He's not going to hit home runs, but every time he singles, it could be a double just because of his speed. It is also a big deal to Suzuki, who came to the great Northwest with so very much riding on his narrow shoulders. Asian pitchers may have staked a claim to the mounds of Major League Baseball a while ago, but many big league scouts have long had doubts about position players, whom they feared would be unable to stand up to 95 mph fastballs. Shinjo, however, is more flash than finesse, a bench player whose time in the outfield this spring has been mainly due to injuries on New York's roster. Suzuki is the real deal, the best Japan has to offer.
Every day is something new.
You have to study everything. But I like this very much. Language barrier or not, it is clear that Suzuki is having fun, both on the field and off. Adjusting to living in the United States has been relatively easy for him, although he does miss his dog, which had to stay in Japan for quarantine reasons, and he's not quite sure why his teammates like to eat so much pizza. He prefers instead to nibble on the rice balls his wife prepares, a delicacy that for a few days in spring training drew the interest of his fellow players, until they discovered the bits of eel that are sometimes packed inside.