Ichiro actually has a lot of power. He puts on a show every night at batting practice. When the all-star game was in San Francisco, he was putting balls into McCovey Cove with ease in BP, whereas the home run derby contestants barely did it. He just chooses a different style of play and it's worked out pretty well.
Ha, I don't know why I don't like him. Always came off as a hot shot to me. That, and I just felt like he stayed around so long just so that he could break records. He earned the right to, and I sure as hell would have done the same...but still, it just kind of bothered me, I feel like a lot of players out there could have mind boggling stats if they played for a long time.
Henderson is a freak and was damn good at playing the game. Like I said, it is either him or Ichiro leading off on MY legends teams; but for some reason - he always just bugged me.
Ricky be sad you don't like him. Ricky nice to everybody, even that dude in Seattle who played with the helmet on.
ripvanracer wrote:
First ballot and unanimous.
You're dreaming if you think that this guy, or anyone else, will be a unanimous pick. There are a few @ssholes who won't pick him, just to demonstrate "the integrity of the Hall."
Horsesh!t. It's not about integrity; it's about some sportswriter getting to brag that he kept Ichiro from being a unanimous pick.
No one, as near as I know, has *ever* gotten a unanimous selection. Babe fvckin Ruth only got ~95%.
That first class will always be the best. Obviously it has to do with getting to choose from so many people but still, holy crap. Walter Johnson was the last person elected, Walter Freaking Johnson...perhaps the best pitcher to play the game.
Those five would be on anyone all time list unless you do a lot of cocaine. Lefty Grove only got 12 votes...wow.
nobody has ever been unanimous
Ichiro is flawed but will still make HOF easy. No power hitting, OBP is low.
Ichiro is a 4-tool player but is HOF caliber in three.
Ricky is the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time and it's not close.
Ricky also could hit for power, responding to another person.
Ricky was also a 4-tool player in his best years.
goodonelad wrote:
Ha, I don't know why I don't like him. Always came off as a hot shot to me. That, and I just felt like he stayed around so long just so that he could break records.
200+ hits for 10 straight years qualifies for more than just "staying around" to break records.
Ricky Henderson, first ballot HOF. C'mon dude.
Mariner fan wrote:
Ummm, how many lead off hitters in MLB are also power hitters?
How about none. Your analysis fails.
Henderson averaged 15 per year. Not the definition of a power hitter. Jeter also is a leadoff hitter who doesn't hit a ton of homers either and future HOF'er.
Show me one season where Ricky had 200 hits. Ichiro has a shit ton of power like someone also mentioned. Not really bat power as much as it's bat speed. Ichiro could hit 30 a year easy it that is what he wanted to do. But being a much better contact hitter, why not just get a base hit and then steal a base At one point it was almost guaranteed.
Ichiro's home run power is well documented, most analyst have always urged for him to enter in the derby so people could see it.
If you go by stats, you choose Ricky all the way. If you go off pure skill, for me..it is Ichiro.
Ichiro in Japan was more of a power hitter:
1995 25 homers
1996 16 homers
1997 17 homers
1998 13 homers
1999 21 homers
So, what would his marathon time be if he ran one competitively?
have you seen my baseball wrote:
With 22 games to go Ichiro needs 17 hits for his 10th consecutive 200 hit season. I think thats pretty damn impressive. He will be 37 in October. Anyone think he will get to 3000 hits in the MLB?
He hasn't yet shown he's slowing down much, so yes, I think he gets 3,000 hits in MLB.
Today he has 2213 hits, so just 787 left. He'll be 37 during the season next year.
Let's assume he gets about 15 more hits this year to finish with 202 hits on the season, so he'll then have 2228, or 772 left.
He averages about 230 a season, but let's give him some deteriorating skills the next 4-5 years.
He will be 37 all next season.
37
38
39
40
If he plays until he's 40, he needs to average 193 hits a season...perhaps doable (especially if he gets over 200 at least one more time), but that's a lot to average at the very end of a career. He plays until he's 41 then he needs to average 155.4 hits per year. I think he can do that.
He'll need to stay injury free, continue to play almost every day and in the lead off spot in the American League (to maximize at bats) and hope he ages well.
Awesome awesome player.
As someone mentioned, no one will ever be unanimous just because there are bound to be a few jerks who've vote against anyone. I mean....in my own lifetime, how could Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial not be unanimous? The highest percentage of all-time actually belongs to Tom Seaver...it's 99 and some fraction.
I agree 3000 is likely and for most players is an auto ticket to HOF. However, I still don't believe he need 3000. He is the best pure hitter of his generation, has done things nobody else has done and has the stats from Japan as a supplement. He is in now, but probably not first ballot. If he gets 2500 hits he's first ballot too.
bloodsport wrote:
goodonelad wrote:Ha, I don't know why I don't like him. Always came off as a hot shot to me. That, and I just felt like he stayed around so long just so that he could break records.
200+ hits for 10 straight years qualifies for more than just "staying around" to break records.
i think he's talking about ricky henderson... i kind of like players who play till an old age, though, it's very impressive
Wendell Gee wrote:
I agree 3000 is likely and for most players is an auto ticket to HOF. However, I still don't believe he need 3000. He is the best pure hitter of his generation, has done things nobody else has done and has the stats from Japan as a supplement. He is in now, but probably not first ballot. If he gets 2500 hits he's first ballot too.
Do you know how high you are? If Ichiro's career ended today he's a first ballot HOF without considering Japan.
15 games left and he needs 30 more hits for another consecutive season of 200 hits. It would be his 11th.
another navy fan wrote:
15 games left and he needs 30 more hits for another consecutive season of 200 hits. It would be his 11th.
Ha, ha. getting 30 hits in the final 15 games would be a noteworthy achievement in itself.
Probably gets at most another 65 AB this season. 65 x .293 (hottest month this season after april) = 19.045 hits, I'll round up to 20 to be nice. Most he can probably get is 190 this season.
He'll probably finish with about 185 hits this season, which for a 37 year old is incredible. His power and speed have noticeably declined, but even in 3-4 seasons if he's putting up numbers 3/4 to what he is now the Mariners will keep him lead off.
He could be playing into his mid 40's on the Mariners, which makes 3500 hits look likely.
I think there's no doubt he's into the hall. 2600 hits, 450 SB, 1200 runs next season. 10x GG, AS.