I heard that in the United States the level of baseball was the highest in the world. So it was only natural that I would want to go there, as a baseball player. — Ichiro Suzuki

It’s very tough for a ballplayer to get proud and keep his dignity. — Ichiro Suzuki

You should seek approval from yourself. — Ichiro Suzuki

There’s not much difference between love and hate. — Ichiro Suzuki

I wanted the challenge of competing against the best players in the world. — Ichiro Suzuki

When people get placed upon a pedestal–when they start chasing after that person on the pedestal–they become mannequin–like. — Ichiro Suzuki

Nobody knows what the future holds. — Ichiro Suzuki

For me, if I stay on the couch all day–or even one day–I’ll be more tired doing that than going out and giving my body a workout. — Ichiro Suzuki

I love how the Mariners function as a team. That feeling is important to me. — Ichiro Suzuki

The Japanese have a strong tendency to suppress their own feelings. That’s the Japanese character. They kill their own emotions. — Ichiro Suzuki

I thInk when I ‘m done playIng and I look back, thInk of the good memorIes, maybe thIs Is one of those. but that’s tough to do now, stIll playIng. — Ichiro Suzuki

I like things that other people don’t have. I like to be different from others. — Ichiro Suzuki

I had a dream. And I made that dream come true. — Ichiro Suzuki

Personally, I don’t like the term ‘success.’ It’s too arbitrary and too relative a thing. It’s usually someone else’s definition, not yours. — Ichiro Suzuki

I’ve always prided myself in not reveling in past accomplishments and focusing on future achievement, instead. That’s been my career motto. — Ichiro Suzuki

For me, I pride myself on every aspect of the game. — Ichiro Suzuki

I believe that, as an athlete, how you got to the age of 42 makes a big difference. I have learned about my body; I haven’t gone off only talent until I was 42. — Ichiro Suzuki

I’ve made far too many mistakes. That’s the way I feel. — Ichiro Suzuki

August in Kansas City is hotter than two rats f**king in a sock. — Ichiro Suzuki

I want to be the first player to show what Japanese batters can do in the major league. — Ichiro Suzuki

There is nothing I will miss about Japanese baseball. Off the field, I will miss my dog. — Ichiro Suzuki

I think, mentally, you sometimes need a break. But for me, my body is built so that if I don’t work out, that’s when I put more stress on my body and get more tired. — Ichiro Suzuki

I’m told I either look bigger than I do on television or that I look smaller than I look on television. No one seems to think I look the same size. — Ichiro Suzuki

As professionals we have a responsibility of providing a good show for the fans. Getting hits and home runs is what they want to see. — Ichiro Suzuki

I collect autographed major–league baseballs. — Ichiro Suzuki

I want to keep playing until I am at least 50. — Ichiro Suzuki

The more that Japanese players go to the big leagues to play and succeed, the more that will serve to inspire young kids in Japan to want to become baseball players when they grow up. — Ichiro Suzuki

People striving for approval from others become phony. — Ichiro Suzuki

As long as the ball is thrown by a human being, I have the confidence to hit any pitch, no matter how fast it comes. — Ichiro Suzuki

I was kind of influenced by the hip–hop culture. — Ichiro Suzuki

I think there’s sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. — Ichiro Suzuki

Chicks who dig home runs aren’t the ones who appeal to me. — Ichiro Suzuki

Many people have this image of me. For a long time, I cared about that. — Ichiro Suzuki

Seattle has always been home. — Ichiro Suzuki

If I ever saw myself saying I’m excited going to Cleveland, I’d punch myself in the face because I’m lying. — Ichiro Suzuki

Some people enjoy taking a light stroll in the morning and that gives them relief and that sort of feeling. That is what I gain by practicing, by swinging the bat. — Ichiro Suzuki

When you mail Ichiro something from the States, you only have to use that name on the address and he gets it (in Japan). He’s that big. — Ichiro Suzuki

I feel like I should be more in touch with the nuances of this game. — Ichiro Suzuki

If I’m in a slump, I ask myself for advice. — Ichiro Suzuki

Equipment has heart, human heart, inside it. — Ichiro Suzuki

When I think about it, if somebody was to pass Pete Rose’s record just playing in Japan, that would be a bigger accomplishment because of the few games they play over there. — Ichiro Suzuki

I played on the 2001 team, the team that won the most games in the history of Major League Baseball and also I played on one of the worst teams of Major League Baseball. — Ichiro Suzuki