Dear Ichiro,
You don’t know me, but I certainly have heard of you. I saw you play baseball for 11 and ½ seasons. You played during the good times (2001) and the bad (2008, 2010), but you stayed here regardless. You showed loyalty, passion for the game, and a sincere love for the game and the city of Seattle. I have to apologize for the actions of all those responsible for you not getting a World Series: Bill Bavasi, Chuck Armstrong, and Howard Lincoln. Those three made it hard for you to stay in Seattle, yet you did as long as you could. And I appreciate you leaving before it got ugly.
I don’t think you’ll ever read this, but I wish you the best in New York. I have to tell you, those Yankee fans are BRUTAL. They will make SURE you know you are in a slump, whenever that is. They don’t tolerate losing as much as we do in Seattle, which is a big reason the Yankees have 27 World Series Championships and the Mariners have none. It’s a much tougher environment to play in, an environment which many do not succeed in, because of all the pressure.
I have to also apologize for being so hard on you these past 11 years. I have called you weak, too cautious, selfish, and ignorant. You are none of those things. I was hard on you, because your style of play differs greatly from what I’m used to; which is no surprise, as you learned all your baseball techniques in Japan. I think your style of play let you play a long and successful career, but I’m not sure how much it helped out the team. After all, we only made the playoffs once in your Mariner tenure, in your rookie season.
I again have to apologize for the lack of success you experienced in Seattle. This was not your fault. You succeeded when others failed. You must have played with hundreds and hundreds of different players throughout the years, none of them (except for perhaps Felix) having anywhere near the success you had. It’s a real shame your talents were wasted all those years.
I don’t blame you for asking for a trade. In fact, I’d have been a bit disappointed if you didn’t. You allowed us to get a couple of minor league pitchers and free up a roster spot for someone else. Now we’ll get to see an extra young outfielder every night and see who can emerge as a legitimate starter. Good luck in New York, Ichiro, and don’t let the Yankee fans be too hard on you.
Sincerely,
Brian Holland
Mariner Fan for Life
You don’t know me, but I certainly have heard of you. I saw you play baseball for 11 and ½ seasons. You played during the good times (2001) and the bad (2008, 2010), but you stayed here regardless. You showed loyalty, passion for the game, and a sincere love for the game and the city of Seattle. I have to apologize for the actions of all those responsible for you not getting a World Series: Bill Bavasi, Chuck Armstrong, and Howard Lincoln. Those three made it hard for you to stay in Seattle, yet you did as long as you could. And I appreciate you leaving before it got ugly.
I don’t think you’ll ever read this, but I wish you the best in New York. I have to tell you, those Yankee fans are BRUTAL. They will make SURE you know you are in a slump, whenever that is. They don’t tolerate losing as much as we do in Seattle, which is a big reason the Yankees have 27 World Series Championships and the Mariners have none. It’s a much tougher environment to play in, an environment which many do not succeed in, because of all the pressure.
I have to also apologize for being so hard on you these past 11 years. I have called you weak, too cautious, selfish, and ignorant. You are none of those things. I was hard on you, because your style of play differs greatly from what I’m used to; which is no surprise, as you learned all your baseball techniques in Japan. I think your style of play let you play a long and successful career, but I’m not sure how much it helped out the team. After all, we only made the playoffs once in your Mariner tenure, in your rookie season.
I again have to apologize for the lack of success you experienced in Seattle. This was not your fault. You succeeded when others failed. You must have played with hundreds and hundreds of different players throughout the years, none of them (except for perhaps Felix) having anywhere near the success you had. It’s a real shame your talents were wasted all those years.
I don’t blame you for asking for a trade. In fact, I’d have been a bit disappointed if you didn’t. You allowed us to get a couple of minor league pitchers and free up a roster spot for someone else. Now we’ll get to see an extra young outfielder every night and see who can emerge as a legitimate starter. Good luck in New York, Ichiro, and don’t let the Yankee fans be too hard on you.
Sincerely,
Brian Holland
Mariner Fan for Life
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