SEATTLE - Hall of Famer and former Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki said Friday he expects great things from Hideki Matsui as the new manager of the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League.
"No one but Hideki Matsui could generate this much excitement over a managerial appointment. It is a decision that shows resolve," Ichiro said in Seattle. "I can even picture Japanese professional baseball being shaped with manager Matsui at its center going forward."
Ichiro, 53, described former New York Yankees slugger Matsui, 52, as someone who always keeps the Giants' gravitas, dignity and tradition in mind in everything he does.
Matsui has played in games between Ichiro's Kobe Chiben team and a select team of female high school players since 2024, deepening their friendship through the events.
"Fans come to watch serious competition in professional baseball. Both Matsui and I care about how fans see us," Ichiro, who also played for the Yankees, said of their shared values as professionals.
Ichiro said he believes older generations see Giants players as a disciplined and dignified group, an image he wants to preserve so the team remains "a special presence in every era."
He said Matsui's appointment makes him want to go to Tokyo Dome to see the Giants in person rather than settle for footage of them in the United States.
