TOKYO — This was his moment, but they had to be a part of it, knowing what it meant to him and to baseball.
Ichiro’s teammates couldn’t ignore his somewhat abrupt, if expected, retirement Thursday after the Mariners’ final game in Japan. And their fondness for the 45-year-old legend made it a night celebrate, not lament.
After Ichiro’s emotional and applause-filled exit between the top and bottom of the eighth inning — and Seattle’s 5-4 win in 12 innings — his teammates followed him into a small media setup near their clubhouse in the Tokyo Dome, where he officially announced his retirement.