[Opinion] Ichiro’s Last Chance

Japanese baseball player Suzuki Ichiro took a shot at Korea recently, saying that he would show Korea that it can’t beat Japan for the next 30 years. But after losing the next two games against Korea, Ichiro was yelling with rage.

This is a reminder of what Japanese reporters said about the differences in character between Ichiro and Japanese baseball superstar Hideki Matsui. “Since his high school days, Matsui was a baseball star, and he would politely answer every question until every reporter was gone.” In contrast, Ichiro has a strong personality and can be difficult for reporters to deal with.

Ichiro is a supremely talented batter who won the batting title in seven consecutive seasons when he was playing in the Japanese league. In 2004, he also set the U.S. major league single season hit record with 262.

A diligent worker who always practices, his success story has even been included in middle school textbooks. But his popularity lags behind Matsui’s in Japan. Many call Matsui a young man of character and humble genius.

Being around the same age, these two players are different many ways. While Matsui is known as a good son, Ichiro’s uncomfortable relationship with his father is a well-known secret. In their respective hometowns there are baseball memorial halls dedicated to each of them, and one reporter joked, “One has to pay to get into Ichiro’s hall, while Matsui’s is free. That pretty much sums up their characters.”

Matsui, who is loved by the Japanese for his personality, has been put in a difficult spot by Japan’s consecutive losses in the World Baseball Classic. He did not join the Japanese team because his professional team, the New York Yankees, did not allow him, fearing that he might be injured.

Even without Matsui, the Japanese team has plenty of baseball players to choose from. As Korean baseball team skipper Kim In-shik has admitted, Japan possesses enough players to create two to three national teams on the same level with the current Korean team.

Nevertheless, Korea has won consecutive games against Japan with the same kind of spirit Admiral Yi had against Japan.

With the U.S. loss to Mexico and elimination from the tournament, Korea will play Japan again in the quarterfinals. Japan is preparing to make up for its humiliating losses. This match, with everything on stake, will be even tenser than the previous two. If the Korean team wins three times in a row, will Ichiro remove his hat and apologize to Korea?

Kim Chung-shik, Editorial Writer, skim@donga.com