Miami Marlins Ichiro Suzuki Moving Up The Chart

Will Manso’s alleged lack of interest aside, it’s well known to all South Florida baseball fans that there is at least one feel good, worth covering story with these 2016 Miami Marlins.  The kind of story that as we enter the Dog Days of Summer will be sure to garner national interest as well.  Sure, there will be snide comments about Jeffrey Loria, and fun had at the expense of local sports fans.  But that should by no means diminish what could easily end up being a once in a lifetime experience for Marlins fans, a great moment for baseball fans throughout the country, and the icing on one heck of a cake for one of the best players to ever play the game.

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Obviously, if the featured image didn’t already give it away, we’re talking about Ichiro Suzuki.  And no matter which side of the fence you landed on in respect to Adam Kuperstein’s glib over/under Tweet, fan opinion or intelligence bears no influence whatsoever on this reality: with the exception of Miguel Cabrera, Ichiro is the best player to ever wear a Marlins uniform.

That’s career-wise, of course- before I start hearing about how I’m stuck in the past, and he’s not even one of the ten best players on an average team.  He isn’t, and Justin Bour will be touched you’ve noticed him.  But when you look at the entire body of work to date, the point isn’t even debatable.

Ten Gold Gloves.  Ten All-Star nods.  Ten seasons of over 200 hits.  Eight seasons where he showed up to work 160 times or more, and five more in the 150 plus range; that last stat alone should silence the fans who have Giancarlo Stanton‘s name on their lips in challenge to the argument above.  Ten seasons of over 200 hits– at this rate, Stanton is a reach bet to get 200 hits this season and next combined.  Oh, and 500 career stolen bases don’t hurt the resume either.

Where does he stack up all-time though?  A much fairer question as he climbs up the hit chart.  So since he joined up with the Fish, every few names the “age-less wonder” passes, we take the time to size up how Ichiro stacks up against the greats in question.  I’ll give my thoughts, and invite you to support or lambast me on social media with yours.  So without further ado, let’s see who’s been lapped so far in 2016 in the race for 3000.

Next: Must Have Been An Awkward Flight

Barry Bonds (2,935 hits, 34th all-time):  We don’t have to search very far for the first all-time great Ichiro passed this season- he shares a clubhouse with him.  Barry Lamar Bonds was caught by Ichiro to end the 2015 season, and was passed on April 12th with a single against the Mets.  And to say determining who the better player is between the two is complicated is putting it lightly.  On power alone, it’s obviously Bonds.  But if power were all that mattered, we’d be saying Stanton was better already.  Bonds also provided the golden defense- winning eight Gold Gloves in his own right.  He hit for average, calling it a career at a .298 clip.  Along with leading everyone ever in homers, he also drew the most walks.  He was named to fourteen All-Star games, had an absurdly awesome season where he finished 2nd in the MVP voting but wasn’t named an All-Star, and won the NL MVP award SEVEN TIMES.

But.

Yea, but he likely was cheating for much of it.  So Ichiro gets the nod.  Bonds by a mile otherwise.

Next: Here's To You Mr. Robinson

Frank Robinson (2,943 hits, 33rd all-time):  Next we have the crafty old manager of the Expos.  In any event, that’s the only memory I have of the Hall of Fame outfielder.  Turns out he was a pretty good player too, with a 21-year career that saw him win two MVP awards in two different leagues.  If the italics didn’t give it away, that’s rare.  Never been done before or since rare.  He had FIVE players pass him on the all-time home run list, and still gets to tell folks he’s in the Top 10 for dingers (586).  He has the All-Star edge by two, which is the same number of World Champions he played on, for those of you short-sighted enough to count that in a player’s favor.  Ichiro wins on defense to the tune of nine Gold Gloves and at least a decade’s worth of the eye test, and does have the baserunning edge.  But Frank stole 200 himself, which isn’t too shabby, and has over 1800 runs and RBIs.

Different types of player to be sure.  But with clean pedigrees for them both, Robinson wins it.  Narrowly.

Next: Sammy, Sammy, Sammy....