Salute to Rafael Palmeiro!!

Congratulations on the hit #3000, Rafael Palmeiro!!

Rafael Palmeiro, most fittingly against M's, reached the plateau.
(a double off Piñeiro in the fifth inning)

Having seen him often enough over the last few years convinced me
that he is bound for the Hall of Fame.
But simply he's been a memorable player for me.
So I was so delighted to see the M's game today on TV.

His statistics attest to his dedication to the game.
This type of record requires not just an amazing consistency,
but also, just to average 150 hits for 20 seasons,
a player has to maintain a quality defence to be in the game,
and he has to stay healthy. Which he has done.
Playing 20 seasons without having been placed on Disabled List, that is just incredible.

If the hit had come off Jamie Moyer who is scheduled to pitch Saturday 17th,
it could have been some strange act of fate,
since both played for the Cubs in the '80s and were traded to Texas in the same deal.
It's great that respectively they have had an amazing career.
Most of his contemporaries have retired but it seems Rafael Palmeiro is still going strong.

*Personal note: Palmeiro toured Japan in 1988 during the exhibition games.
But I don't remember seeing him in the game I went to see.
I remember seeing Molitor, Puckett, Burks and McGriff. Dave Henderson was there too.
I wanted to see Hershiser pitch but he had returned home before the final game.
And in high school, I often carried my radio to listen to baseball games on FEN during recess.
For some reason, the Rangers game of early '90s got played often.
Bobby Valentine's crew: Franco, Sierra, Pudge and Palmeiro, that was a great offensive lineup.
These guys are still playing productively. But that makes me feel old.

Congratulations on Win #200, Jamie Moyer!

Congratulations, Jamie Moyer.
200 wins, twice a 20-game winner late in his career.
Quite a feat.

The first guidebook to Major League Baseball I bought in 1988
contains a photo and information on Jamie. When he was still with the Cubs.
For some reason, his young face was one of the most memorables in my memory.
Now after 17 years, here I am writing this to commemorate his achievement.

I'm sure his career with the Mariners has been really inspiring to fans and players
and personally I enjoy the game he pitches most.

And he's a great man because of his charity activities outside baseball
and that's more important as a person.

Thanks for the Memories, Mr. Boone

Hard to believe, I'm writing a farewell to Mr. Boone

2001 was the best year of my life so far,
and the Mariners were a big part of the reason why.
That summer was something I will always remember.

Boonie was one of the key players who made that particular season so special.
He was the starting second base man for the team that won 116 games
(It might have been the best defensive infield in the history: Olerud-Boone-Bell-Guillen.)

The numbers he put up that year were impressive in themselves:
.331 37HRs 141 RBIs. and he hit well with two out.

It seems like a dream, looking back now. Winning seemed so easy.

Lifelong baseball fan, I attended my first official Major League game in America in 2001.
I was fortunate enough to be at the All-Star game in Seattle,
thanks to my good friend's help to get the ticket and make my stay in the city possible,
and more importantly, the 2001 Mariners brought me a fortune of meeting her relatives in Seattle
with whom I had such a wonderful time at baseball games and in Mt. Ranier, and much more over the years since.

So thank you, Boonie, for giving me something to remember by those years.