Still unsure exactly what to expect from the Japanese newcomer, Lou Piniella kept waiting for the rookie to pull a ball. Andrew Luck Jersey . Too many hits sprayed to left field, Sweet Lou thought, too easy for defenses to adjust.So the veteran Seattle manager summoned the translator and told him to deliver a message to Ichiro Suzuki: I want to see some bat speed.Piniella saw them huddle in the dugout and share a laugh. A couple of innings later, Suzuki led off with a home run into the bullpen in right-center.He rounds the bases, he steps on home plate, and he says, `Happy now? when he shook my hand, Piniella recalled. I said, `Yeah, yeah, you can do whatever you want.All these years later, with Suzuki on the verge of joining the 3,000-hit club in the big leagues, his first skipper in the majors is taking a lot of pride in watching the pursuit. As much as Piniella believed in Suzuki from the start and was in awe of those early accomplishments with the Mariners, he never would have guessed the outfielder would still be playing at age 42 and going for such a lofty perch.Suzuki hit .335 with a .412 on-base percentage in 164 at-bats over the first half with Miami. He reached 2,991 hits Friday night with a pinch single in the eighth inning of the Marlins 7-6 victory at St. Louis in the return from the All-Star break.Now gray-haired and no longer a regular in his 16th major league season, Suzuki might have lost a step, but not much. Credit his commitment to an intense regimen that has long included an on-deck routine that features a deep warmup squat, then a one-of-a-kind stance and a sweeping twirl of his bat.Suzuki was 27 and had 1,278 hits in Japan before he came to the big leagues. Piniella got so excited after Suzukis two-hit debut in 2001 that he kissed him.I was so happy for him, thats why, Piniella said. Its hard for a player to come here from Japan, especially with the scrutiny that he had. Im an emotional guy. I got caught up in the moment. I gave him a hug and at the same time I gave him a little peck. Look, I really enjoyed watching this young man play and I knew from seeing him in spring training that he was a special player.At the time, Suzuki did not come cheaply. Seattle paid $13 million just to secure his rights, and signed him to a three-year, $14 million contract. The Mariners got their moneys worth and then some.Suzuki, better known just by his first name, has long prided himself in preparation.So much so that Piniella had been around no other player like him, with that meticulous stretching before stepping into the batters box to the foot rubdowns he gave himself at his locker with a small wooden tool before and after games.I had never seen it, quite frankly. I was quite amazed by the things that he did, the stretching especially, Piniella said. Here in the United States, we go through a rigorous spring training, but once the season starts prior to the games we have our stretching exercises and then the kids play.He took it to a totally different level. He was fanatical about that and thats probably one of the big reasons that hes playing here at age 42, he said.That first season was a memorable one for many reasons. The Mariners won an AL-record 116 games, clinching the division shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Yet Seattle failed to reach the World Series, losing in five games of the AL Championship Series to the Yankees.Still, Suzuki won AL Rookie of the Year and MVP. Suzukis ability to beat out infield hits at times left Piniella shaking his head.He did have a special year. The team had a special year that year, Piniella said. We won 116 games and Ichiro was a big part of it. Ichiro was a special player. He had really good speed, he had that uncanny ability to put the ball in play. In the outfield, he played as well as you can expect, great throwing arm. He made the adjustment to American baseball very quickly, became one of the leaders in our clubhouse and was accepted by the players. He had a tremendous impact on our team that year.Hes going for his 3,000th hit now, and Im so proud of him. Hes had just a wonderful career. I look forward to the time when hell be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he said.Some of the most memorable hits by the 10-time All-Star didnt even count.In 2007, Suzuki hit the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star game history, winning unanimous MVP honors and helping the American League to a 5-4 victory at San Franciscos AT&T Park with a go-ahead, two-run drive that took a crazy bounce off the right-field wall.Hed never hit an inside-the-park homer during his decorated career in Japan.Hes an amazing guy, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. You just take age out of the equation and if you just looked at him as a player, if you evaluated just what you see, not thinking about age, you see a guy that runs above average, plays all three outfield spots, throws above average, hits lefties and righties.His work habits and everything else, for me, just set him apart.---AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York contributed to this report. Erik Walden Youth Jersey . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. T.Y. Hilton Youth Jersey . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. http://www.nflcoltsgearsshop.com/TY-Hilton.html?cat=886 . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. CHICAGO -- Trade rumors are swirling this time of year in baseball, but Chicago White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana said he is avoiding the hysteria.The All-Star is scheduled to start Sundays series finale against the Detroit Tigers after the teams resume their 3-3 game that was suspended after eight innings Saturday night due to rain. The Tigers (51-46) will be trying for a four-game sweep.Quintana is focused on his current situation.I dont pay attention to that, Quintana said Saturday about trade rumblings. I dont have control over that.Quintana (8-8, 3.13 ERA) and teammate Chris Sale have been the subject of trade rumors for the fading White Sox (46-50), who have lost three straight and eight of nine and were seven games back in the wild card race.Quintana has allowed six combined runs in winning three consecutive starts. He gave up five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings June 5 in his other start against Detroit this season.I want to stay here, Quintana said. I like it here, and I want to win here. And Im here. Im here for now.Among other potential distractions, the White Sox are also dealing with a clubhouse incident involving Sale. He was scratched from Saturdays start against the Tigers and sent home.Im not going to get into that, manager Robin Ventura said. I just know hes not going to pitch (Sunday).For Detroit, right-hander Anibal Sanchez (5-11, 6.60 ERA) is scheduled to start. He struck out 10 and allowed three runs in six innings Tuesday against the last-place Minnesota Twins. Sanchez is 2-6 with a 5.26 ERA in 10 careerr appearances against the White Sox. Peyton Manning Jersey. With injured players such as starting pitchers Daniel Norris and Jordan Zimmermann and outfielder J.D. Martinez nearing returns from the disabled list, the Tigers are expected to be quiet before the Aug. 1 trade deadline. The Tigers were 5 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central and 2 1/2 games back in the wild card race. General manager Al Avila thinks his team can reach the playoffs.What were really focusing on is trying to get the guys that are injured back and playing, Avila said. Those are going to be our major acquisitions.Norris, who has been on the disabled list since July 5 for a strained right oblique, made a rehab outing Saturday for Triple-A Toledo. After Zimmermann pitches Sunday for Toledo, the Tigers will evaluate whether he needs another rehab outing, Avila said. Zimmermann has been on the disabled list since July 1 for a strained right neck.I dont foresee us adding another starting pitcher or reliever at this point, Avila said. We put this team together in the wintertime thinking this team is the team thats going to compete and get us into the playoffs, and were going to stay that course. At this point, we dont really want to, in addition to that, trade away our good, young prospects for a two-month rental. 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