Seattle Mariners former outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Ichiro Suzuki surprises viral 'Ichiro Girl' fan before Mariners game

By Adam Stites | Last updated 8/28/22

A Seattle Mariners fan whose elated reaction to briefly making contact with Ichiro Suzuki during a 2010 game was reunited with the Japanese baseball legend on Saturday.

Iris Skinner, a.k.a. "Ichiro Girl," was asked to throw out the opening pitch for Seattle's game against the Cleveland Guardians in honor of Suzuki entering the Mariners Hall of Fame. As she walked out to the mound Saturday, Skinner was surprised with the news that Suzuki himself would be the one behind home plate for her pitch.

Unsurprisingly, Skinner reacted with the same kind of enthusiasm that made her a viral star in the first place.

“Ichiro Girl” reuniting with Ichiro is the most wholesome thing we’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/vrM41SHLaB
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 27, 2022

Suzuki, 48, spent the majority of his MLB career with the Mariners before retiring in 2019. The 10-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner is eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025. But first he became the 10th member of the Mariners' Hall.

In 2004, Suzuki set the MLB record for hits in a season with 262. No other player has managed to record more than 225 hits in a season since.

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