home with a winning team will rejuvenate the aging player's game. Ichiro requested the trade himself.
In his first at bat as a Yankee, Ichiro— batting eighth— slapped a single into centerfield and immediately stole second base.
New York says konishiwa to its newest Yankee. Too bad he wasn't five years younger.
No comments:
Post a Comment