Jerry Dipoto never met Ichiro Suzuki in person until the day

PEORIA Jorge Soler Jersey , Ariz. (AP) — he was reintroduced as a member of the Seattle Mariners during spring training in 2018.Suzuki’s one request for the hoopla that surrounded his return to the Mariners was the news conference and ensuing activities be kept, in his words, “casual.”“The entourage arrived, and it looked like the CIA arrival for the president. It was dark windows, suburbans, and Ichiro rolled out and he walked into my office in what I can only describe as something off the runways type of suit,” Dipoto, the team’s general manager, recalled. “It was like a $5,000 suit that looked as crisp and clean as you can imagine. Impeccable knot in his tie with the dark sunglasses. My first reaction to him was not to shake his hand and introduce myself or the like, I slapped him in the chest and said, ‘I thought we were going casual?’ He said to me, and this was my intro to Ichiro, he said to me, ‘To me, this is casual.'”That initial introduction for Dipoto to the World of Ichiro was only a small taste compared to what the Mariners are about to experience when they open the season in Tokyo with a pair of games against the Oakland Athletics. The most decorated player ever to export his talents from Japan to the major leagues is returning home for what could be a farewell to his Hall of Fame career on both sides of the Pacific.It will be nearly a week of celebration and hype surrounding Ichiro. And his teammates are perhaps more excited, more eager than the star himself to see how massive the reception will be.“I can’t imagine what that’s going to be like. I want to see what it’s like when Ichiro Suzuki walks down the street in Tokyo,” said Seattle pitcher Wade LeBlanc, who spent the 2015 season pitching in Japan. “He’s a God over there. I don’t throw that around lightly, either. I’m excited to see it.”There is no question Suzuki will be on Seattle’s roster for the two games March 20-21 in Japan. He signed a minor league deal before the season, but with the intention of being on the expanded major league roster against the A’s. After Japan, there have been no promises about what http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-goins-jersey , if any, role Suzuki will have with the team.This may have only heightened the anticipation for seeing what happens in Japan knowing this could be the career finale for the 45-year-old outfielder.“You’re talking about a whole country that just cherishes that he is theirs. … He’s just such a special player and someone that transcends both leagues, both cultures and really done incredible things that are almost a little bit unbelievable,” Seattle’s Jay Bruce said.LeBlanc joked that he wants to strap a camera to his head, hang back about 30 yards and watch the reaction from onlookers if Suzuki goes out in public. Of the current Mariners roster, Dee Gordon has the longest relationship with Suzuki from their time playing together in Miami.“It’s much-needed for him. Not just being in Japan but being in your home country as who he is, and who he is respected as, he deserves it,” Gordon said. “I want to see him happy. I want to see how happy it makes him. I know he’s going to be all professional but I actually want to see if we can get a reaction out of him. Some type of emotion.”This won’t be the first time Ichiro playing in his home country creates all sorts of hoopla. He had four hits in the 2012 season opener in Tokyo when the Mariners and A’s last made this trip. But at that point, the twilight of Suzuki’s career was not on the horizon. He had yet to be traded to the New York Yankees, had yet to get his 3,000th major league hit, had yet to fully solidify his spot as a potential first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever his retirement becomes official.His future beyond these two games in Japan is cloudy. Suzuki could decide this is it, saying goodbye in front of his countrymen. He could return to Seattle and try to earn a spot on the Mariners roster. He could move into a hybrid role like the one he had last year when he started the season on the active roster due to injuries and eventually shifted into an advisory position.While he wouldn’t comment about Suzuki’s future, Dipoto did give a glimpse of the scenario he would love to see come to fruition.“He’s in the lineup on opening day, and that as the flashbulbs go off, and he’s at the bat, he answers with an inside-out single to left field. That’s his trademark,” Dipoto said. “I know that Ichiro doesn’t run the way he did maybe 15 years ago, but he still runs above average, shockingly, for a 45-year-old man. I would love to see him get on base and do the things that Ichiro did 15 Drew Butera Jersey , 18 years ago and excite the crowd and engage the community there in what we’re doing because I think the fact that the Mariners are going to play in this opening series in Japan, it’s kind of an homage to the franchise’s history with Japanese players. More so than our present attraction.“I think this provides us with an opportunity to pay tribute to Ichiro, to his career, and to all that he’s been to this franchise, and really to international baseball. It seems the right thing to do for everybody.” Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesAfter six months and 162 regular-season games, the real action has begun with the 2018 MLB playoffs.The American League bracket had been set for some time with three 100-win teams and two more dangerous squads all having their eyes on a World Series title. On the other hand, the National League playoffs remained a mess until the final day.There are now just two teams remaining. The margin for error at this point is slim, likely creating plenty of drama until a World Series champion is crowned.Here is what you need to know for the playoffs, with a bracket available at MLB.com.2018 MLB Playoff ScheduleTiebreaker GamesMilwaukee Brewers defeat Chicago Cubs, 3-1Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Colorado Rockies, 5-2National League Wild Card GameColorado Rockies defeat Chicago Cubs, 2-1 (13 innings) American League Wild Card GameNew York Yankees defeat Oakland A's, 7-2 National League Division Series (Milwaukee Brewers defeat Colorado Rockies 3-0)Game 1: Milwaukee Brewers def. Colorado Rockies, 3-2 (10 innings)Game 2: Milwaukee Brewers def. Colorado Rockies, 4-0Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers def. Colorado Rockies, 6-0 National League Division Series (Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Atlanta Braves 3-1)Game 1: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Atlanta Braves, 6-0Game 2: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Atlanta Braves, 3-0Game 3: Atlanta Braves def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Atlanta Braves; 6-2 American League Division Series (Boston Red Sox defeat New York Yankees 3-1)Game 1: Boston Red Sox def. New York Yankees, 5-4Game 2: New York Yankees def. Boston Red Sox, 6-2Game 3: Boston Red Sox def. New York Yankees16-1Game 4: Boston Red Sox def. New York Yankees, 4-3 American League Division Series (Houston Astros defeat Cleveland Indians 3-0)Game 1: Houston Astros def. Cleveland Indians http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-goins-jersey , 7-2Game 2: Houston Astros def. Cleveland Indians, 3-1Game 3: Houston Astros def. Cleveland Indians, 11-3 National League Championship Series (Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Milwaukee Brewers 4-3)Game 1: Milwaukee Brewers def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5Game 2: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3Game 3: Milwaukee Brewers def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-0Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers def.Milwaukee Brewers, 2-1 (13 innings)Game 5:Los Angeles Dodgers def. Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2Game 6:Milwaukee Brewers def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-2Game 7: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1 American League Championship Series (Boston Red Sox defeatHouston Astros 4-1)Game 1: Houston Astros def. Boston Red Sox, 7-2Game 2: Boston Red Sox def.Houston Astros, 7-5Game 3: Boston Red Sox def. Houston Astros, 8-2Game 4: Boston Red Sox def. Houston Astros, 8-6Game 5: Boston Red Sox def. Houston Astros, 4-1 World Series (Boston Red Sox defeat Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1)Game 1: Boston Red Sox def.Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-4Game 2: Boston Red Sox def.Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2Game 3: Los Angeles Dodgers def. Boston Red Sox, 3-2 (18 innings)Game 4: Boston Red Sox def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 9-6Game 5: Boston Red Sox def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1Full schedule available at MLB.com. Top StorylinesThe Brewers Finally LostJustin Edmonds/Getty ImagesSometimes, playoff success simply comes down to being hot at the right time, and that was perfectly fine for the Milwaukee Brewers.The squad had seven straight wins to match the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central and then followed it up with a win in Game 163 to avoid the Wild Card game. While the division rivals were eliminated in the sudden-death game Cheslor Cuthbert Jersey , Milwaukee went onto sweep the Colorado Rockies.The 11 straight wins put them in rare territory in MLB history:MLB Stat of the Day MLBStatoftheDayThe Brewers are riding an 11-game winning streak into the #NLCS.Talk about getting hot at the perfect time. HUm9UVJioIThe winning streak grew to 12 games with Milwaukee's victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the NLCS.Alas, the Dodgers finally ended the win streak in Game 2 of the NLCS, when Justin Turner's two-run homer in the eighth inning gave them a 4-3 win.But the Brewers remained one of the best stories in baseball. Christian Yelich was the big star as the likely MVP in the National League, but there were other players who helped put the games in the hands of the bullpen. This is where the real strength of the team was as Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, Jeremy Jeffress and others can shorten any game.While the Dodgers eliminated them, the Brewers were amazing since late September, even if their win streak finally came to a close. Ultimately, the Brewers just couldn't regain their momentum in time to save their season.Can the Red Sox Avoid a Final Let Down?Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty ImagesThere is something special about a playoff series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. While the first round was mostly filled with one-sided matchups, the AL East rivals at least held our attention due to the tension in every game.Just like during the regular season, Boston was the better team in the ALDS, winning the series in four games and earning bragging rights for the next five months.The problem is this was just the start of the postseason for the Red Sox.This team won 108 games this year so it is obviously talented, but the players are relatively inexperienced when it comes to playoff success. Most of the roster had never won a playoff series before this year, so winning one over a hated rival is certain to create a lot of excitement.Rookie manager Alex Cora responded, though, and rallied his team for a five-game victory over a very good Astros team.There are still lingering questions about top starters Chris Sale and David Price in the playoffs, so this is no time for Boston to relax. Sale was hospitalizedfor a stomach illness, and Price has struggled in the postseason throughout his career even though he allowed just three hits and zero runs in the closeout game against Houston.Boston was baseball's best team during the regular season. But the Dodgers represent a monumental challenge for the Sox in the World Series.