Ichiro's a big hit in spring, too

PEORIA, Ariz. — The Mariners are running out of ways to explain the hit phenomenon known as Ichiro. The best they can do, for now, is try to put his multitude of accomplishments in perspective.

They were forced to try again yesterday when Ichiro broke Ken Griffey Jr.'s 9-year-old club record by hitting in his 16th consecutive spring-training game.

On the platinum section of Ichiro's Greatest Hits wall, this falls far closer to the spring-training hits record he could break this week than the major-league season hits record Ichiro set in 2004.

Said Mariners manager Mike Hargrove: "He's a very special hitter. I don't know that I've ever ran across a more disciplined ballplayer than him."

Said outfielder Raul Ibanez: "I've never had a teammate do most of the stuff that Ichiro has done. You almost come to expect stuff like that. It's difficult to do what he did in that many straight games in batting practice."

Said Ichiro: "If I broke his (Griffey Jr.'s) home-run record, that might be something."

That's the Ichiro, self-deprecating and self-motivated, that Mariners fans have embraced since he arrived in Seattle from Japan in 2001.

A slight offseason tweak in his batting stance has reaped Cactus League numbers that read like misprints. Ichiro entered the game against Chicago yesterday hitting .531, a full 43 points higher than the next-closest batter in the American League. He went 2 for 5 in the 15-9 win yesterday — and his average dropped.

The right fielder still has a shot to break several Mariners spring hits records, including Edgar Martinez's .491 average (1996) and Carlos Guillen's 35 hits (1999). Ichiro has 28 hits, tied with Ibanez for the team lead with six games left, although Ichiro won't play tonight against the Chicago Cubs.

Because of the impending day off, Ichiro balked when Hargrove tried to remove him in the sixth inning yesterday. He even chased down a fly ball between right field and second to end the ninth inning — a play most star outfielders would leave to someone else during spring training, Hargrove said.

Ichiro hits so well that teams even intentionally walk him in spring training.

"Just watching him every day kind of opens your eyes," Hargrove said. "He understands himself, what his game is, and he stays within those boundaries. He's disciplined in all aspects of his game. That allows his natural ability to really take off."

Greg Bishop: 206-464-3191 or gbishop@seattletimes.com