Shella Franco often hears people talking about Barry Bonds. But she didn’t hear the news of Ichiro Suzuki breaking Major League Baseball’s single-season hits record last week.

“It sucks that the media disregards that kind of news. They just concentrate on Barry Bonds and other players,” said Franco. “If you are Asian or Asian-American, it is just a little tiny portion of the news they talk about, but the big news is something else.”

Ichiro plays for the Mariners and is the only Major League Baseball player whose first name is printed on the back of his jersey.

With 262 base hits this season, on Oct. 1 Ichiro broke legendary hitter George Sisler’s 1920, 257 hits record. Several faculty members and SF State students responded to Ichiro’s achievement.

SF State’s baseball head coach, Matt Markovich, thinks that Ichiro’s accomplishment and play has helped baseball in the United States evolve.
“He is a prolific player. There is nothing negative about him,” said Markovich. “[Our] players love to see someone succeed, whoever they are. Seeing him break the great record makes them want to succeed.”

AJ Biama, the leadoff man in the Gators’ lineup, admires Ichiro for the job he has done as a leadoff hitter.

“Race doesn’t matter. It’s a great record no matter who you are,” said the 21-year-old junior in criminal justice, who played baseball in Vallejo with C.C. Sabathia, a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians.