Miami Marlins’ Ichiro Suzuki swings and hits a triple off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chris Rusin in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016 in Denver. The hit was the 3,000th in his Major League career. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Miami Marlins’ Ichiro Suzuki swings and hits a triple off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chris Rusin in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016 in Denver. The hit was the 3,000th in his Major League career. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Ichiro Suzuki gets 3,000th career hit in major leagues

Ichiro notches milestone hit

  • The Associated Press
  • Monday, August 8, 2016 1:30am
  • Sports

DENVER — Ichiro Suzuki tripled off the wall for his 3,000th career hit in the major leagues Sunday, becoming the 30th player to reach the milestone.

The 42-year-old Marlins outfielder did it in the seventh inning against Colorado at Coors Field. He joined Paul Molitor as the only players whose 3,000th hit was a triple.

Miami players came out of the dugout to congratulate Suzuki, and he waved his helmet to acknowledge the cheers.

Hitting coach Barry Bonds gave him a hug as the celebration at third base ended, and Suzuki got another round of applause when he scored on Jeff Mathis’ single, as well as a hug from manager Don Mattingly.

Suzuki gave the crowd a wave as he went into the dugout. He batted again in the ninth and drew a walk.

Suzuki was hitless in his first three at-bats of the game before the big hit against Chris Rusin.

The Japanese star launched a long drive to right field that carried just beyond the reach of leaping Gerardo Parra. Suzuki breezed into third standing up.

Suzuki is in his 16th season in the majors. He got 1,278 hits while playing nine years in Japan before becoming the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP with Seattle in 2001.

Suzuki was greeted with cheers every time he came to bat. He struck out in the first inning, hit a comebacker in the third and grounded out to short in the fourth.

At 42 years, 290 days he is the second-oldest player by three days over Ricky Henderson to reach the milestone. Only Cap Anson, who was 45 when he got his 3,000th hit in 1897, was older.

“Congratulations to my friend and teammate Ichiro on joining the 3,000-hit club,” former Yankees star Derek Jeter said in a statement.

“I was fortunate to have both the pleasure of competing against him and the honor of playing alongside him. Baseball is more than a game to him, it is a craft, which he works at tirelessly with intense discipline.”

Suzuki got his 2,999th hit Saturday night as a pinch-hitter. He stayed in the game and grounded out in the ninth.

Suzuki played for Seattle until getting traded to the Yankees during the 2012 season.

“Prior to Ichiro’s first game for the Mariners in 2001, the late Pancho Ito, a Japanese baseball broadcaster and historian, said, ‘He is a genius with the bat.’ Mr. Ito was absolutely correct,” Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln said in a statement.

“A tip of the Mariners cap to Ichiro,” he said.

More in Sports

Dom Sprague, Crescent football.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Dom Sprague, Crescent football

Crescent senior Dom Sprague left it all on the field in his… Continue reading

Peninsula College women's soccer players Desiree Dutra (No. 16), Ellise Maffeo and Risa Nishida (No. 5) all celebrate Maffeo's goal at the end of the first half in the NWAC quarterfinals Saturday at Wally Sigmar Field. Maffeo's goal was the only score of the game in a 1-0 Peninsula win. (Jay Cline/Peninsula College)
WOMEN’S SOCCER: Peninsula women win quarterfinals with defense, goalkeeping

The Peninsula College women’s soccer team was probably a… Continue reading

Peninsula College's Austin Collins battles Tacoma's Porter Herbig (No. 4) and goalkeeper Leif Hunter for a loose ball in the NWAC quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at Walley Sigmar Field. Collins scored two goals in a 3-0 win. (Jay Cline/Peninsula College)
PREP SOCCER: Peninsula men overcome injury, persevere to shut out Tacoma

The Peninsula College men’s soccer team, ranked No. 1… Continue reading

Crescent's Dom Sprague (No. 14) gained 312 yards rushing against North Beach on Friday night in Forks in the Loggers' 48-14 win. (Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News)
1B PREP FOOTBALL: Crescent ends season on high note with a win

The Crescent Loggers football team didn’t get the opportunity to… Continue reading

STATE CROSS COUNTRY: East Jefferson boys finish seventh in the state

The East Jefferson boys cross-country team finished seventh in the… Continue reading

PREP DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL: Sequim falls short of qualifying for state

The Sequim volleyball team got seed lower than it expected… Continue reading

Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News
Quilcene's Mason Iverson leaps over his would-be Oakville Acorn tackler and runs for a first down in the first quarter of a Class 1B Quad District winner-to-state-game played under the lights on Friday in Port Townsend.
PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: Quilcene romps; Sequim and Forks fall

The Quilcene Rangers football team found the Acorns to… Continue reading