Best Ichiro Quote Yet
DMZ · June 11, 2007 at 8:51 am · Filed Under Mariners
The Mariners were clearly not thrilled with the detour before opening a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
“To tell the truth, I’m not excited to go to Cleveland, but we have to,” Ichiro said through an interpreter. “If I ever saw myself saying I’m excited going to Cleveland, I’d punch myself in the face, because I’m lying.”
That’s an excellent quote.
Might be the best quote ever, by anyone.
Ichiro needs to relese a quote book…That was brilliant..Yao + Jalen Rose+Ichiro+Rickey would be fantastic
I liked the quote last week when he broke up the tie:
“[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.”
Okay, so THAT would make a most excellent USSMariner tshirt.
Well, I guess we can cross off one potential free agent destination.
Don’t you get the impression Ichiro operates on a completely different metaphysical plane than the rest of us? Or at least his public humor/philosophy, as received through translation, does?
“If I ever saw myself saying I’m excited going to Cleveland, I’d punch myself in the face, because I’m lying.â€
Hey, Greater Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau? Can I suggest a new slogan?
So that’s one city off the “possible Ichiro Free Agent destinations” list.
#6– I was just trying to recall who columnists have recently thrown out there as potential suitors– Rockies, Yankees, Padres, Dodgers, Giants, ChiSox, Rangers …
Have you ever been to Cleveland? Its not that bad, and Jacobs Field is my second favorite park (that I’ve actually been to).
People think it’s his amazing defense and 200+ hits a year that makes people in Seattle adore him. But they’re wrong, it’s hilarious quotes like this one.
Ok, the baseball skills are kinda nice to have around too.
#6: don’t worry, Cleveland has a better CF in Grady Sizemore. So you don’t have to worry about CLE as a potential suitor for Mr. Suzuki.
i read that the Dodgers have spoken to his agent, and it could be considered tampering…
and that quote is rad by the way…best ever…
Oh, you think Cleveland would rather have Trot Nixon than Ichiro? Or David Dellucci? Center isn’t the only outfield position, and it may not even be Ichiro’s first choice.
Of course the reason not to worry about Cleveland is the price, not the need.
What a way to start the week off. If I wasn’t an Ichiro fan before I am now!
#12– well, as Attanasio is also Bochy’s agent, unless someone was monitoring the conversation he had with Coletti, seems like it would be hard to prove the subject of Ichiro ever came up ….
Having Ichiro around playing a corner is also excellent CF insurance should the regular CF go down with an injury.
If only the Reds were contenders…
How did this turn so quickly into a “where’s Ichiro going to go as a free agent” thread?
And, if Ichiro is going as a free agent, wouldn’t you WANT the destination to be a crappy one, so the compensatory draft picks are higher ones?
Ichiro seems like he might be the only player in the league, maybe the HISTORY of the league, whose sense of humor wasn’t developed in a frat. These sly witticisms certainly operate on a higher plane than the old pie-in-face, match-in-shoe gags.
hmm.
an heir to Dan Quisenberry?
Ichiro’s quote was good, but for baseball I have always liked Sandy Alderson’s quote on the umpire strike:
“either a threat to be ignored or an offer to be accepted.”
And, if Ichiro is going as a free agent, wouldn’t you WANT the destination to be a crappy one, so the compensatory draft picks are higher ones?
No, the first 15 picks in the draft are protected, so the highest compensatory pick would be no. 16 in the 1st round. So anytime you lose a type A free agent, you want him to sign with an 83-win team.
stop with the speculation…enjoy the quote…enjoy the winning…and realize that if it continues, ICHIRO ain’t goin’ nowhere…
go to ESPN.com…there is an interesting player ranking story…ICHIRO is 14th and Putz is 28th…check it out…
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playerRating
That player rating system is so worthless, it’s not even funny. Click on the AL West ratings. The worst player in the AL West is Jarrod Washburn, right behind Sean White and Jason Davis.
I’m sorry, but if you create a formula that says Sean White > Jarrod Washburn, the correct answer is “crap, this formula doesn’t work”.
it is terrible…that’s why i brought it up…i said “interesting” not good…lol…
and it doesn’t even have felix or batista on the list…
Ichiro is the funniest guy in the solar system.
And I agree that a) Cleveland is a fine city; and b) Jacobs Field is a first-rate park.
Then again, I’d hate to have to fly to Kobe for one game and be back home the next day ….
I’m proud to say I saw that quote on the Times’ webpage and put it on my facebook profile before I ever saw it on here. Glad to see that other people loved it as much as I did.
That player rating system is so worthless, it’s not even funny. Click on the AL West ratings. The worst player in the AL West is Jarrod Washburn, right behind Sean White and Jason Davis.
Or better yet, Raul Ibanez (.287/2/36, .341 OBP, .397 SLG) is ranked over Adrian Beltre (.267/9 HR /27 RBI, .312 OBP,.471 SLG)- who is TIED with Willie Bloomquist (.259 and the usual useless .600 OPS bullcrap).
So, the short version is that this is an “interesting” ranking system that’s essentially useless.
Oooh, even better, their ranking formula.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2897967
Batting bases accumulated 20%
Runs produced 15%
OBP 15%
BA 10%
HRs 10%
RBIs 5%
Runs 5%
Hits 5%
Net steals 5%
Team win percentage, defensive position 5% each
So, just eyeballing this, it’s going to overrate:
Guys who pinch-run and steal bases (Helllooooo, WFB!)
Empty batting averages (since walks are only accounted for twice, in OBP and batting bases accumulated, whereas singles get counted in FOUR places: batting bases, OBP, batting average and hits)
Players in particular roles (since RBI come in through Runs Produced AND RBIs)
Oh, and “OF” is counted as ONE position. Yeah, that’s right, a leadfooted LF is JUST THE SAME defensive value as a speedy Gold Glove CF.
Gah, this is terrible.
I like it. I’m sure I can use it in lots of situations here at work. I’m making it my new favorite Cleveland quote too. In Ball Four didn’t Jim Bouton say that the Pilots decided, “If you had to crash in Cleveland, it’d be better if it was an inbound flight.”?
Those “beyond the baselines” factoids they show on the jumbotron at M’s games indicated that Cleveland was Jose Lopez’s FAVORITE baseball city to visit, after Miami. Everyone was confused as to why anyone would want to visit Cleveland. The explanation we settled on was that he enjoyed playing in the snow earlier in the season. If I was from Anzoategui, Venezuela I’d enjoy snow too.
Cleveland is cool. Columbus is better. Cincinnati is best.
+UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUs!!
Oops wrong post lol.
Cincinnati is a city of tight-asses. Cleveland inducts the Clash and Sex Pistols into the R&R HOF; Cincinnati gets its panties in a twist over some mapplethorpe photos. Cleveland is Drew Carey, Cincinnati is the Church Lady (except they’re not joking).