Ichiro Suzuki retires to ovation after sparkling 27-year baseball career
(The Guardian Japan)

Japanese star plays final MLB game in packed Tokyo Dome45-year-old was a 10-time All-Star and fierce competitorIchiro Suzuki was showered with cheers and chants on Thursday night while taking his final bow in a magnificent career that lasted nearly three decades when the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4 in Tokyo.The 45-year-old Ichiro went 0 for 4 in the second game of the Major League Baseball season, which was being played in his home country of Japan. He got a chance at a storybook ending at the jammed Tokyo Dome when he came up with two outs, a runner on second base and a tie score in the eighth inning, but grounded out. Ichiro drew a huge ovation from fans and teammates when he was pulled from right field in the bottom of the eighth inning. The noise from the sellout crowd of 45,000 diminished after his exit. Related: Ichiro Suzuki: the secretive superstar who defied baseball`s steroid era There`s nothing like baseball. And no one like Ichiro. pic.twitter.com/MTtGlkgCOiIchiro and Kikuchi. pic.twitter.com/oeE9vATr2b Continue reading...