Former NY Mets Manager Reveals Pettiness That Probably Killed Ichiro Deal in 2001
TL;DR
Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine claims a petty dispute with Ichiro Suzuki's agent derailed a potential deal in 2001. Ichiro went on to become one of MLB's greatest hitters, raising questions about what could have been.
Key points
- Bobby Valentine discusses Ichiro Suzuki's potential Mets deal
- A petty dispute with Ichiro's agent likely killed the deal
- Ichiro became one of MLB's greatest hitters after debuting in 2001
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Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine believes Ichiro Suzuki thought he was going to make his MLB debut with the Amazins. But a petty beef with his agent likely ended any real chance.
Ichiro will go down as one of the greatest hitters MLB has ever seen. During his 19-year career, the Japanese icon posted years with .350 and .372 batting averages, was a one-time MVP, 10-time All-Star, and a 10-time Gold Glove winner. If he had power, he would have been illegal.
However, when he made his debut in 2001, imports from Japan were not as highly valued as they are now. For the most part, many former stars from the land of the rising sun disappointed. So expectations on Ichiro were not high. But many now look back and wonder if he would have started his career in MLB a few years earlier, he might have had many of the all-time hitting records.
Ichiro is a great “what if” tale for the teams that did not make more of an effort to outbid the Seattle Mariners for his services. One of them is the Mets because stories have emerged over the years about New York’s interest and why they didn’t land the outfielder.
NY Mets beef with agent sank Ichiro Suzuki deal in 2001?
Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports
This week, former manager Bobby Valentine added a new layer to the lore. In a conversation on the Sal Lucata Show, he claimed that he urged Mets management to put in a huge silent bid because he knew how talented he was after seeing him in person while managing in Japan.
Valentine also thought there was a better than average chance the Mets could get Ichiro because he and the legendary outfielder were represented by the same agent, Tony Attanasio.
However, he added that the agent and club were not on great terms because of how nasty negotiations got on Valentine’s contract, and some in the organization might have confused the manager’s strong interest in Ichiro as just an attempt to get his agent another good payday.
“If Ichiro sat down and reflected on that time, I think he would say, ‘Oh, I thought I was going to be a New York Met,” Valentine said.
After reaching the World Series in 2000, the Mets went into a decline in the years after. However, if they had an elite hitter like Ichiro on the roster in the years after, including their next NLCS run in 2006, it’s possible the club would have made the playoffs more frequently and ended their championship drought.
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Q&A
What happened with Ichiro Suzuki's potential deal with the Mets in 2001?
A petty disagreement between Ichiro's agent and the Mets reportedly prevented the deal from happening.
How did Ichiro Suzuki perform in his MLB career?
Ichiro Suzuki had a remarkable MLB career, achieving a .350 batting average, winning an MVP award, and earning 10 All-Star selections.
Why were Japanese players undervalued in MLB during Ichiro's early career?
At the time, many Japanese imports had not met expectations in MLB, leading to lower valuations for players like Ichiro.
