Ichiro! WTF YEAH!

Something about this makes me feel like this is some sort of elaborate prank being pulled on us all.

if its true, i think its a hoot.

I believe it. Ichiro really ####### likes to win games. He also is pretty clever about controlling language discourses. It's what a lot of the smart bilingual people I know do--instead of the dumbass move of being super-loud and arrogant about one's crappy level of expertise in the second language, they hide their ability and use it for maximum effect.

This is absolutely hysterical. I love Ichiro. Check this out.

"Ok Ichiro, got anything to say"

"I hope those National League ####### arouse the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of our souls, I plan to #### them until they love me. American Leaguers! Ready your spoons and prepare to eat, For tonight, we dine in hell! #### THEM NATIONAL LEAGUERS AND #### FUKUDOME!"

It's absolutely for real. Ichiro is quite fluent in English, he's just an extremely clever and deliberate guy when it comes to controlling his public image. I would give anything for a transcript.

EDIT: Aw man, Dave didn't even quote the best part of the article:

Ichiro was asked how much he believes the speech has contributed to the AL dominance that has stretched more than a decade now.

“I’ve got to say over 90 percent,” he said.

Sooooooooo not to be too big a nerd, but who can post a thread that we can use as an all-star game chatter?

Yes, I'm writing this in just about every thread. Sorry.

Can we just vote him into the HOF right now?
With everything he does, and how he does it, he's exactly the kind of player I want my kids (or kids' kids) to ask me about 40 years from now, just so I can tell the stories.

the link to him telling that joke to Costas is awesome. man is Ichiro fun.

My favorite story about the Torii Hunter catch in the 2002 All-Star Game was the supposed conversation in the OF afterwards:

Ichiro to Hunter: "Holy ####! You ####### caught that!"
Hunter to Ichiro: "Holy ####! You ####### speak English!"

With everything he does, and how he does it, he's exactly the kind of player I want my kids (or kids' kids) to ask me about 40 years from now, just so I can tell the stories.

You want your kid to marry a woman 8 years older than he is?

Confirmation Ichiro is f'ing awesome.

With everything he does, and how he does it, he's exactly the kind of player I want my kids (or kids' kids) to ask me about 40 years from now, just so I can tell the stories.

He's like Pete Rose, but without the thick coating of sleaze.

Left out of Passan's story - Ichiro then does a back flip, looks mischievously at his teammates and takes a bite out of an apple, or red pepper, whichever is handy.

With that, boy, I haven't it should calling. The large game was done. Your everyone. Large game.

As for me it presumes that you cannot expect that we win those by any means entirely. I something which I many years maintain at by my between the thing intend probably to mean thing.

Your none had known George Gipp. It was that directly before your time. But those where tradition is he in Notre Dame you have known.

And the last thing which he said to me. "Stone and " s for him, "You said; When the team it confronts that, the being broken eye has struck the boy, that you go out there, they victory for Gipper exactly call to occasionally those with entirely 1 profits. I don't As for me somewhere then whether it is, Stone and "You have known; As for him, " You said; But I know concerning that, it is happy.

You want your kid to marry a woman 8 years older than he is?

Yeah, I'm sure when he said 'I can't wait for my kids to ask me about this player,' what he really meant was, 'I want my kid to marry a woman 8 years older than he is.'

Obviously, he should give that same speech when he's asked to speak at elementary schools!

"You said; When the team it confronts that, the being broken eye has struck the boy, that you go out there, they victory for Gipper exactly call to occasionally those with entirely 1 profits. I don't As for me somewhere then whether it is, Stone and "You have known; As for him, "

It's been 15 minutes, and I still can't stop laughing at this.

I thought this was Ichiro's best line:

俳優の著作権制限案　自民、番組ネット配信促進狙い

However, when he said,

海外のゴルフツアーで外国の記者から英語で質問されたとき、通訳を介さずに堂々と英語で答えていた石川遼くん。実は遼くん、ツアー前にある英会話教材を聞いていたのです。その教材とは

he had me rolling in the aisles.

Bumped for Larry...

Ichiro has fancy plans. And pants to match.

Where did you get that golf story?