The Seattle Mariners know how to get into the spirit of “Ichiro Weekend.”
Ichiro Suzuki was scheduled to be inducted into the Mariners’ Hall of Fame on Saturday, so the team made an entire weekend out of the occasion, beginning Friday by bringing back one of their most famous fans, the “Ichiro Girl,” aka Iris Skinner. rice field.
Skinner gained viral fame in 2010 when Suzuki accidentally hit her in the face while trying to catch a foul ball in the right field stand during a game against the New York Yankees. Her worried Suzuki took a moment to make sure Skinner was okay with her before her jog, but it made her look like the happiest human being on the planet. was enough for
Fast forward 12 years and the Mariners encouraged Skinner to throw the first pitch for Friday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. They just didn’t tell her one thing: Suzuki would catch.
As you can imagine, Skinner is in high spirits, making it one of the most wholesome videos a baseball team has ever seen.
Let’s go ahead and make it a freeze frame.
Yes, pure happiness.
The festivities continued into Saturday, when Suzuki reappeared, this time in full suit, officially inducting the Mariners into the Hall of Fame. The 48-year-old delivered his 16-minute speech to a crowd at T-Mobile Park.
From MLB.com:
“Even after I retired, baseball and Seattle have never left my mind,” Ichiro said. “Baseball will forever be my soul and my mission is to continue to help both players and fans appreciate this special game.”
Suzuki, who still works for the Mariners as a special assistant to the president and outfielder coach, is eligible to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, at which point the Mariners are expected to retire his number. We’ll also know if we’re going to bring Skinner back to .
