Ichiro Humbled By Marlins' Desire, Effort

TOKYO, JAPAN - JAN. 29: U.S. Major League baseball team Florida Marlins on Thursday January 29 hosted a special press conference here for outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who the team has just acquired. This was a rare event for any MLB team to set a press meeting at a player's home country attended by team's top officials. Observers said it was show of respect from the team management for Ichiro, who has achieved various batting records in both America and Japan and at 41 he still maintains enormous popularity globally. "I am humbled that they flew 18 hours to get here, this is something that just doesn't happen," said Suzuki, who recently turned 41 and is entering his 15th big league season. "The club exhibited such a strong desire to sign me, and I am motivated to repay their desire. As a player, it's something I've been looking for the past two years." Suzuki spent the past 2-1/2 seasons with the New York Yankees as a fourth outfielder, but he got just 385 plate appearances by-far the fewest since 1993 -- when he was 19 and spending most of his playing time with the Orix BlueWave's minor league club. Marlins General Manager Dan Jennings said his team had been looking for a left-handed hitting fourth outfielder to fill a need and Suzuki had been on that list from the start.