I was watching a red sox game against Seattle and noticed Susuki was the only player who has his first name on the back of his team jersey what's up w/that?? Also does anyone know what the ''wild card'' race is??
2006-07-25 03:27:25 · 14 answers · asked by dawn h 1 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Because when Ichiro came to the Mariners he wanted to be known as Ichiro only. But most broadcasters and staduim announcers still call him Ichiro Suzuki.
2006-07-25 03:31:13 · answer #1 · answered by t4jramm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In Japanese custom, the first name is used on the back of the jersey, when he came to the US he wanted to keep it that way. Thats why it is his first name on his jersey. Any player can actually have anything he wants on his jersey.
The MLB PLayoffs consist of 8 teams, 4 from each league. Each league has 3 Divisions in it. The winners of the three divisions East, Central, and West, each make it into the playoffs along with one Wild Card Team. The Wild Card Team is the best team from all divisions combined that did not win their division.
2006-07-25 10:38:40 · answer #2 · answered by Ryan P 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Wild Card race is for the fourth playoff spot in each league. Each league has three divisions, and each division winner receives a spot in the playoffs. The Wild Card is the fourth playoff spot, and is given to the team that had the best record in the league but didn't win its division. Sometimes Wild Card winners have better records than winners of other divisions.
2006-07-25 10:34:49 · answer #3 · answered by Brian L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ichiro had his first name on his jersey when he played in Japan (where Suzuki is a very common name), and was granted permission by Bud Selig to do the same when he came to America.
The wildcard race is the race for the fourth playoff spot in the respective leagues. The division winners each get a spot, and the non-division-winner with the best record in each league gets that fourth spot.
2006-07-25 10:33:29 · answer #4 · answered by Craig S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ichiro was one of baseball's biggest stars in Japan before he came over to the US. He was known over there simply as "Ichiro" and I believe had "Ichiro" on his uniform. When he joined the Mariners, one condition he stipulated was that he be allowed to wear a uniform bearing "Ichiro"; the Mariners management agreed.
As for the wild card race, you can read about it at the link I've posted. Basically it gives some second-place teams a shot at the playoffs.
2006-07-25 10:34:09 · answer #5 · answered by kflaux1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a good question. I never really understood this myself. There's also a basketball player who does this, Yao Ming. He has Yao on the back of his jersey. Maybe it's a custom to have your first name on the back of your jersey.
The wild card race is just teams competing for the fourth playoff spot in the league. There's one in the AL and one in the NL.
2006-07-25 10:55:02 · answer #6 · answered by evie ♥'s her Dodgers 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ichiro is his last name.....in some asian cultures (including Japan) they have their surname first. Susuki is a comon name like John or Mike in Japan
2006-07-25 11:09:22 · answer #7 · answered by mattlenny 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
okay, in japan, i think, your first and last names are flip flopped, so ichiro is actually his last name and the wild card race is about going to the play offs. the winner of each division gets to go and then the next best team, only one, in all of the divisions is the wild card winner
2006-07-25 10:33:32 · answer #8 · answered by Jen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of people are wrong here. Ichiro is his first name, Suzuki is his last name.
And the answer about because his first name was on his jersey in Japan is correct. He wanted to keep it that way.
Wildcard - See this previous question.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Akl0zEJapcBuDReJDE1Y_YDsy6IX?qid=20060722045845AATXASg
2006-07-25 11:53:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because would u expect someone else to have ichiro on the back of his shirt
2006-07-26 17:05:46 · answer #10 · answered by christian v 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋