When you mail Ichiro something from the States, you only have to use that name on the address and he gets it (in Japan). He's that big.

Some people enjoy taking a light stroll in the morning and that gives them relief and that sort of feeling. That is what I gain by practicing, by swinging the bat.

I want to be the first player to show what Japanese batters can do in the major league.

Baseball has been the greatest things in my life, but the cameras and the media surrounding baseball have not been fun. It's unnecessary. How many times do they see me stretch? How many times do they see me walk? It is a big concern. If it affected the team in a negative way, I don't know what I would do.

I had a dream. And I made that dream come true.

I've made far too many mistakes. That's the way I feel.

Personally, I don't like the term 'success.' It's too arbitrary and too relative a thing. It's usually someone else's definition, not yours.