Ichiro bids farewell to Seattle

SEATTLE -- The three-day Ichiro Suzuki farewell party ended with a final single, a final bow to the fans, and a chance for the outfielder to witness a famed New York Yankees comeback from the other side.

Suzuki was traded to the Yankees on Monday, and thanks to the odd coincidence of New York being in Seattle at the time, immediately played three games against his former team. He played what will be his final game at Safeco Field this season, and depending on what happens after this year, perhaps his final game in Seattle, period.

Batting in the leadoff spot he called home during most of his 11-plus seasons with the Mariners, Suzuki went 1-for-5 with a seeing-eye single, was caught stealing, and had an uneventful final day patrolling Safeco Field's familiar right-field grass.

What was bigger than how he performed in the Yankees' 5-2 victory was the fact that, three days after being traded from Seattle, he is actually leaving Seattle. Maybe for good.

Prior to leading off the game, Suzuki was greeted with another standing ovation from the 36,071 fans in attendance. And as he did before his first at-bat Monday, he stepped out of the box and doffed his helmet to show his appreciation to the fans who have cheered him on for more than a decade.

Suzuki rarely has been outwardly emotional during his decorated career, but whether he showed it or not on the field, these past few days were both challenging and special as he abruptly switched uniforms without changing stadiums.

"I was here 111/2 years," Suzuki said through a translator. "And I didn't really show it, but inside, I was really going through some emotional times. It was very special these last few days, but definitely emotional inside."

Now, Suzuki goes to New York, which is far from a normal environment for an athlete -- they don't call it the Bronx Zoo for nothing. But it will give him a chance to focus on establishing himself on his new team without the added strangeness of facing his old one.

"Obviously, I need to get more comfortable," he said. "Every day it's going to get there."

Suzuki may not be the player he was in 2001, when he won the MVP award as a rookie, or a player for whom 200 hits, a .300 average and an All-Star nod are a given, but the Yankees still have high hopes for him.

"(We expect) exactly what he's being doing the last 10 years or 11 years or 12 years -- I don't know how many years he's been playing -- but get hits, get on base, score runs, play defense," shortstop Derek Jeter said. "That's what he's been known for. He's been consistent at it over his entire career, and that's what you come to expect from him."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Monday that the plan is for Suzuki to play mostly left field and the expectation was that he will hit near the bottom of the lineup, as he did Monday and Tuesday. But with Alex Rodriguez now on the disabled list with a broken hand, Suzuki may find himself at the top of the lineup more often, as he did Wednesday when he hit leadoff with Jeter sliding to the No. 2 spot.

Wherever he ends up hitting, Suzuki will be a part of a much different lineup than he was during his past few seasons in Seattle. Few teams have the talent top-to-bottom to put constant pressure on teams as do the Yankees. Even though Seattle led 2-1 for most of Wednesday's game, it felt like if the Mariners didn't add a run or two, the Yankees would inevitably rally in the late innings, which they so often do. And New York did just that with a four-run eighth.

"Being on the opposing side, late in the game I saw it many times," Suzuki said. "That pressure that they put on. I was able to see it on the team this time."

Not surprisingly, Suzuki was smiling when he said this.

For all he accomplished individually, Suzuki played in the postseason only once, following the Mariners 116-win 2001 season. This trade was made in part because Suzuki didn't see himself fitting in with Seattle's rebuilding project, but also because he wants a shot at a championship.

Whether he wins a World Series or not this year, however, Suzuki apparently isn't planning on calling it a career following the 2012 season. When asked if he'd thought about the possibility of this being his final game in Safeco Field, he quickly responded, "This year."

The Mariners, meanwhile, said their goodbyes during the past few days -- Mariners manager Eric Wedge said he and Suzuki had a nice talk following Monday's game. With their former star player now in New York, the Mariners' focus is squarely on the team's future.

"We're moving forward," Wedge said. "It's another step now that these guys are leaving town. Our focus is on these young kids playing baseball and getting better and understanding what it takes to win a game like that."

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.