ARLINGTON, Texas _ Ichiro Suzuki, living legend and Miami Marlins backup outfielder, has played in 2,584 major league games and watched exactly one from the stands as a fan. That one left an impression.
It was Thursday, April 5, 2001, the Texas Rangers hosting the Anaheim Angels at what was then called The Ballpark in Arlington _ now Globe Life Park, where the Marlins are playing the Rangers this week.
Ichiro, three games into his major league career, and the Seattle Mariners had an off day in the Dallas/Fort Worth area before a weekend series against the Rangers. On his free night, Ichiro decided to go watch baseball.
Three days before, Ichiro had two hits in the major league debut of what has become a surefire Hall of Fame career. A day later, Ichiro hit his first big league homer, a two-run game-winner in the 10th inning against the Rangers.
But that night, in the top of the ninth, the Angels led by four when David Eckstein started the inning with a single. Jose Nieves sacrifice bunted him over to second _ that potential extra run for a five-run lead in the last inning important enough for Nieves to give himself up.
Eckstein and two other Angels wound up scoring in the inning, and the Angels won 10-3.
"It left a real impact on me, because I was thinking, 'Even in MLB, you play this kind of baseball,' " Ichiro said Monday through interpreter Allen Turner. "They were up by four, but bunted a guy over to second to try to go up five runs. ... I don't know if you do that today. But they did then. It left a huge impression on me."
