"Baseball Is Just Baseball": The Understated Ichiro: An Unauthorized Collection Compiled by David Shields

By David Shields

Book Overview

A perspective-shifting and deeply pleasurable collection of wisdom from Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ichiro Suzuki

" Reveals] a person who values Zen qualities such as simplicity and harmony and who revels in challenge, not achievement."--ESPN online

When Ichiro Suzuki, already a superstar in Japan, debuted in Major League Baseball, his singular performance on the field introduced Americans to one of the greatest and most unique talents to ever play the game. But his unusually candid off-the-field comments captivated fans in equal measure, revealing a startling and provocative mind.

Curated by acclaimed nonfiction author David Shields, this little prize of a book collects some of Ichiro's greatest hits, showcasing his dry wit and penchant for distilling simple but profound ideas into unforgettable observations:

"I have no idea what it's going to be like playing in the majors this year. I can only imagine what it might be like, so I'll just have to experience it."

"Please don't think about the streak too hard. Someday it's going to be over and today's the day it's over."

"If I ever saw myself saying I'm excited going to Cleveland, I'd punch myself in the face, because I'm lying."

"Even if there are things that become somewhat stressful, I think they're interesting. Isn't it because of those things that I am able to be struck by the significance of being alive?"

Originally published in 2001 and updated in 2012 with a new introduction by David Shields, Baseball Is Just Baseball is a document of not only a popular athlete but an impressively thoughtful human being.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399164103
• ISBN13: 9780399164101
• Release Date: September 2012
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.4" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

He's Just Here for Baseball

This book, especially for Mariner fans, was a nice look at one of Seattle's most loved baseball players. The book holds a nice variety of quotes from various newspapers from the East coast to Japan. By reading this amusing and highly enjoyable book, the reader is able to learn a number of different things about Ichiro, such as his success in Japan to his struggles (not many, but some) in spring training. A nice touch to these quotes is that each time Ichiro speaks, his words are put in italics. This book portrays Ichiro as who he is: a man here to play baseball.

Great stocking stuffer

What a terrific way to find out about the inscrutable superstar! His batting average is matched by his efficiency with language. Even my 3-year old son enjoys the short quips in this book.

Another Hit

When Ichiro Suzuki signed with the Seattle Mariners, NHK Television, Japan's equivalent to PBS, in an unprecedented move, negotiated to broadcast not a few, as is the norm, but ALL of the Mariners games in 2001. (Even Hideo Nomo, a local hero in his own right, who went to the LA Dodgers, didn't receive this much broadcast coverage.) Now the two most watched baseball teams in the Land of the Rising Sun are the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants and the Seattle Mariners. As a long-time resident of Japan I have watched Ichiro make behind-the-back catches since he was in high school. I was amazed when, during one of the All-Star games (they play a series), Ichiro shifted from the outfield to the pitchers' mound and threw like he did such a thing every day.While friends and I attend a few games a season, I'm just not a big baseball fan...until Ichiro plays on TV. After-work cocktails with "the boys" more often than not starts with someone asking, "Did you see what Ichiro did today?" Expletive-deleted comments are usually centered around "unbelievable!" Now these sessions include "Baseball is Just Baseball".Ichiro is a hero to all of us here in Japan and this book shows, beyond the remarkable playing skills, why. In a time when big bats are usually accompanied by big mouths, Ichiro shows the world that it just doesn't have to be that way.Great reading and here's hoping David Shields can put out a new volume every year.

The Rookie's MVB

I have never been a 'die-hard' baseball fan till this year when Ichiro stepped up to the plate. He put the fun back into baseball. Thanks to David Shields we now have an idea of just how much fun Ichiro is having as a baseball player. This book of Ichiro's quotes on baseball- from lighthearted and whimsical to thought-provoking words of wisdom- can be applied to our everyday life. This is a must-have book for any baseball fan. You'll want to share this one with your friends.