Quotes from Ichiro Suzuki

When you retire from baseball, you have until the day you die to rest.

Seattle has always been home.

You should seek approval from yourself.

I like things that other people don't have. I like to be different from others.

Some people enjoy taking a light stroll in the morning and that gives them relief and that sort of feeling. That is what I gain by practicing, by swinging the bat.

As professionals we have a responsibility of providing a good show for the fans. Getting hits and home runs is what they want to see.

When people get placed upon a pedestal - when they start chasing after that person on the pedestal - they become mannequin-like.

I collect autographed major-league baseballs.

When I'm being interviewed, presumably it's because people want to know how I feel about something or what my motivation is, not because they want to hear what I sound like in English. I wouldn't be true to the task if I responded in my unrefined English.

It's very tough for a ballplayer to get proud and keep his dignity.

I think there's sexiness in infield hits because they require technique.

If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice.

The Japanese have a strong tendency to suppress their own feelings. That's the Japanese character. They kill their own emotions.

We have to connect to our fans through the media, and when you talk about that, it's got to come from your heart. And when it comes from your heart, it has to be absolutely consistent. There's a big risk you take without an interpreter because, as professional baseball players, we are here to perform baseball, not to learn a language.

Personally, I don't like the term 'success.' It's too arbitrary and too relative a thing. It's usually someone else's definition, not yours.

If I ever saw myself saying I'm excited going to Cleveland, I'd punch myself in the face because I'm lying.

I love how the Mariners function as a team. That feeling is important to me.

As long as the ball is thrown by a human being, I have the confidence to hit any pitch, no matter how fast it comes.

There's not much difference between love and hate.

My father was just an amateur; my mother is not even an athlete herself.

For me, if I stay on the couch all day - or even one day - I'll be more tired doing that than going out and giving my body a workout.

Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me.

Many people have this image of me. For a long time, I cared about that.

I feel like I should be more in touch with the nuances of this game.