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With a slap single off Blue Jays starter R. John Randle Jersey .A. Dickey, Ichiro Suzuki joined one of baseballs most exclusive groups: the 4,000 hit club. Ichiro joined only Pete Rose (4,256) and Ty Cobb (4,189) as the only men in the history of professional baseball to reach the plateau, reaching the milestone in his 2,981st professional game. TSN.ca Baseball Editor Shane McNeil presents five reasons why Ichiros achievement deserves the recognition it has received. 1. Its the numbers that matter, not the details. While some might argue an asterisk for those Ichiro accrued in the Japanese Professional League, those arguments must also be tempered by a couple facts. Ichiro has registered more hits in Major League Baseball than any player in the first 13 years of his MLB career (2,722), eclipsing Paul Waners 2,648. The fact that he did not start his MLB career cannot and should not be held against him, since he was born and trained in Japan and naturally started his career. Ichiro has more hits from the age of 27 onward than the two men ahead of him which makes this achievement all the more astounding. Most players best years are prior to their 30th birthday. Ichiro did the majority of his work as a pro after that milestone. Moreover, Ichiro was actually registering fewer at-bats per season in Japan than he would have in North America. His highest single-season AB total with Orix was his 546 in 1994. His lowest single-season total with Seattle was 647 in 2002. While Ichiros Japanese averages were substantially higher than most of his MLB single-season totals (a .353 career mark vs. .320 in MLB), the greater number of at-bats means that had Ichiro been even a .300 hitter in the MLB he would have registered 200 hits per season, as opposed to the 180 or so he averaged in Japan. Call the Nippon Professional Baseball League inferior all you like, it only masks the reality that had Ichiro started in North America in 1995 – three years after his Japanese career began – he would still be at 4,000 today, health permitting. 2. Baseball needs something to be proud of. Whenever the “Steroid Era” is mentioned in connection to baseball, a few faces spring to mind. Perhaps its Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Perhaps its Jose Canseco or a younger Alex Rodriguez with the Texas Rangers. Maybe its Ryan Braun. The steroid problem in the Majors did not end with the Mitchell Report, nor is it likely to end with Biogenesis. However, what the Steroid Era has achieved is calling into question virtually every major landmark and achievement over the past 25 or so years, give or take a Cal Ripken. With Ichiros 4,000th hit – many of which never even left the infield – baseball has something to be proud of and its primarily based around one of the most elementary skills: Legging one out to first. 3. It allows MLB to celebrate one of its underappreciated greats. Ichiro has never been a spotlight hog, nor has he been a particularly flashy player. A wise man once wrote, “This... is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball.” Ichiro did all three better than just about any player of his generation. While his 110 home runs wont win him any MVP votes, he managed a decade of achievement that is almost unparalleled in the most basic of baseball skills. Between 2001 and 2010, Ichiro never finished lower than seventh in the American League batting race, hitting .310 or better every single season. Over that same span he finished in the top 10 in stolen bases every season, winning 10 Gold Gloves over that span and was selected to 10 All-Star Games. Ichiro has played baseball in its purest sense better than the majority of his opposition as a Major Leaguer and – apart from his rookie season – drew surprisingly little attention to himself in the process. If he plays another two or three seasons in North America, there may well be a celebration for his passage of Rose and Cobb on the hit list. But he may not, so why not take the opportunity to celebrate the man and his achievement? 4. Its rare nowadays to see a true trailblazer at work. Ichiro was not the first Japanese player to hit North America, nor will he be the last. That said, he will undoubtedly be the first to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and will likely do so on the first ballot. Ichiro was not faced with the obstacles of being the first, like Jackie Robinson, but he is the first Japanese player and certainly the first Japanese hitter to have such a career. It is time to start thinking of Ichiro in the same vein as Roberto Clemente, his humanitarianism and martyrdom notwithstanding? Clemente was not the first Latin American ballplayer to hit MLB, but he was the first to become a true force in the game and has since carried the flag for the majority of the subsequent ballplayers to flood the Majors from the Caribbean. Will Ichiro open a similar floodgate for Japanese and Asian players to gain better prominence in MLB? Maybe not to the same extent as the close Caribbean cultures, but its not a stretch to think that Yu Darvish has Ichiro to thank at least in part for his current success and celebrity. 5. He may not be done yet. Ichiro may well be in his final act in the Majors, but there is no way to know for certain. A quiet man by nature, Ichiro has made no allusions toward retirement any time soon, nor has he hinted about a possible return to Japan. At 39, Ichiro is two years younger than Cobb was at the time of his retirement and a full six years younger than Rose in his final season as a player. Its not out of the realm of possibility to play two more seasons and should he do so he still has both men to pass, as well as the incredible milestone of possibly reaching 3,000 hits in the majors – an asterisk-less achievement if ever there was one. He is also still yet to play a World Series game, so a competitor of his stature could also be holding out to win a Championship before calling it a career. Either way, the man still has plenty to play for. Authentic Anthony Barr Jersey . 1, meaning problems for the doping controls at both major international sports events next year. The World Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended the Moscow Antidoping Center on Sunday, saying its operations must improve or a six-month ban on the facilitys accreditation will be imposed. Anthony Barr Vikings Jersey . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. http:///...ater-Vikings-Jersey/ .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre.MONCTON, N.B. -- It was an impressive CFL debut for rookie Brett Lauther. The native of Truro, N.S., booted four field goals -- including two in the decisive fourth quarter -- as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Montreal Alouettes 28-26 on Saturday. Hamilton had placed Lauther on its practice roster after selecting the former Saint Marys Huskies kicker in the seventh round of the 2013 CFL draft. But he was promoted to the active roster to replace incumbent Luca Congi, who was benched after missing two field goals in last weekends 26-22 loss to Calgary. Lauther made good on his opportunity, making all four of his attempts. "I dont care about the stats," he said. "We got the win, thats all I really care about. "It was extra special that family and friends were in the crowd." Hamilton coach Kent Austin was definitely impressed with the rookie kicker but not surprised. "He has a past of making big kicks," Austin aid. "Thats kind of his M.O." Hamilton rallied for the victory by outscoring Montreal 15-7 in the fourth. Dan LeFevours one-yard TD run anchored the rally, which also included Lauthers field goals and a safety. The Ticats (6-6) erased a 19-13 third-quarter deficit en route to moving four points ahead of third-place Montreal (4-8) in the East Division standings. Hamilton improved to 2-0 at Moncton Stadium after downing Calgary 56-36 in 2011. LeFevours TD put the Ticats ahead 22-19 and was set up by Louie Richardsons recovery of Tyron Carriers fumble on a punt return. Hamilton quarterback Henry Burris appeared in his second Touchdown Atlantic game. Burris finished 15-of-27 for 176 yards and an interception as the Ticats earned their fifth win in seven games. "I think weve been improving and really thats all we really focus on. " Austin said. "They play with great effort and have a ton of fight in them." Montreal made it interesting as Josh Neiswander found Duron Carter on a 27-yard TD strike - Neiswanders second of the game - with under a minute remaining. But Hamilton recovered the onside kickoff to cement the victory. Neiswander was 26-of-36 passing for 294 yards with no interceptions. Prior to Saturdays game, the Alouettes placed rookie Tanner Marsh (thumb) on the nine-game injured list, joining veteran Anthony Calvillo (concussion) to solidify Neiswanders status as Montrreals clear-cut starter. Fran Tarkenton Vikings Jersey. Jim Popp, Montreals GM and interim head coach, said Neiswander played well. "Hes got a real sense of running our offence," Popp said. "We did things to simplify our offence. "I thought this was one of our better games at sustaining drives." Despite the loss, Popp found some positive in the game. "The final score wasnt good but there was a lot of good in the game," he said. "Maybe the first game this year that we didnt turn the ball over on offence." Troy Smith and S.J. Green scored Montreals touchdowns. Sean Whyte added a convert and two field goals. Montreal opened the third impressively, with Smith, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State, scoring on a one-yard TD run to put the Alouettes ahead 16-13 as the convert was blocked. After Lauther opened the scoring in the first, Montreal took a 7-3 lead when Neiswander found Green on a 33-yard TD strike to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive with the wind. Lauthers 40-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter staked Hamilton to a 13-10 halftime lead. The Ticats opened the frame with the wind advantage and used a little razzle-dazzle to take a 10-7 advantage. Hamilton lined up for the field goal but after taking the snap, new holder Andy Fantuz flipped the ball to Beswick, who rumbled 10 yards for the TD. Usually on converts, punter Josh Bartel holds for the Ticats. Popp said he saw the play coming but the Alouettes still couldnt stop it. "We were yelling and screaming,"he said. "When theyre that far down there and its only five yards to get a first down, they may take a chance." Austin said the Ticats have been practising the fake for some time but were waiting for the perfect time to use it. "It wasnt a sure thing, we had to execute it," he said. "We wanted it to be close, we didnt want to do it on a 43 or a 47-yarder." Montreals defence held Hamilton to 288 total yards but the Ticats won the special-teams battle. Alouettes linebacker Chip Cox, the CFLs leading tackler, had seven tackles and an interception. NOTES: Cris Carter, the Pro Football Hall of Fame member and former Minnesota Vikings star, was on hand to watch his son, Duron, play for Montreal . . . With Marsh on the injured list, Montreal signed quarterback Nathan Enderle from Idaho. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '