Let's also appreciate the ungodly amount of talent that was on the field in this game. Ichiro, Rivera, Jeter, Griffey, Beltre, Felix, Arod, Cano, Sabathia, and Pettitte. Total lifetime(s) WAR of over 720; ten players averaging over 70 WAR, in one game!
@@marthalee1793 Beltre was with Seattle from 2005-2009 so he did play with Ichiro and Griffey i think did when he was with the Mariners in 2010 in his last season im not 100% sure though
@@vincentfiore7588 Griffey was gone before Ichiro came in 2001. He wasn't on the '01 team. Mike Cameron played CF. As far as I can remember, there were no huge name players on that roster, everyone had parted ways with the Mariners in the late 90s. Tino, ARod, Griffey, Johnson. He wasn't on the 2001 team. He'd gone to the Reds. John Olerud joined at some point, thank goodness! He delivered some clutch hits! So, ok, Beltre was there, but not with Griffey.
The Knicks Will Win A Title Within This Century can you tell me what you think “pure hitter” means? It’s a term I hear ad nauseam but I still don’t know what people mean when they use it.
@@ilikepie19921 I don't understand that either. In hockey, you'll often hear someone say Mike Bossy is the best pure goal scorer in hockey history. Other guys have more goals, but they aren't pure i guess.
I remember when he was in Japan , his coach repeatedly told him "you can not overreact when you hit homerun , because it is rude attitude to pitchers. if you do that , some pitchers hit the ball to you next ."
I know. I drove to Seattle (2 hour drive) just for the game, met a chick, and gave up the tickets. I saw the highlights that night and just about shit.
Ichiro could always hit homeruns he just chose when to hit them. This is what was needed to win this game. The swing was an intended homerun swing. He didn't just place the ball on the field, he placed the ball in the stands.
Must have missed the end celebration 😂 I give Ichiro the benefit of the doubt he didn’t understand how disrespectful that celebration actually is or can be but totally agree, Ichiro was all class his whole career
@@hangtime104the whole (don’t celebrate) culture is utter BS!! … why can’t an athlete celebrate their achievement?? I don’t care about your feeling. Wither you homered or striker out, celebrate it. We are not children.
@@dannytse8767 the whole (don’t celebrate) culture is utter BS!! … why can’t an athlete celebrate their achievement?? I don’t care about your feeling. Wither you homered or striker out, celebrate it. We are not children.
@@HusseinDoha There is a line in everything we do. There's a difference between celebrating and trying to embarrass somebody. Had he pointed at and shouted at Rivera as he rounded the bases, it would have been interpreted as trying to embarrass him. You can celebrate without embarrassing someone. In this case, Ichiro did just that.
Every once in a while, when my life becomes a little stagnant, or a little downbeat, I go on UA-cam and watch some Ichiro highlights, and the world is right again!
I absolutely love how aware the announcer of of this legendary moment.He called it as two HOFs going head to head and said it like if it was just them on the field and no one else mattered in the moment.
I am a lifelong Yankees fan but it's hard not to like and respect Ichiro. But I must admit that I much prefer watching Ichiro hit a homerun to beat the Mets (as he did for the Marlins yesterday) than watching him beat my Yankees. I also liked him a Yankee. He always hustled.
I remember watching this live in 2009. I'm a Yankees fan but I felt minimal sting. This is the absolute highest level the game can be played at. It was even a bad pitch. It had so much movement that was inside the strikezone. Ichiro's anticipation and timing and speed and efficiency of power were just something to behold.
He would routinely hit homer after homer in BP, but figured he was valuable to the team on base, for the potential of another run or two. With his speed, he could easily stretch another player’s single into a two or three base run, and still leave the batter on base for someone else to bring home. My choice for most complete player ever...hitting, defence, base running. The man simply did it all better than anyone.
@@blackmamba1261 Yep. And his speed on the bases. Everyone has an opinion. Mine would be that Ichiro was perfect at being Ichiro. His approach. His body. All of it. One of the true greats.
My Favorite Ichiro story. His first season I think it was his 3rd game. He was doing his thing. Bunting,Singles,doubles the other way. Lou Pinella pulled his interpreter aside and asked him"Can You Pull The Ball?Try To Hit A Homerun?" The next at bat,first pitch CRANK upper deck homerun" He runs the bases goes back in the dugout and asks Lou Pinella"Are You Happy Now?" Lou was like "I Was Only Asking" lol
I remember this game. Growing up as a Japanese American who loved baseball, he was my idol. My family had season tickets all the way up in the 300 level and we usually would sell the tickets to games that were on school nights, but never for the Yankees (or the Dodgers, my Dad's favorite team). I was pretty young at the time and already super tired, playing on my DS, and my younger sister was falling asleep in her blanket and it was soooo cold. I looked up to watch my favorite player at bat and within seconds I was WIDE awake. We had a little party with just our family when we got home that night and we all sat down to watch the game rebroadcast on the TV again. Thank you Ichiro, truly the greatest to play the game.
I remember this. This was a win of pride for the Mariners, they weren't going to the playoffs, but with this victory they finished a game over .500. A great moment in baseball for sure.
I remember this too but from the eyes of a Yankees fan. I wasn't even mad. I also remember the Yankees commentators talking about intentionally walking Ichiro because a single ties the game and Ichiro was leading the AL in IBBs in 09. Obviously Mariano isn't going to do that though. Great memories.
I remember watching this live on MLB live look-in. Back then I always rooted against Yankees and top it off, it was Ichiro at the plate. I was rooting so hard for him to do something magical. I went absolutely nuts when he hit that ball out on first pitch.
I was at this game. Mo is the GOAT, but on this night Ichiro, no slouch himself, slew the dragon. I still must watch this clip every three months or so, and I still shudder and shed a tear at the absolute majesty of the moment. Yankee fans won't understand, because success is measured there in rings, but give the good people of South Alaska their small moment of ecstasy, m'kay?
Do you have someone else in mind? Or do you just not know what GOAT means? *cough-greatest-of-all-time-cough* Try to keep up, before you ignorantly insult Mo and the people who respect him.
Mason C yeah he might be the greatest closer of all time but still he is just only a closer. the greatest pitcher of all time is nolan ryan while ichiro is the greatest hitter of all time and one of the best all rounders innthe league.
100% believe if Ichiro played full career in MLB he would have the hits record. His hits production went up from NPB to MLB. Even just looking at his MLB accomplishments he is a Top 10 or 15 player of all time. Extremely underrated though. Imagine if he was American.
PhillyPhan just imagine how many hits he accumulated in his 9 years in mlb compared to to his hits in japan. if only he had played his first 9 years in mlb then he could have around 6500-7k hits right now.
I think it'd be closer to 4500-4600 because if you look at his at bats he didn't become a starter until his 3rd season so it'd basically be about 7 seasons worth of "extra hits" if he would have been in MLB. Considering he averaged at least 25 more hits per season in MLB during his prime that would be 25x7 or 175 extra hits. He has 4344 hits right now so an extra 175 hits would put *Ichiro at 4519 hits and he is not even retired yet.*
I'm a Yankee fan and I watched this game live but I wasn't mad about it because I loved Ichiro. If I remember correctly Mariano got 2 quick outs then Mike Sweeney hit a double right before this. This video is from the Mariners broadcast but I was watching the Yankees broadcast and the Yankees broadcasters were talking about the possibility of intentionally walking Ichiro (because a single tied the game) and that Ichiro was leading the AL in IBBs. Obviously that didn't happen. I remember thinking how cool Ichiro's celebration was at home plate. I looked for this walk off on UA-cam days after it happened to rewatch it but I guess baseball wasn't big on UA-cam in 09 so I couldn't find it. I'm glad it was uploaded a few years later.
I watched this on TV as a kid--greatest Mariners game ever imo, simply because of who was playing and what happened. And yes, Mike Sweeney was pinch-hitting I believe. The ball looked like it might have been a game-tying home run, but it fell just a bit short. They pinch-ran Michael Saunders so we'd score on a single, but even though with Ichiro at the plate I think most people felt 2 hits off Mariano would be a super tough ask. Sweeney missing the HR felt like game over to me. And then Ichiro magically walked it off, making a winner out of Felix Hernandez's (who had pitched a complete game gem against AJ Burnett) and that's probably the only time I can remember crying from happiness as a child. For all the flak Dave Sims has caught over the years, he was so right when he said it was two HOFers going head to head, and that's why I think this is the greatest HR in Mariners history.
@@CaptainXD wow I thought my memory was good lol I remember Sweeney's hit (super underrated hitter btw) but I didn't remember that Michael saunders pinch ran (makes sense now that you say it) and I didn't remember who started for the Yanks. Mariano blew AJ's only good start lol Thanks for adding to this great memory!
@@CaptainXD another thing I wanted to add about the game - I could be wrong but I think Sweeney's double was a ground rule double. I wish I could find a video of the whole game so I could rewatch it. Baseball hit differently back then. PS. I also watched the game (live) where Ichiro touched the female fan's face accidentally trying to catch a foul ball. That game was against the Yanks as well (I pretty much watched all 162 yankees games back when I was in HS). Watching it live, I never realized it would become such a big deal.
when he was in Japan, he was repeatedly told by seniors, "Do not express your feelings even if you hit a home run. Think about the pitcher's feelings. It's rude."
Mariano was the same way too. Somebody said they saw Mo in the clubhouse after the game, and was acting like nothing happened. The demeanor a closer needs to get a unanimous HoF vote
@@ilikepie19921 also to be fair, if you lose against another hall of famer, especially ichiro I’m sure it isn’t the biggest problem or hit to an ego. Still tho very amazing
I've probably been to over 500 M's games (I know, glutton for punishment) since I started going in 1979. This was HANDS DOWN the greatest moment I've ever experienced at an M's game. Every time someone asks me about the M's, I immediately come back to this! Not too many chances to be in the house with 3 first ballot HoF'ers on the same field at the same time. Magical.....
My memory of ichiro was being mildly interested in baseball just because my dad always watched and I would just be there sometimes. My memory of him was insane speed outrunning in field hits, constant grounders up the gap, and that one of a kind run as he's still hitting the ball. I also remember thinking he had such accurate bombs to the bases from the outfield. But I wish now I had payed more attention and realized how lucky I was to be witnessing this guy, on my own team. Damn
In Boston we like to say Ted Williams was the greatest hitter of all time. With several prime seasons lost fighting for the Marines we can only speculate at what his numbers would be but when you add up what Ichiro did in Japan and in the MLB you have to keep him in the conversation. Teammates talked about how in BP he’d sometimes show off an ability to hit the long ball. He just preferred to hit for average because he was lead off and had speed around the bases.
Honestly, if he started in the majors at age 22, and he still did 200+ hits a year in those 5 extra seasons, we would be arguing as to whether or not he could play and hit enough to pass Pete Rose.
I think Ichiro recognized his strengths and weaknesses, and determined that even though he could hit them out in BP and could muscle up in a real game when need, he knew he couldn't be a true power hitter consistenty without it affecting his offensive game as a whole. That's why he focused on contact and speed.
In other words, he hides his true power by not hitting more homeruns than he could. He could easily hit 15-20 a year but chose to hit purely for average, so he ends up with about 8 homeruns a year. But his true power comes when needed in situation like this.
Visiting from Texas, I was at this game in Seattle and the previous night for his walk off hit vs White Sox. Will never, ever forget those two nights. Just epic!!!
Ichiro always said he could hit 35-40 homers a year if he wanted to but that it would cause his average to go down 20-30 points so he didn't try to hit them. I totally believe that watching his swing - he has a power swing and always put on a show in BP.
This is like a scene out of the movie 'The Natural'. The announcer, the fans, and his teammates all going crazy while Ichiro just circles the bases as cool as the other side of the pillow.
Ichiro said he could hit 30 home runs a year if he wanted to but his batting average would drop to .260 and that wasn't the best way to utilize his talents.
This is one of the greatest moments in baseball history
why is that? A regular season game in sept? LOL
GoTHaM ReTuRnS Mariano Rivera very rarely blows saves, legend vs legend. It is a great moment
its a legend vs legend. u just dnt get it. shows ur immature too using "LOL"
Ichiro is incredible
Totally agree. That was amazing.
Let's also appreciate the ungodly amount of talent that was on the field in this game.
Ichiro, Rivera, Jeter, Griffey, Beltre, Felix, Arod, Cano, Sabathia, and Pettitte.
Total lifetime(s) WAR of over 720; ten players averaging over 70 WAR, in one game!
This guy did the math lol. But that’s insane over 660 WAR in a single game
King felix!
On the field, in this game? No A Rod or Griffey for sure. They never played with Ichiro in Seattle. Beltre maybe, I don't remember.
@@marthalee1793 Beltre was with Seattle from 2005-2009 so he did play with Ichiro and Griffey i think did when he was with the Mariners in 2010 in his last season im not 100% sure though
@@vincentfiore7588 Griffey was gone before Ichiro came in 2001. He wasn't on the '01 team. Mike Cameron played CF. As far as I can remember, there were no huge name players on that roster, everyone had parted ways with the Mariners in the late 90s. Tino, ARod, Griffey, Johnson. He wasn't on the 2001 team. He'd gone to the Reds. John Olerud joined at some point, thank goodness! He delivered some clutch hits! So, ok, Beltre was there, but not with Griffey.
Mariano Rivera only gave up five walk off homeruns in a 19 year career. This was the last and best one.
Man, seventeen years as a team's primary closer with only five walk-off bombs is absolutely insane.
@@FlatPlutoSocietyMo is by far the greatest closer ever
Any pitcher who couldnt pitch more than 1 inning doesnt deserve the HoF
@@tfredrick01 go troll somewhere else lol
@@tfredrick01Rivera is an exception.
Ichiro has a glorious swing. He made that looks so easy.
He retired today . Legend. Absolute madlad
The Knicks Will Win A Title Within This Century can you tell me what you think “pure hitter” means? It’s a term I hear ad nauseam but I still don’t know what people mean when they use it.
@@ilikepie19921 I don't understand that either. In hockey, you'll often hear someone say Mike Bossy is the best pure goal scorer in hockey history. Other guys have more goals, but they aren't pure i guess.
But came back to Seattle after he retired. That say a lot.
I love how Ichiro shows no emotion when rounding the bases
Rick James : cold blooded!
why would he the mariners was ass that year this game meant nothing 😂😂 i was pissed off tho here in the bronx 😂😂
David Ortiz-like
no showing some emotion others are considered as a virtue 🇯🇵 you might not understand it if you’re not from my country.
I remember when he was in Japan , his coach repeatedly told him "you can not overreact when you hit homerun , because it is rude attitude to pitchers. if you do that , some pitchers hit the ball to you next ."
I gave these tickets up for a date. Massive mistake
You noob!
I take it you didn't get any?
WOW. My condolences to you.
Wtf
I know. I drove to Seattle (2 hour drive) just for the game, met a chick, and gave up the tickets. I saw the highlights that night and just about shit.
Ichiro could always hit homeruns he just chose when to hit them. This is what was needed to win this game. The swing was an intended homerun swing. He didn't just place the ball on the field, he placed the ball in the stands.
Exactly!
Just look good deeply he crouched before setting. He was locked in.
In a sense, Ichiro was the opposite of Babe Ruth who once said that he could have hit well over .400 but that wasn't what was expected from him.
Love the way Ichiro rounds first, looking away from Rivera, no gloating, no celebrating, no expression. Class and restraint. Consummate professional.
Also "Respect" for your opponent. It's a thin line between winning and losing. No need to rub it into the face of your opponent.
Must have missed the end celebration 😂 I give Ichiro the benefit of the doubt he didn’t understand how disrespectful that celebration actually is or can be but totally agree, Ichiro was all class his whole career
@@hangtime104the whole (don’t celebrate) culture is utter BS!! … why can’t an athlete celebrate their achievement?? I don’t care about your feeling. Wither you homered or striker out, celebrate it. We are not children.
@@dannytse8767 the whole (don’t celebrate) culture is utter BS!! … why can’t an athlete celebrate their achievement?? I don’t care about your feeling. Wither you homered or striker out, celebrate it. We are not children.
@@HusseinDoha There is a line in everything we do. There's a difference between celebrating and trying to embarrass somebody. Had he pointed at and shouted at Rivera as he rounded the bases, it would have been interpreted as trying to embarrass him. You can celebrate without embarrassing someone. In this case, Ichiro did just that.
Every once in a while, when my life becomes a little stagnant, or a little downbeat, I go on UA-cam and watch some Ichiro highlights, and the world is right again!
facts
The fact that the commentator called ichiro a hall of famer in just his 9th season proves how good he was
I absolutely love how aware the announcer of of this legendary moment.He called it as two HOFs going head to head and said it like if it was just them on the field and no one else mattered in the moment.
Dave Simms is awesome
“And Ichiro….has beaten Mariano Rivera!”
Absolutely underrated call. He seemed so aware of the moment.
If people realized how scarcely Mariano gave up homeruns, they'd agree this is a legendary moment.
5 in 19 years and this one was the best.
There's a 2:45 minute video on UA-cam of him giving up notable homeruns, 19 years of career, 3 minutes of homeruns, *3 minutes.*
I heard a stat somewhere that more men have landed on the moon than have scored on Rivera in the playoffs
I am a lifelong Yankees fan but it's hard not to like and respect Ichiro. But I must admit that I much prefer watching Ichiro hit a homerun to beat the Mets (as he did for the Marlins yesterday) than watching him beat my Yankees. I also liked him a Yankee. He always hustled.
***** depends on if he plays long enough, he could end up like vizquel and play to his mid 40's
***** and he only needs 121 more hits so i think he will at least stay active untill he hits 3000.
As a Yankee seeing that hurt !
***** Ichiro is going to play next year most likely. If he does play next year then he will get 3,000 hits for sure. He is still a good player.
Steve Forbes And as a Red Sox fan I did not hate Ichiro when he was on the Yankees (or ever) Pure class.
I remember watching this live in 2009. I'm a Yankees fan but I felt minimal sting. This is the absolute highest level the game can be played at.
It was even a bad pitch. It had so much movement that was inside the strikezone. Ichiro's anticipation and timing and speed and efficiency of power were just something to behold.
これはテレビで観ていた。打った瞬間、思わずソファから腰が浮いて声が出た。テレビでは解説の佐野が「もぉ、カッコ良すぎますよぉ」と叫んでいた。数あるイチローの名シーンの中で、自分にとっては間違いなくこれがナンバーワン。
look how far that ball went. he could have easily been a 400+ homer guy if he tried for them. but he's a hall of famer as he is anyway. love ichiro
He would routinely hit homer after homer in BP, but figured he was valuable to the team on base, for the potential of another run or two. With his speed, he could easily stretch another player’s single into a two or three base run, and still leave the batter on base for someone else to bring home. My choice for most complete player ever...hitting, defence, base running. The man simply did it all better than anyone.
He said that he can hit 40 per season but nobody wants to see an ichiro with .220 batting average
Miko0219 I would argue that average would be much higher especially if he built his body and added weight for power hitting
Yea but then all his defensive talent would go out the window
@@blackmamba1261 Yep. And his speed on the bases. Everyone has an opinion. Mine would be that Ichiro was perfect at being Ichiro. His approach. His body. All of it. One of the true greats.
Ichiro's swing is so smooth, I love it.
My Favorite Ichiro story. His first season I think it was his 3rd game. He was doing his thing. Bunting,Singles,doubles the other way. Lou Pinella pulled his interpreter aside and asked him"Can You Pull The Ball?Try To Hit A Homerun?" The next at bat,first pitch CRANK upper deck homerun" He runs the bases goes back in the dugout and asks Lou Pinella"Are You Happy Now?" Lou was like "I Was Only Asking" lol
I remember this game. Growing up as a Japanese American who loved baseball, he was my idol. My family had season tickets all the way up in the 300 level and we usually would sell the tickets to games that were on school nights, but never for the Yankees (or the Dodgers, my Dad's favorite team). I was pretty young at the time and already super tired, playing on my DS, and my younger sister was falling asleep in her blanket and it was soooo cold. I looked up to watch my favorite player at bat and within seconds I was WIDE awake. We had a little party with just our family when we got home that night and we all sat down to watch the game rebroadcast on the TV again. Thank you Ichiro, truly the greatest to play the game.
I remember this. This was a win of pride for the Mariners, they weren't going to the playoffs, but with this victory they finished a game over .500. A great moment in baseball for sure.
I remember this too but from the eyes of a Yankees fan. I wasn't even mad. I also remember the Yankees commentators talking about intentionally walking Ichiro because a single ties the game and Ichiro was leading the AL in IBBs in 09. Obviously Mariano isn't going to do that though. Great memories.
Ichiro is not human. Nothing but ice water in his veins. Absolute legend.
I was here. Brings back special memories. We had our rally caps on in the 9th.
i bet Mo remembers this one
He remembers game 7 in 01, I think he remembers this too
+DVJFan I think I found the Yankees fan
umm won the world baseball classic.
+DVJFan The Yankees won the WS in 2001?
Yeah he remembers while looking at his multiple World Series rings.
like the face he ran from 1st base to 2nd base, so cool
The sound of this bat hitting the ball lives rent free in my head ❤
Any team you root for, you just cant hate Ichiro. Truely legend
Chills. Thank you Ichiro for all you did in Seattle! Please retire with us so you go to Cooperstown as an M
***** He will go to the Hall of Fame as a Mariners no matter what. It's not like he is going to go as Yankee or Marlin.
+Mene Tekel can you imagine if hes a marlin lol
+Mene Tekel can you imagine if hes a marlin lol
well if he stays that healthy and plays for marlins next 10 years.. maybe ... just maybe LOL it might go in hall of fame as a marlins LOL
+Mene Tekel
It's his choice. Mike Piazza chose the Mets instead of the Dodgers. There's no guarantee.
I remember watching this live on MLB live look-in. Back then I always rooted against Yankees and top it off, it was Ichiro at the plate. I was rooting so hard for him to do something magical. I went absolutely nuts when he hit that ball out on first pitch.
Both legends, I loved that Ichiro played in Seattle an still has something to do with Seattle.
One of Ichiros biggest highlights.
I miss seeing both these guys in pinstripes. Two of the classiest, most talented players the game has ever seen.
I was at this game. Mo is the GOAT, but on this night Ichiro, no slouch himself, slew the dragon. I still must watch this clip every three months or so, and I still shudder and shed a tear at the absolute majesty of the moment. Yankee fans won't understand, because success is measured there in rings, but give the good people of South Alaska their small moment of ecstasy, m'kay?
Did you seriously just say that Mo is the GOAT? Is that a joke?
Do you have someone else in mind? Or do you just not know what GOAT means? *cough-greatest-of-all-time-cough* Try to keep up, before you ignorantly insult Mo and the people who respect him.
Steve Wayne Saying that he isn't the greatest of all time is an insult? Sorry, I didn't realize. Smh
+EpicDiabetic he's the greatest closer of all time. Who better?
Mason C yeah he might be the greatest closer of all time but still he is just only a closer. the greatest pitcher of all time is nolan ryan while ichiro is the greatest hitter of all time and one of the best all rounders innthe league.
I belive in Barry Bonds when he said that Ichiro would win the homerun derby.
He was and is the GOAT in baseball.
Who comes back to watch this?😭
All the time because I was lucky enough to be there!
I'm not sad that he's leaving the MLB, I'm just happy he was here for so long, and so incredible on and off the diamond
The night when the samurai killed the yankee
Ironically the samurai became a Yankee later in his career
all the time dog
100% believe if Ichiro played full career in MLB he would have the hits record. His hits production went up from NPB to MLB. Even just looking at his MLB accomplishments he is a Top 10 or 15 player of all time. Extremely underrated though. Imagine if he was American.
PhillyPhan just imagine how many hits he accumulated in his 9 years in mlb compared to to his hits in japan. if only he had played his first 9 years in mlb then he could have around 6500-7k hits right now.
I think it'd be closer to 4500-4600 because if you look at his at bats he didn't become a starter until his 3rd season so it'd basically be about 7 seasons worth of "extra hits" if he would have been in MLB. Considering he averaged at least 25 more hits per season in MLB during his prime that would be 25x7 or 175 extra hits. He has 4344 hits right now so an extra 175 hits would put *Ichiro at 4519 hits and he is not even retired yet.*
I ....was...THERE! You'd have thought we had won game 7 of the World Series!
They're both winners. They both will enter the Hall of Fame first ballot.
You cant enter the Hall of Fame if you dont retire. LOL. Ichiro still playing and looks like he'll play forever
Now we wait for Ichiro to be immortalized
MO entered with 100%
Just a perfect, clean swing with a seemless follow through
I'm a Yankee fan and I watched this game live but I wasn't mad about it because I loved Ichiro. If I remember correctly Mariano got 2 quick outs then Mike Sweeney hit a double right before this. This video is from the Mariners broadcast but I was watching the Yankees broadcast and the Yankees broadcasters were talking about the possibility of intentionally walking Ichiro (because a single tied the game) and that Ichiro was leading the AL in IBBs. Obviously that didn't happen.
I remember thinking how cool Ichiro's celebration was at home plate. I looked for this walk off on UA-cam days after it happened to rewatch it but I guess baseball wasn't big on UA-cam in 09 so I couldn't find it. I'm glad it was uploaded a few years later.
I watched this on TV as a kid--greatest Mariners game ever imo, simply because of who was playing and what happened. And yes, Mike Sweeney was pinch-hitting I believe. The ball looked like it might have been a game-tying home run, but it fell just a bit short. They pinch-ran Michael Saunders so we'd score on a single, but even though with Ichiro at the plate I think most people felt 2 hits off Mariano would be a super tough ask. Sweeney missing the HR felt like game over to me. And then Ichiro magically walked it off, making a winner out of Felix Hernandez's (who had pitched a complete game gem against AJ Burnett) and that's probably the only time I can remember crying from happiness as a child.
For all the flak Dave Sims has caught over the years, he was so right when he said it was two HOFers going head to head, and that's why I think this is the greatest HR in Mariners history.
@@CaptainXD wow I thought my memory was good lol
I remember Sweeney's hit (super underrated hitter btw) but I didn't remember that Michael saunders pinch ran (makes sense now that you say it) and I didn't remember who started for the Yanks. Mariano blew AJ's only good start lol
Thanks for adding to this great memory!
@@MartinM201 Absolutely!! So glad it is a distinct memory to others as well :)
@@CaptainXD another thing I wanted to add about the game - I could be wrong but I think Sweeney's double was a ground rule double.
I wish I could find a video of the whole game so I could rewatch it. Baseball hit differently back then.
PS. I also watched the game (live) where Ichiro touched the female fan's face accidentally trying to catch a foul ball. That game was against the Yanks as well (I pretty much watched all 162 yankees games back when I was in HS).
Watching it live, I never realized it would become such a big deal.
I remember watching this live, and on the replay they showed Mo's reaction. You can see him simply mouth "Wow"
greatest baseball player ever
Clearly one of the best players in our generation
I am going to wear my #51 shirt to work tomorrow
No
TDH24Live no. That title belongs to Josh Gibson.
Alex B 36 no
Mason C yes
I love how this HR helped Ichiro's most cherished team mate Hernandes take his 16th win, important to seal the pitcher's title
The greatest baseball player to ever live
“ICHIRO HAS BEATEN MARIANO RIVERA”
A great call
gives me chills every time
I was there and the crowd reacted like we had just won the World Series. It was incredible!
Ichiro complete legend
IcyVegeta I can't believe he had 10 home runs LOL
Two legends of the game mono e mono.
Even as a Yankees fan, I say this was a epic moment!
look at ichiro's face as he rounds first...cool as the 'other side of the pillow"...he is a different kinda cat
when he was in Japan, he was repeatedly told by seniors, "Do not express your feelings even if you hit a home run. Think about the pitcher's feelings. It's rude."
Mariano was the same way too. Somebody said they saw Mo in the clubhouse after the game, and was acting like nothing happened. The demeanor a closer needs to get a unanimous HoF vote
@@ilikepie19921 also to be fair, if you lose against another hall of famer, especially ichiro I’m sure it isn’t the biggest problem or hit to an ego. Still tho very amazing
I've probably been to over 500 M's games (I know, glutton for punishment) since I started going in 1979. This was HANDS DOWN the greatest moment I've ever experienced at an M's game. Every time someone asks me about the M's, I immediately come back to this! Not too many chances to be in the house with 3 first ballot HoF'ers on the same field at the same time. Magical.....
Ichiro just decided he was gonna hit a home run
My memory of ichiro was being mildly interested in baseball just because my dad always watched and I would just be there sometimes. My memory of him was insane speed outrunning in field hits, constant grounders up the gap, and that one of a kind run as he's still hitting the ball. I also remember thinking he had such accurate bombs to the bases from the outfield. But I wish now I had payed more attention and realized how lucky I was to be witnessing this guy, on my own team. Damn
In Boston we like to say Ted Williams was the greatest hitter of all time. With several prime seasons lost fighting for the Marines we can only speculate at what his numbers would be but when you add up what Ichiro did in Japan and in the MLB you have to keep him in the conversation. Teammates talked about how in BP he’d sometimes show off an ability to hit the long ball. He just preferred to hit for average because he was lead off and had speed around the bases.
Maybe Ichiro will get the Mo treatment and get the unanimous HOF vote. He totally deserves it. ❤
Doubtful. There are some people who insist that Ichiro was vastly overrated because he only hit singles, and at least one of them will have a vote.
Imagine how many hits Ichiro would have got if he never played in Japan
+GzShock He's about to hit the 3000 hit mark in the MLB. I believe he is 65 hits away.
+GzShock Probably 4,500.
Probably ten billion
Honestly, if he started in the majors at age 22, and he still did 200+ hits a year in those 5 extra seasons, we would be arguing as to whether or not he could play and hit enough to pass Pete Rose.
Not hard to imagine at all. Just subtract those hits as if he never played in Japan.
I think Ichiro recognized his strengths and weaknesses, and determined that even though he could hit them out in BP and could muscle up in a real game when need, he knew he couldn't be a true power hitter consistenty without it affecting his offensive game as a whole. That's why he focused on contact and speed.
In other words, he hides his true power by not hitting more homeruns than he could. He could easily hit 15-20 a year but chose to hit purely for average, so he ends up with about 8 homeruns a year. But his true power comes when needed in situation like this.
I'm an NYY fan and loved Ichiro. He will go to Cooperstown as a Mariner -- as well he should.
this is one of the moments in history
two of the greatest players in MLB history legendary moment its rare you walk off on MO
This is one aspect of baseball I like. The one on one between the batter and pitcher where the game is on the line
Ichiro is a legend
Yankees fan here.
Mad respect for Ichiro.
Visiting from Texas, I was at this game in Seattle and the previous night for his walk off hit vs White Sox. Will never, ever forget those two nights. Just epic!!!
See you in Cooperstown Ichiro!
the crotch chop though lol
Hes so cool one of the best to watch regardless of the team
I was at this game. Best sports moment I've ever witnessed!!!
His swing is a thing of beauty!
Two of the best players in baseball
He absolutely destroyed that ball
Ichiro is a goat and nobody can ever deny that
That wasn’t even like a shallow home run, it was lowkey a bomb.
That’s because hes ichiro
An Ichiro HR?
A blown save by Mariano Rivera?
The Mariners offense providing Felix Henrnadez run support?
This clip is as rare as Bigfoot
the crack of that bat! awesome
Ichiro always said he could hit 35-40 homers a year if he wanted to but that it would cause his average to go down 20-30 points so he didn't try to hit them. I totally believe that watching his swing - he has a power swing and always put on a show in BP.
To beat the best of all-time, you gotta be the best of all-time
This is like a scene out of the movie 'The Natural'. The announcer, the fans, and his teammates all going crazy while Ichiro just circles the bases as cool as the other side of the pillow.
This were the best years of baseball
Ichiro unanimously elected to the HOF would truly make this a legendary at bat
Ichiro said he could hit 30 home runs a year if he wanted to but his batting average would drop to .260 and that wasn't the best way to utilize his talents.
Greatest hitter of the 2000's.
Crazy. This season by Rivera was one of the best by any reliever ever so just adfs onto how impressive this is.
The way Ichiro pass 1st base is super cool !
Ichiro is the best hitter of all time. Not terribly surprised. I can't imagine how his stats would look had he started playing in MLB at 19 or 20.
Yankees: winning the game*
Ichiro: "....and I took that personally"
I was listening to this on the radio when it happened. It's one of Dave Niehaus's best calls. And it gave Felix the complete game W.
「未来の殿堂入り同士の戦いです。」のセリフからの、初球で仕留めるICHIROカッコ良過ぎる！
everything about this clip is perfect great matchup great result great call
I love how he said a couple of hofers. People don't like to acknowledge greatness now
this is like the coolest highlight of all time
The best hitter ever beating the best closer ever
Never get tired of watching his swing
Ichiros swing is was such a thing of beauty
Ichiro loved to swing for the fences with 2 outs and a man on 2nd.
That stride from 1st to 2nd, that’s how a legend does it
when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object
why ichiro so handsome?