That's why it was so surprising to see Ichiro badly misplay a ball like he did on Sunday against the Yankees. It was ruled a double (not an error), but Ichiro makes that difficult play 99 times out of 100. Unfortunately for Ichiro, the play became another example of how the Mariners find new and creative ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
It's always been Ichiro's contention that crashing into walls or laying out does not help his team because he might get injured. Fair enough. No one wants to see Jeremy Reed or Willie Bloomquist patrolling center field. Ichiro's point of view is completely logical and, yet, thoroughly unsatisfying. Fans want to see the players go all out. Crash into a wall if you have to. That's why it was so great to see Ichiro make this catch on Monday.
Here's how he explained it.
"For some reason, some people thought I should have caught the ball (Sunday), and that really ticked me off," he said to the Seattle Post Intelligencer. "So today I thought to myself, 'I'm going to go for this ball, no matter what. I don't care if I get injured or anything.' I had a lot of stress piled up from yesterday."
I always thought that Ichiro's risk-averse play in center field came from his Japanese baseball upbringing. Players in Japan tend to be very sound defensively and they almost never lay out. Why? If they lay out, miss the ball and it goes by them, they would have to answer to one pissed-off manager who would accuse the player of trying to show off and letting the team down. I always thought this was so ingrained in Ichiro's brain that he became risk averse as a result.
Now, I'm not so sure. Could it be that he was just afraid? Did it take some embarrassment to force him to put aside his fears? Look at his quote again.
I'm not sure anymore. Smart or scared?
So today I thought to myself, 'I'm going to go for this ball, no matter what. I don't care if I get injured or anything.' I had a lot of stress piled up from yesterday.
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