Pete Rose: ‘They’re trying to make me the Hit Queen’ in Japan
In just a few days, Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki will very likely tie, and then pass, former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose in hits. Well … depending on how you look at it.
In his major-league career, Ichiro has collected 2,974 hits coming into Monday’s game. That’s one heck of an accomplishment, but a far cry from Rose’s all-time record of 4,256 hits.
However, if you include the hits he racked up while playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, Ichiro came into Monday’s contest just four hits away from tying Rose’s all-time record.
Given that his record is on the line, Rose is not a big fan of including Ichiro’s NPB hits with his major-league accomplishments, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
“It sounds like in Japan,’’ Rose told USA TODAY Sports, “they’re trying to make me the Hit Queen. I’m not trying to take anything away from Ichiro, he’s had a Hall of Fame career, but the next thing you know, they’ll be counting his high-school hits.
“I don’t think you’re going to find anybody with credibility say that Japanese baseball is equivalent to major-league baseball. There are too many guys that fail here, and then become household names there, like Tuffy Rhodes. How can he not do anything here, and hit (a record-tying) 55 home runs (in 2001) over there?
“It has something to do with the caliber of personnel.’’
There’s a lot to unpack there, but let’s start by saying Pete Rose rarely disappoints when asked his opinion on things. And given the fact that his record would be on the line if Ichiro’s NPB hits were considered in his career total, it’s completely understandable that Rose would take this stance.
Aside from the whole “Hit Queen” comment, Rose does make a few decent points. It’s true that the level of competition over in the NPB is considered worse than in Major League Baseball, though it’s though to be stronger than the caliber of play in the minor leagues.
It’s also true that some players who can’t succeed in The States are able to go over to Japan and experience tremendous success. Chicago Cubs outfielder Matt Murton broke the single season hit record in Japan after limited success in the majors, and outfielder Wily Mo Pena has hit 71 home runs in just four seasons in the NPB.
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With that said, that wasn’t really the issue with Ichiro. Everyone knows now that he clearly had the talent to succeed in the majors, it was just a matter of him being posted earlier in his career. Ichiro didn’t make his major-league debut until he was 27, and is very likely going to reach 3,000 hits in Major League Baseball. That’s a tremendous accomplishment. Had Ichiro played his entire career here, or been posted earlier, there’s a strong chance he would have challenged for the all-time hit record.
Since MLB is unlikely to combine Ichiro’s hits, it’s up to fans to decide how to figure out the situation for themselves. Some may choose to consider all Ichiro’s hits, others may give him some credit for those numbers and some will completely disregard.
Ultimately, that probably won’t matter. Ichiro will still go into the Hall of Fame, and will be remembered as a trailblazer for position players coming over from NPB. Even Rose can’t deny that’s one heck of a legacy to leave behind.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
