Quotes by Robert Whiting

“Ichiro does train harder than anyone else. Thats true. But if you look closely at him now, compared to 10-11 years ago, you see a big difference. He went from looking like a 12-year-old to an adult.”

“As a New York-based sports editor put it to me,”

“He has this exuberance about him that translates into great results,”

“Youve got loggers and fishermen in Seattle who didnt know what sushi was a decade ago, eating it at the ballpark and wearing headbands with kanji [Japanese characters] on them, ... Thats quite a transformation. Ichiro is the one who is responsible for that shift.”

“The NPB [Nippon Professional Baseball] is somewhere between the MLB and AAA [in ability],”

“All of his games -- including exhibition and intra-squad games -- were telecast nationwide, ... It was this that gave the Japanese their first real solid look at the way Americans play ball. They saw how accepting the Americans were, and decided that maybe they could act the same way.”

“All of his games -- including exhibition and intra-squad games -- were telecast nationwide. It was this that gave the Japanese their first real solid look at the way Americans play ball. They saw how accepting the Americans were, and decided that maybe they could act the same way.”

“The NPB [Nippon Professional Baseball] is somewhere between the MLB and AAA [in ability].”

“Youve got loggers and fishermen in Seattle who didnt know what sushi was a decade ago, eating it at the ballpark and wearing headbands with kanji [Japanese characters] on them. Thats quite a transformation. Ichiro is the one who is responsible for that shift.”

“I - and I think many other observers - thought Ichiro would be the one to say no and Hideki would say yes. I think hes grateful to (George) Steinbrenner for the new contract and the confidence in him. He feels more of an obligation to Steinbrenner than he does to Japan. Its not about the money, its about the vote of confidence. I think he thought it would be rude to leave the team in spring training. If he hadnt just signed the contract, maybe he would have gone.”