Earlier this year, the great Ichiro Suzuki retired from professional baseball following a 28-year career that will undoubtedly land him in the Hall of Fame as soon as he's eligible in 2024. Ichiro recorded 4,367 hits between his time in Japan and MLB, the most in baseball history.
Suzuki retired from professional baseball earlier this year. He did not retire from playing baseball, however. According to the Kyodo News, Ichiro suited up in a sandlot game against a team of high school teachers in Japan on Sunday and shined at the plate and on the mound. He went 3 for 4 with a walk at the plate and also struck out 16 batters in a complete game shutout. Ichiro allowed six hits in his team's 14-0 win.
"I can still make it work," Suzuki told reporters after the game. "No problems at all regarding either my elbow or shoulder. It was a blast."
Here's some video from Ichiro's afternoon:
Sunday's game was played at Hotto Motto Field Kobe, home of the Orix Buffaloes, the team Ichiro played with from 1992-2000. He made the jump to MLB in 2001 and was named Rookie of the Year and AL MVP that season.
Following his retirement, Suzuki rejoined the Mariners as a special assistant, and spent his time working with the team's young players at the MLB and Triple-A levels. He's expected to remain with the club in that capacity going forward.
Ichiro is not the only former Japanese baseball star and MLB player who has taken his talent to amateur leagues post-retirement. Hideki Matsui joined a recreational league in New York a few years ago and batted right-handed to make it fair.