Ichiro hits home run in potential final at-bat in Seattle (Video)

In what may be Ichiro’s final game at Seattle, he hit the first pitch he saw for a home run in his final at-bat.

Ichiro Suzuki, a member of the Seattle Mariners for 11 seasons, returned to Safeco Field for what potentially could have been his final game in front of the Seattle faithful.

With no outs and no one on, Ichiro connected with the first pitch he saw from Evan Marshall for a solo home run in his final at-bat. It was the 115th career home run for the 43-year-old Miami Marlins outfielder and the first against his former team.

https://twitter.com/Marlins/status/854835676621230084

Fans gave Ichiro a standing ovation as he rounded the bases and was mobbed by his teammates and coaches when he returned to the dugout.

There has been plenty of fanfare surrounding this series as the Mariners pulled out the red carpet on Monday to celebrate his passing of the 3,000-hit mark, becoming only the 30th person in MLB history to do so.

Ichiro was quoted in the Miami Herald saying, ““It’s been so long that I could’ve been forgotten,” Ichiro said. “For them to do that for me, I’m very thankful. It reaffirms that this is a special place.”

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I will say, it certainly is hard to forget the man that acquired 10 All-Star honors in 11-plus seasons with the Mariners but that does not define him. Ichiro really does hold a special place in the hearts of Mariners fans and fans of baseball alike for his longevity and dedication to his craft.

While there definitely could be another chance for Mariners fans to see Ichiro play again — he doesn’t plan on retiring until he is 50 — it truly was a special moment to see Ichiro go yard in his old stomping grounds in front of his loyal fans.