Ichiro Reaches 4,000 Professional Baseball Hits

The great Ichiro Suzuki, one day to be enshrined in Cooperstown, has reached 4,000 professional hits between his Japan and United States Major League Baseball careers.  The future Hall of Famer singled off last year's National League CY Young winner and former Met, R.A. Dickey, in the first inning against the Blue Jays.  It was a classic Ichiro hit, a slap hit the other way third base side.

The crowd gave Ichiro a standing ovation, and the Yankee dugout came out immediately to greet and congratulate Ichiro.  Ichiro then responded by bowing in class fashion to the Bronx faithful and tipped his helmet.

Ichiro has a legit shot to reach 3,000 hits in the Major Leagues.  He is under contract next season with the Yankees on a two-year, $13 million dollar deal.  If he plays one more year after that with New York or elsewhere, 3,000 hits could happen sometime during the 2015 season.

Ichiro has always been a professional since coming over to MLB and the U.S. over a decade ago.  He deserved this night and deserves many more.  He's a class act all the way.

By:  Mike Lindsley, "Mid-Day with Mike," M-F 1-4, Yankees pre/post game host on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.  Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/MikeLSports.