Ichiro Stories: A Seattle Mariners legend in catcher’s gear

With the Seattle Mariners retiring the No. 51 in honor of new Baseball Hall of Fame member Ichiro Suzuki before Saturday’s 6:40 p.m. game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Sports’ Shannon Drayer filmed five different stories at various spots in the ballpark from her time covering Ichiro as a Mariners insider. Here’s a look at the fourth story.

Not every story that Seattle Sports’ Shannon Drayer has about Ichiro Suzuki comes from his playing career.

Ever since Ichiro played his last game in a Seattle Mariners uniform in 2019, he’s been a fixture on the field before M’s games. It would easy to mistake him for still being an active player, but he does more than play catch and take the occasional swing. Ultimately, he’s there to help.

Drayer: Ichiro shows wisdom, gratitude, humor in HOF speech

One example really stands out to Drayer.

During the pandemic, Ichiro spent time with players working their way back from injury. In one case, he even got down into a crouch to catch a rehabbing pitcher. But anything worth doing is worth doing well, especially for Ichiro.

So what happened next? Ichiro got himself a full set of catcher’s gear. Whatever it takes to help the team.

For the full story, watch the video in this post.

Ichiro Suzuki went the extra mile to be more helpful to the M's players during the pandemic season.

Go inside the unique legacy of Ichiro's Hall of Fame #Mariners career ALL WEEK w/ Shannon Drayer leading up to his number retirement ceremony this Saturday night. #IchiroHOF pic.twitter.com/M0KKuLnFWb

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) August 7, 2025

Look for more Ichiro Stories from Shannon Drayer this week here on the site, or click here for the full video of all five installments on the Seattle Sports YouTube channel.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Cal Raleigh’s clutch blast gives M’s 3-2 win over Rays
• Colt Emerson shows off glove, bat in Double-A debut
• Mariners Injuries: Good news on Naylor, Raley, Miller and Robles
• Jon Morosi sees a clear turning point in Mariners’ season
• Ichiro’s Hall of Fame plaque making rare trip to Mariners’ T-Mobile Park

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