U.S. President Barack Obama throws out the ceremonial first pitch at the MLB All-Star game at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Tuesday.
REUTERS

Ichiro impressed by Obama as AL beats NL in All-Star game

Wednesday 15th July, 04:15 PM JST

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Hotbox08 at 11:06 PM JST - 16th July

Yes, Ichiro is a complicated and mysterious person indeed, as reported in this 2005 article:

"The only way to get him to be understood by the fans is to have the media be able to portray him as he is, and he doesn't allow that," Ichiro's agent, Tony Attanasio, says with some chagrin. "That's his fault. That's what he chooses to do."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/23/AR2005052301637.html
Sarge at 11:13 PM JST - 16th July

"Obana's pitch was definitely outside the zone"

Apparently nobody recorded it - I can't find any video of Obama's pitch that shows where the ball landed after he threw it.
singordie1818 at 10:53 AM JST - 17th July

lay off ichiro, for god's sake... check the articles about his annual pre-game speech at the all-star game if u need confirmation of his english ability...
Sarge at 10:55 AM JST - 17th July

Has anyone seen a video of Obama's pitch that shows where the ball landed?
fuguyoutoo at 12:56 AM JST - 18th July

"Has anyone seen a video of Obama's pitch that shows where the ball landed?"

Yes, it was short hopped into the catchers glove. He didn't bounce thing in there, nor did he throw a strike like Bush. But... cut the guy some slack, the jeans, the jacket, all a bit tight. Not a bad performance.
sfjp330 at 04:32 AM JST - 20th July

For Ichiro, so far he has played 83 games this year and has 131 hits and only 18 walks. He is one of the best singles hitter, but he has only scored 45 runs, which is the lowest of top ten batting average players in American League. He should be more aggresive in stealing bases so that he can be in a better scoring position, which means being on second with less that one out. He has to create runs. Ichiro has become a passive player on the bases compared to early years in Seattle. He hits alot of singles but only 25 RBI's. He has 104 singles, and all these singles are same as base on ball and does not mean much if you can't score or drive in runs. This is why Seattle is struggling because individual statistics are misleading.
Hotbox08 at 01:19 PM JST - 20th July

This is why Seattle is struggling

I guess if you call being only 4 games back of the West-leading Angels, having recently winning two series against the Red Sox and LA Dodgers, and having a better overall record than 18 of the MLB teams, struggling, then yeah, I guess you are correct.
sfjp330 at 02:21 AM JST - 21st July

Hotbox08: "I guess if you call being only 4 games back of the west leading angels" Well, they are playing 4 games above .500 in the weakest division, AL West, but they are on TOP TEN payroll at close to $100 million dollars. Five teams with top ten payroll American League average .568 winning percentage. Seattle is way below that and they will have difficulty making the playoff. If playing 4 games above .500, with this type of salary, Seattle Mariners is successful with your definition. Ichiro cannot carry a team. They should never traded Ibanez.
nigelboy at 02:51 AM JST - 21st July

Got to agree with Hotbox08. If a team is only 4 games back of first place when that team lost over 100 games last season, I wouldn't label them as "struggling".

500 in the weakest division, AL West

No. That crown goes to the AL Central for the time being.

Five teams with top ten payroll American League average .568 winning percentage.

Because you're including the Yanks, Bosox, Detroit, and LA Angels who spent more than the M's. A much to their credit, three of them have a higher winning % than the M's.

They should never traded Ibanez.

They didn't.
nigelboy at 03:27 AM JST - 21st July

because individual statistics are misleading.

Which you raise another interesting point.

Chone Figgins of LA Angels has basically the same On Base Percentage (OBP) as Ichiro in .395. Figgins has 82 singles, 26 extra base hits and 51 walks (159 on base total), while Ichiro has 106 Singles, 28 extra base hits and 19 walks (153 total).

159 versus 153. And yet Chone Figgins scored 72 runs this year(leading the majors) versus Ichiro's 47.

So you would figure that Figgins would be stealing "a lot" to get into the scoring position.

However, Figgins just has 7 more stolen bases than Ichiro.

My point: Chone Figgins has teammates that drive him in. Sometimes, that the difference between first place and third place teams.
sfjp330 at 03:37 AM JST - 21st July

And the salary for Figgins is $5.7 million versus $18 million for Ichiro. Seattle could've sign Adam Dunn, Jermaine Dye type of player to bat third or fourth to drive in these runs.
nigelboy at 04:02 AM JST - 21st July

And the salary for Figgins is $5.7 million versus $18 million for Ichiro. Seattle could've sign Adam Dunn, Jermaine Dye type of player to bat third or fourth to drive in these runs.

Annual salary for Figgins is around that range because he is a career .290 hitter and a decent infielder who can play all positions (not gold glove level). But he will have his best season if he stays healthy. There are hundreds of players who are playing above their salary level just as there are hundreds of players who are playing well below their salary level.

And the M's were hoping to get the RBI production from Branyan, Beltre (injured), and Ken Griffy Jr.
sfjp330 at 04:28 AM JST - 21st July

Point is Ichiro is getting a peak Barry Bonds salary and Bonds could carry a team (40-50 home runs, 130-200 walks, .450-.500 obp). Ichiro is more comparable to Rod Carew, great singles hitter that can't carry a team, a quiet, non-leader, doing his job well.
nigelboy at 04:55 AM JST - 21st July

Point is Ichiro is getting a peak Barry Bonds salary

No. The point is that Ichiro is basically getting the same salary level as the likes of Torii Hunter, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Lee, and Carlos Beltran in today's market.
sfjp330 at 05:21 AM JST - 21st July

Hunter, Soriano, Ramirez, Ordonez, Lee, Beltran, is like comparing power hitters or non-single shitters to pure singles hitter like Ichiro. Probably the closest in comparison is Jeter or Helton.