April 2, 2001: Ichiro Suzuki becomes the first Japanese-born position player in MLB history. He made his debut against the Oakland Athletics.
Suzuki had played nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave of the Pacific League in Japan. He made an immediate impact, winning AL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in his first season.
Ichiro now sits at 2,844 hits in the MLB in 14 seasons. Add in his work in Japan, and Ichiro sits third all-time in hits behind Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. In 2001, he broke the single-season record for hits, passing George Sisler with 258.
