http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/baseball/article/Marlins-hitting-coach-Barry-Bonds-says-Ichiro-8344569.php[h=1]Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds says Ichiro would win the Home Run Derby 'hands down'[/h]<!-- e src/business/templates/hearst/article/headline.tpl --> <!-- hearst/common/author_name.tpl --> By ADAM LEWIS, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF
<!-- e hearst/common/author_name.tpl --> [h=5]Updated 7:54 pm, Wednesday, July 6, 2016[/h]
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During Ichiro Suzuki's tenure with the Mariners, his batting practice sessions became something legendary.
Those who watched the Japanese sensation take hacks in the cage every day raved about how Suzuki, despite rarely hitting home runs in games, would pepper Safeco Field's bleachers with home run after home run.
The power displays were so impressive that an argument emerged that Suzuki could hit more homers if he wanted to -- that he was making the choice to hit for a high average rather than for power. He didn't want his batting average to suffer by swinging for the fences, his supporters argued.
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<!-- / hdnce-e --><!-- e fixed-asset perfectPixelWide -->Well, at 42, Suzuki is still putting on impressive batting practice sessions in Miami.
Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds recently declared Suzuki would win the 2016 Home Run Derby.
"He hits more home runs than anyone in batting practice ... every day," Bonds said. "I said, 'You know what? You got to stop hitting all of these home runs.' He said, 'Why?' I said, 'Because you're wasting them all in practice. We want you to hit a home run in a game.'
"I think he hits all of his home runs in batting practice so he can get all his hits," Bonds added.
Suzuki has two homers since the start of the 2014 season. The most he ever hit in a single season came with the Mariners in 2005 when he hit 15.
"I would think he'd win it, easy," Bonds said. "Hands down."
Suzuki, unfortunately, wasn't named to the National League All-Star team despite a resurgent season as a part-time player in Miami. The former Mariner began Wednesday hitting .340 with an .808 OPS in 70 games. He's also just 10 hits away from 3,000 despite not entering Major League Baseball until he was 27.
Guess it was a good decision to hit for average rather than power.