Yusei Kikuchi was about 9 years old when he went to his first professional baseball game to watch the Orix Blue Wave.
He was eager to see his idol, Ichiro, up close and in person. Of course, Ichiro would sign with the Mariners the next year, so Kikuchi wanted to witness his farewell tour in Japan.
Kikuchi never imagined he’d one day be playing alongside Ichiro and in the running to start one of the first two games for the Mariners, in Tokyo where Seattle has a two-game series March 20-21 against the Athletics.
“I was very anxious to watch (Ichiro) play in person,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter about attending that game 18 years ago.