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| - FACT CHECK: Did Ichiro Suzuki Say, ‘Chicks Who Dig Home Runs Aren’t The Ones Who Appeal To Me?’
A post shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, claims former Seattle Mariners player Ichiro Suzuki purportedly said, “Chicks who dig home runs aren’t the ones who appeal to me.”
Ichiro is a legend for this quote. Absolute legend pic.twitter.com/EvzGBxV9e5
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) August 9, 2023
Verdict: True
The quote appeared in a 2009 New York Times article about Suzuki.
Fact Check:
Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Mike Cameron recently described Suzuki as “a dancing ballerina mixed with a black cat,” according to Sports Illustrated. Suzuki was voted one of multiple professional athletes to represent Seattle’s best on Sporting News’ “GOAT Mountain,” the outlet reported.
The X post, viewed over 400,000 times, claims Suzuki purportedly said, “Chicks who dig home runs aren’t the ones who appeal to me.” “Ichiro is a legend for this quote. Absolute legend,” the post’s caption reads.
The claim is true. The quote appeared in a 2009 New York Times article about Suzuki. The article, written by Brad Lefton, focuses on Suzuki’s position playing infield for the Mariners and his “talent for getting lesser hits.” The article also references the slogan, “Chicks dig the long ball.”
“Chicks who dig home runs aren’t the ones who appeal to me,” Suzuki said at the time. “I think there’s sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I’d rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out,” he added.
A keyword search also reveals the quote has been shared with sports websites, such as NBC Sports, Bleacher Report, and Larry Brown Sports. Both NBC Sports and Larry Brown Sports indicate the quote is derived from Lefton’s 2009 article for the New York Times.
In addition, a June 2020 X post shared by user @BaseballQuotes1 attributes the quote to Suzuki but does not reference The New York Times article at all.
Chicks who dig home runs aren’t the ones who appeal to me. I think there’s sexiness in infield hits because they require technique.
I’d rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. -Ichiro Suzuki pic.twitter.com/jppZgW4e9v
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) June 17, 2020
Suzuki announced his retirement in 2019 following a 12-inning win against the Oakland A’s in his home country of Japan, according to MLB.com. Shortly after announcing his retirement, Suzuki rejoined the Seattle Mariners as an instructor, CBS News reported. He was also inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall Of Fame in August 2022, according to The Associated Press. (RELATED: Did Sinead O’Connor Issue A ‘Major Warning’ To Hollywood Before Her Death?)
Check Your Fact has contacted the Seattle Mariners for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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