Ichiro Suzuki plans to retire after the Seattle Mariners complete their season-opening season against the Oakland Athletics in Tokyo, multiple reports said Thursday.
Ichiro, 45, is considered the all-time hits leader with his 3,089 in Major League Baseball and 1,278 in Japan combining for 4,367.
Ichiro came to MLB in 2001 at age 27 and recorded more than 200 hits in each of his first 10 seasons. He also set the single-season record of 262 hits in 2004.
He spent most of his MLB career with Seattle, plus two-and-a-half seasons with the New York Yankees and three with the Miami Marlins.
The Japanese great played 15 games for the Mariners last year before opting to take a front office position with the team. The 2019 season was his final attempt at a comeback.
The Mariners and Athletics began their regular season this week with a series in Tokyo, and Japanese fans were especially drawn in to see Ichiro.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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