Ichiro Suzuki is back with the Mariners ... as a coach
Ichiro Suzuki’s playing days might be over, but his tenure with the Seattle Mariners isn’t. The team announced Tuesday that Suzuki will join the club as an instructor.
The 45-year-old Suzuki will help players with “outfield play, base-running and, in conjunction with hitting coaches, hitting,” according to a team release.
Some Ichiro news out of Seattle: pic.twitter.com/eOJGrRlxev
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) April 30, 2019
This is different than the role Suzuki took with the team last season. Suzuki’s new role as a team instructor is in addition to his responsibilities as Special Assistant to the Chairman. Suzuki will report to Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto as part of his new position.
Suzuki’s desire to remain in the game shouldn’t come as a surprise. After playing just 15 games with the Mariners in 2018, Suzuki decided to stay around the team for the rest of the season. He was able to take part in pre-game activities, but was not allowed to play in that role.
On top of that, Ichiro has stated he would love to play until he’s 50. While that’s no longer a possibility, he can still be a part of a major-league team in his new role.
Given his love for the game, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Suzuki with the Mariners far beyond his 50th birthday.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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