There's the batting style that had Ichiro flying toward first base almost before he had even made contact with the baseball, the hand-eye coordination that allowed Ichiro to drop a hit to any segment of the field he chose seemingly on command, the legendary preparation and throwing arm and underrated sense of humor.

Before 27-year-old Ichiro Suzuki burst onto the Major League Baseball scene in 2001, he already had enjoyed a full career in his native Japan. A legendary caree