Unbreakable Records?

[Archive]

Posted By: Gary B.

Has anyone noticed what record Ichiro Suzuki is threatening this year?

It seems like every few years someone flirts with breaking George Sisler's 257 hits in a single season record. Even Ichiro's flirted with it before, but check this out:

After 123 games played by the Mariners, Ichiro has hit 199 hits. That means he's averaging about 1.623 hits per game. With 39 games left, at that rate, he'd hit 63.6 more hits, giving him 262 or 263.

I know keeping up that kind of average won't be easy, but it is late enough in the season where it's far from inconceivable. Naturally, he'll have to keep up this pace for a little while longer before the record becomes seriously threatened, since every time it looked like someone would beat it before, it never happened, but could this be the year? If anyone currently playing today could possibly beat this 84-year old record, it's Ichiro. He'll never hit the .407 average Sisler did that year, but he is a lead-off hitter who has been remarkably consistent. He'll be the only player ever to get 200 or more hits in each of their first 4 seasons in the major leagues.

His team this year has the 2nd worst record in the AL, yet he's 20 points ahead of anyone else in average. Ichiro has only missed 1 game this season, and he's consistently played almost every game of the season (159 last year), so barring major injury, he'll be playing likely every remaining game this year.

Since his team is doing so badly, and this is his fourth year, he's not in the spotlight close to the level he's been in the past. How long before the baseball world takes notice of this and starts paying really close attention? I know I'll be watching every day now to see what he does....