Ichiro’s 5 Greatest Mariners Moments

Number 4. Ichiro Robs Garret Anderson Homer

One of my fondest memories of Ichiro was when he confirmed his side hustle was as a web-slinging humanoid arachnid protecting the people of New York. Get it? He’s Spider-Man. Of course, I kid (but seriously, have you ever seen Ichiro and Spider-Man at the same time? Think about it).

Perhaps none of Ichiro’s acrobatic catches can top what he did to the Anaheim Angels on May 2nd, 2005. Trailing 1-0, Garrett Anderson, famed Mariner killer stepped to the plate and sent a Joel Pinero fastball deep into right field.

The ball had a high arch and Ichiro would have been able to camp under it, had the right-field fence been about 10 feet back. Alas, it was not, and all Ichiro could do was watch it sail into the stands. Or at least, that’s what most of us thought.

Instead, Ichiro shuffled his feet and leaped into the wall, scurrying up the fence in an attempt to make an incredible catch. But of course, nothing that hard gets done that easily, and Ichiro had a slight problem: the ball was actually not carrying as far as he thought.

A problem for most people, but not Ichiro, who calmly made an adjustment, and came down with the signature catch in his Mariners career.

In truth, picking just one Ichiro moment that showcases the glove is tough. How many highlight real catches are there to choose from? But for my money, this moment of pure athleticism and concentration takes the top spot. What do you think?