Ichiro Suzuki

The Miami Marlins officially picked up the contract option on outfielder Ichiro Suzuki on Wednesday to keep him with the organization for the 2017 season. 

Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki cemented his place in baseball lore Sunday, as he became the 30th player in MLB history to record 3,000 career hits with a triple in the top of the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies:  

Right from the start, there were those who believed in Ichiro Suzuki. And there were those who didn't.

Ichiro Suzuki has been one of the biggest stars in Major League Baseball since his arrival in 2001. The Miami Marlins outfielder is on the verge of becoming the 30th player in MLB history with 3,000 hits, needing just two more to hit that milestone.

Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki hit a pinch-hit double in the seventh inning of Thursday's 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, giving him 2,998 career hits to move within just two of the 3,000-hit barrier, per ESPN Stats & Info.

When Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki legged out an infield single in the bottom of the eighth inning during Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the hit represented his third of the day and 2,994th of his MLB career, per MLB.com.

It was, in most respects, a typical Ichiro Suzuki hit: The tightly coiled, upright stance; the quick, slashing swing; a low, scorching liner past first base and into the right field corner.

But this particular hit—which came in the ninth inning of the Miami Marlins' 6-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday—carried extra significance.

Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki tied and then passed Pete Rose for the all-time hits record in professional baseball with two knocks in Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres.

As Ichiro Suzuki approaches the hallowed number of 4,256 career hits, Pete Rose does not sound like a man ready to abdicate his throne as baseball's all-time hits king.

Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki collected a pinch-hit single during the eighth inning of Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, bumping him up to 2,950 hits for his career.

Even more impressive, Suzuki started his career in Japan at the age of 18, playing nine seasons with Orix of the Japan Pacific League before finally joining MLB in 2001 as a 27-year-old with the Seattle Mariners.