Ichiro Honored with Statue at Mariners' Stadium

Seattle, April 10 (Jiji Press)--Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki, the first Asian inducted into the U.S. National Baseball Hall of Fame, was honored with a statue unveiled at the Seattle Mariners' home stadium on Friday.

The statue depicts Ichiro in a familiar pose, with his right hand extended to the pitcher's side.

"It is a proof that something of me may remain in people's minds," the 52-year-old former player of the Seattle Mariners and other teams in the U.S. Major League Baseball said after the statue's unveiling ceremony, expressing his emotions. "It allows (me) to be remembered across generations."

His statue is located near the statues of Ken Griffey and Edgar Martinez, both former Mariners and Hall of Famers.

Ichiro attended the unveiling ceremony with his wife, Yumiko, and their dog.

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