As the Mariners' retired Ichiro Suzuki's No. 51 jersey on Saturday, Randy Johnson was notably on the field in attendance for the ceremony.
When Suzuki joined the Mariners in 2001, three years after Johnson left Seattle, he wrote a letter to Johnson asking about wearing the No. 51, which he previously wore in Nippon Professional Baseball. Johnson accepted, and Suzuki represented their number well over his career, winning American League MVP and becoming a 10-time All-Star during his time with the Mariners.
Over 24 years after Johnson granted Suzuki his blessing to wear his jersey number, he came to see Suzuki have his number retired at T-Mobile Park. The following day, Johnson served as the catcher as Suzuki threw out the first pitch before the Mariners' 6-3 win over the Rays.
Ichiro Suzuki 🤝 Randy Johnson
— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2025
No. 51
Ichiro fires a strike to the Big Unit after having his number retired last night! 🔱 pic.twitter.com/cq8u5nO6rN
"I am most grateful for the actions of another person who is here today. Randy Johnson," Suzuki said Saturday during his speech. "He was No. 51 long before I ever arrived in Seattle. Without his generosity, I couldn't have worn that number here. ... When you saw the 51 in Seattle, you knew it meant Randy Johnson, who had many great achievements from 1989-1998 in that uniform. When I came here in 2001, I couldn't have ever worn that number without Randy's consent. He gave it, and he gave it graciously. I felt if I continued to prepare and do the thing I believed in, I could uphold the honor that Randy created for No. 51 in Seattle."
Johnson, whose number has already been retired by the Diamondbacks, will also see his No. 51 jersey retired next year by the Mariners. Johnson could have had his jersey retired this year, but decided to postpone the ceremony until 2026 so that Suzuki could have his moment.
"I'm grateful to Randy for attending my ceremony today," Suzuki said. "It will be my great honor to attend his next season."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ichiro Suzuki Had Wholesome Full-Circle Moment With Randy Johnson After Jersey Retirement.
