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I don't follow much of baseball but I couldn't miss all the news about the Ochiro trade. I was watching local news last night and Ochiro was speaking. It appeared that he had an interpreter. I've never moved to a foreign country and had to learn the language, so I have no experience with this, but I wonder why he needs an interpreter after ten years.
Ichiro has an obp of .288-------his stats the past couple of years have been heading downward, and getting toward the end, maybe a challenge like producing for a playoff bound team like the Yankees will add an incentive for him to get him going on the right track.
The Yankees have been trying to replace Gardner all year, and Ichiro can steal a base, play a solid outfield, and is still capable of getting untracked offensively.
This is a sensible move for the Yankees-----as for the Mariners it also makes sense-----Ichiro has reached a plateau there, and getting something at this point for him makes sense.
I think they were smart to trade him, but the return blows. Another steal for the Yankees.
If this was any other 38 year old no power outfielder with a .288 OBA, the return on the trade would probably seem about right. Ichiro! didn't command better players in the swap because he isn't worth all that much at this stage of his career.
I don't follow much of baseball but I couldn't miss all the news about the Ochiro trade. I was watching local news last night and Ochiro was speaking. It appeared that he had an interpreter. I've never moved to a foreign country and had to learn the language, so I have no experience with this, but I wonder why he needs an interpreter after ten years.
Thanks.
I wonder about people who live in their own country yet misspell basic names which are repeated in text throughout the discussion in which they are supposedly participating.
As an Oakland A's fan I can feel for you Mariner Fans, we too get tired of just being a Major League farm team for the Yankees and other top $$$ teams
If Brett Gardner were not injured, the Yankees would have no interest in Ichiro. And don't expect them or anyone else to offer him a big contract next offseason. His numbers indicate that he is nearing the end of a brilliant career. But let's hope he can have one last hurrah in the postseason.
Like Grandstander said, Ichiro leaving the Mariners is NOT like Griffey, Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez and Randy Johnson. Ichiro is in the twilight of his career.
However, I think Ichiro does add something to the Yankees roster. Ibanez and Jones have no business playing LF. The team was designed to utilize those two as a platoon DH with occasional field time. Those two have been splitting time in LF all season, except for days when DeWayne Wise was out there.
It was a great pickup for the Yankees. Ichiro is no Brett Gardner. Then again, there is NO 2012 Brett Gardner. Gardner was possibly the #1 rated defensive OF the past few years. Ichiro is the #2 OF (defensively speaking) in 2012. He also has speed. That nearly covers 2 of the 3 things Gardner was great at. Ichiro's OBP is poor, but as Meatloaf used to say "Two out of three ain't bad."
Out of all the other known corner OF on the trading block, Ichiro was the best fit for the Yankees, all things considered. Other potential trade targets had teams that were asking for the moon in order to get the player's services for ~3 months.
As for the Mariners, it was a salary dump for the rest of the season and a nice gesture to Ichiro. The guy wants a chance at a WS before he retires. His contract is done at the end of this season and he won't get anything like that for 2013 and onwards. I won't go on to say that the Yankees would pick up Ichiro to take over RF with Swisher walks next season... the Yankees aren't known to carry two light hitting corner OFs... but anything is possible.
I wonder about people who live in their own country yet misspell basic names which are repeated in text throughout the discussion in which they are supposedly participating.
Well, um, I said I don't follow the sport...guess you're not buying that excuse are you? And me, the picky proofreader, grammarian, spellchecker, journalism grad. It's a Gotcha to me!!!.
At the end of the day, the Mariners are still my team. I'm just upset because they've never been to a World Series, and I figured Ichiro being traded to New York was more indicative to a common pattern of good players going to bigger market teams, and I figured this is why the M's have never been to a World Series.
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