Vital Statistics:
Born: October 22, 1973
Hometown: Kasugai, Japan
Height: 5-9
Weight: 170
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Family: Wife, Yumiko
Primary position: Center field
Before The Bigs:
- Is one of the greatest hitters in Japanese baseball history, hitting .353 in seven seasons with the Orix Blue Wave.
- Won seven Pacific League gold gloves and three consecutive MVP awards in Japan.
- Led the Blue Wave to their first Pacific League pennant in 12 years in 1995, winning his second batting title by hitting .342 with 25 home runs, 80 RBIs and 49 stolen bases.
- Hit .387 in 2000, his final season in Japan, and the Seattle Mariners paid a bid of roughly $13 million for negotiating rights. He signed a three-year, $14 million contract and became the first Japanese position player in the majors.
- Won AL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001, when he hit .350 with 56 stolen bases for the Mariners, who tied a major-league record with 116 regular-season wins. Had 242 hits, the most by any player since 1930.
- Set a major-league record with 262 hits in 2004, breaking a record set by George Sisler in 1920. Won his second batting title (.372).
- Won Gold Gloves every season from 2001-06.
- Was first or second in the AL in hits in each of his first six seasons.
- Set a major-league record with 41 consecutive steals without being caught on May 3, 2007.
- A six-time All-Star entering the 2007 season.
- MVP of the 2007 All-Star Game, hitting the only inside-the-park home run in the game's history.
- Accumulated his 3,000th career hit (combined Japan and MLB) on July 29, becoming the youngest player to amass 3,000 "major league" hits.
- Amassed more than 200 hits for the ninth consecutive season in 2009, breaking a record held by "Wee Willie" Keeler from 1894-91.
