1,501 in 1,060 games! Ichiro's at it AGAIN!

I know the M(ajor)L(eague)B(aseball) fad is recruiting Japanese pitchers... but don't dismiss the hitters... especially MLB's First Japanese Position player.
The small town 豊山町 (Toyohama), native 鈴木 一朗 (Suzuki, Ichiro) has been earning awards and setting records almost his entire Professional Baseball career.


Seattle's game on Sunday, July 29 against Oakland was no exception.
Ichiro (as he is often known) became the third fastest person to reach 1,500 hits as he scored a single off Lenny DiNardo during his 1,060th game.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau. Al Simmons (1,040) and George Sisler (1,048) reached the mark quicker, Ty Cobb is fourth at 1,070.
Ichiro finished 2/5 for the day.

Even long before Ichiro started with Seattle in 2001, he was gaining awards in Japan's Pacific League with the ORIX Blue Wave.
During his 9 seasons with Orix, Ichiro made 1,278 hits, was MVP from 1994-1996, received the Matsutaro Shoriki Award 1994 and 1995, and received both the Best Nine AND Golden Glove from 1994-2000.

Since his start with Seattle in 2001, Ichiro has been receiving Golden Gloves year after year, as well as becoming the second person EVER to receive both the MVP AND Rookie of the Year during his debut year.

2004 seemed to be Ichiro's Golden Year:
First person to hit 200 or more hits during each of their first 4 seasons
First person to have three 50 hit months in a season
His First time being named Player of the Month for August
Broke and set Modern MLB record with 225 singles in a season
Broke and set ALL TIME MLB record with 225 singles in a season
Broke and set record for hits on the road with 145
Broke and set MLB's record for most hits in ANY given 4 year span with total of 924
Broke MLB's record for most hits in a season and ended off with 262 hits

Ichiro is also the first MLB player to join the Golden Players Club and was named 2007 All Star Game MVP going 3/3 and hitting the first All Star Game in the park Home Run.

On July 13th, Ichiro signed a 5 year contract extension with Seattle valued at 90million USD. We'll be seeing a lot more of the "Human Batting Machine" and more records... I'm sure.

Sources: ESPN and Wikipedia