Ichiro Suzuki made his name with the Seattle Mariners.
For the first time as a Marlin, he'll be returning to the place where it all started for him when Miami opens a three-game interleague series at Safeco Field on Monday.
"Being able to see the fans, I want to be able to show them that I'm still healthy and happy and that I'm still playing," said Suzuki, who spent 12 seasons with the Mariners from 2001-12. "Hopefully I can show them that."
Suzuki was a 10-time All-Star for the Mariners before they traded him to the New York Yankees midway through the 2012 season.
Suzuki recalled that Mariners-to-Yankees trade, which occurred while New York was playing a series in Seattle. Suzuki merely went from the home clubhouse to the visiting side. When he recorded his first hit as a Yankee, it caused some confusion.
"When I got a hit and the inning (later) ended, I started to run toward the dugout on the first base side, where the Mariners were, instead of the third base side, where the Yankees were," Suzuki said. "So that was kind of different."
During their series with the Marlins, the Mariners are planning a bobblehead giveaway honoring Suzuki. It will depict Suzuki as both a Mariner and a Marlin.
"In Japanese, Marlins and Mariners, they kind of sound the same," Suzuki said. "When I first signed with the Marlins, I had a lot of people saying, 'Oh, you're going back to the Mariners.' "
For a few days, anyway, Suzuki is simply going back home.
