American League MVP Ichiro Suzuki returned to Japan for the first time in 11 months on Sunday after ending his stellar rookie season with the Seattle Mariners.
Suzuki, who arrived at Kansai International Airport with his wife Yumiko, was greeted by about 100 reporters and 11 television cameras as the 28-year-old star struggled to clear his way through the crowd with the help of four front-office staff from the Orix BlueWave, which owns Suzuki's management rights within Japan.
"I'm relieved to be back. It was good that I was able to fulfill my goal of becoming a major league player this year," Suzuki said at a press conference held immediately upon his arrival.
"I have not made plans (for the offseason) yet. But there are friends I'm looking forward to seeing and lots of Japanese food that I want to eat," said the winner of seven straight Pacific League batting crowns.
When asked if he had any advice for Japanese players hoping to join major league clubs in the future, Suzuki replied that it is "a big decision but one worth supporting," adding that there are no major differences between Japanese and American baseball except in the size of players.
The former Orix star and Gold Glove recipient finished the 2001 season with a league-high batting average of .350 with 242 hits, 69 RBIs, eight home runs and 56 stolen bases, while breaking the 90-year-old single-season record for hits by a rookie with his 234th hit on Sept. 29.
The Mariners finished the season by tying the major league record of 116 wins, but were defeated by the New York Yankees in five games in the AL championship series. The Yankees lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series.