I'm starting to wonder if Ichiro is actually bringing us down as far as his skills being suited for small ball, and small ball not being the best choice in the era or streroids and home runs. I know the fans would revolt, but would letting him go or trading him be best for the team? He's an exciting player that everybody, including me, enjoys watching, but I'm not sure how much his brand of exciting wins in this era.
Ichiro is one of, if not THE best lead off guy ever. You need people to set the table, so that your HR guys can clear the table. Would you rather see Jr hit a solo HR or a big 3 run blast?
I'm not too sure about letting Ichiro walk. He's a guaranteed 200 hits and like Big Frame has stated, he's a top 3 leadoff guy of all time. He gets the job done, simple as that. Unless we're getting an ace or someone like Hanley in return....no thanks. To add to that notion, there's really no one else who can get on base at the rate that Ichiro can. Jose Lopez is much more suited for the #2 spot, and i'm not sold on Guttierez. Trading Ichiro is essentially tanking the season. No way. I think we got a shot at the division. Improbable? Yes. Impossible? No.
Ichiro does get his hits, but he has a low OBP for his batting average and he goes up to the plate and swings at the first pitch anywhere close to his reach. Often, he just gets a piece of it and uses his speed to beat it out for a hit. He can't do that forever. I agree that we don't currently have anybody who gets on base as much as him, but I think that says more about our other players and our GM of the past few years than it says about Ichiro. If we have a chance to win the division, I think it would be more about the other teams having problems than the Mariners playing great. I view the Mariners as being in the state of the Blazers a few years ago when Sabonis and Pippen retired and they decided to clean house but still try to trade for good players and win. The players were good, but they didn't play well as a team. The high priced players we brought in a few years ago didn't pan out quite like we hoped, so I think now is the time to rebuild with young players like the Blazers are doing now. If we can get a good piece or two, especially younger pieces, for some of our players, I think we should consider it.
