Ichiro Suzuki

Ironically, Suzuki's phenomenal success in Major League Baseball may well eventually help to undermine the pro game in Japan that gave him his start. Los Angeles Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn told Sports Illustrated that approximately three dozen of Japan's best players could end up playing in the major leagues. Colborn, a former Mariners director of Pacific Rim scouting who coached in Japan, said the likely loss of such top players as Seibu Lions shortstop Kazuo Matsui, Kintetsu Buffalos third baseman Norihiro Nakamura, and Yomiuri Giants centerfielder Hideki Matsui to the MLB threatens to turn Japanese baseball into a farm system for MLB. Even Japanese baseball fans are increasingly turning their attention to American baseball. Former Blue Wave general manager Steve Inow told Sports Illustrated: "Every day, people [in Japan] are watching major league baseball games, and short term, that's not so good for us. These are difficult times. Japanese baseball is at a turning point. Which way do we go?"

In his second season with the Mariners, Suzuki slipped slightly from the stellar performance of his debut year, but only slightly. His batting average fell to.321 from .350 in 2001. Suzuki's hits in 2002 totaled 208, down from 242 in 2001. Although the total number of Mariners selected to play in the 2002 All-Star Game was down sharply—from eight to three—from the previous year, Suzuki led the major leagues in the total number of votes received. More than 2.5 million votes were cast for the Seattle rightfielder. He was joined by fellow Mariners Freddy Garcia and Kazuhiro Sasaki, both pitchers. Interviewed by the Associated Press only days before the game on July 9, Suzuki said, "I'm a little bit excited knowing I'm going to be in that event again. I've been around a year and a half, and the votes I got this year are a different quality of votes."