Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball, but he’s much more than that in Japan. Back home, he’s a wellspring of national pride, much like Shohei Ohtani now. His triumphs across the Pacific buoyed the nation as Japan’s economy sputtered through the so-called lost decades of the 1990s and into the 2000s.

Hideki Matsuyama narrowly avoided disaster during the first round of the Sony Open when his driver flew out of his hands toward some fans.

It’s been an eventful year for Hideki Matsuyama thus far and we’re only 1.25 tournaments in. After a red-hot 35 under at The Sentry—featuring a PGA Tour-record, 33 birdies—Matsuyama has kept things interesting at the Sony Open … especially for the fans.

Considering the horrified reaction to the tee shot, you might be surprised to learn that Matsuyama actually birdied this hole, which goes to show that it doesn't matter what your swing looks like as long as you make solid contact. And while holding a pose looks cool, it doesn't ensure the ball lands in the fairway.

Hoping to become a two-way player in Major League Baseball just like Shohei Ohtani, 18-year-old Shotaro Morii made the rare decision to bypass Japanese professional baseball entirely and agreed to a minor league contract with the Athletics that includes a signing bonus of $1,

TOKYO--Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball ... Left-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo preceded him, and Hideki Matsui came just after, both boosting the country's confidence in a period of national ...

TOKYO — Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball ... Right-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo preceded him, and Hideki Matsui came just after, both boosting the country’s confidence in a period of national ...

Yankees legend Hideki Matsui played seven seasons for the Yankees. It wasn’t until his final one, in 2009, with the addition of lefty ace CC Sabathia, that he managed to get that elusive World Series ring.

Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball, but he's much more than that in Japan. Back home, he's a wellspring of national pride.

Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball, but he's much more than that in Japan. Back home, he's a wellspring of national pride, much like Shohei Ohtani now.

Ichiro is a wellspring of national pride — like Shohei Ohtani now — and his fame across the Pacific was therapeutic as Japan's economy sputtered through the so-called lost decades.

Hideki Matsui, LF/DH, 2003-12 A star for 10 seasons with the Yomiuri ... returning for two final games with Seattle in the 2019 season-opening series in Tokyo, where he made an emotional farewell. Kazuhiro Sasaki, RHP, 2000-03 Sasaki joined the Mariners ...