Comparing Gary Payton and Ichiro

As any baseball fan knows, as well as any living breathing organism in Washington or Japan, the Seattle Mariners traded Ichiro to the New YorkYankees this past Monday, July 23. Coincidentally, that day also happened to be the birthday of another Seattle sports legend, Gary Payton. These two athletes are two of the more recent superstars that has graced Seattle sports world. As a way of looking back at Ichiro's career, and as a shout-out to "The Glove," I thought I'd take some time to compare both of their careers in Seattle.

Expectations Coming to Seattle
Payton and Ichiro both had magnificent careers prior to coming to Seattle. In his final year at Oregon State, Payton averaged 25.7 PPG and 8.1 RPG, in what's been considered one of the finest years by a point guard in NCAA Basketball history. Taken with the 2nd overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, it was clear that Payton was expected to take a Sonic team that had finished 41-41, and elevate it to the next level.

Like Payton, Ichiro had great success before coming to the Emerald Season. Playing nine seasons for the Orix Blue Wave in Japan. He was three-time league MVP, winning seven Gold Gloves and making seven All-Star teams. In his final season, he batted an incredible .387, and had an OPS of .999. Despite this, there were doubts of whether Ichiro's game would translate to the MLB, as there had been no previous success stories by Japanese hitters in the MLB. Ichiro's future Mariners manager, Mike Hargrove, even said that Ichiro would be no better than a fourth outfielder.

Accomplishments in Seattle
Payton's career in Seattle started off slowly, but he would eventually do enough to be considered the greatest player in SuperSonics History. In his 12 1/2 seasons donning the green and gold, Payton made nine All-Star games, nine All-NBA teams, and nine All-Defense teams. Though Payton was a great offensive player, averaging at least 20 PPG and 7 APG in seven different seasons, he made a name for himself on the defensive end, being the only point guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award when he did so in 1996.

While Payton took a while to get going, Ichiro began his career with a bang. Hitting .350 and accumulating 242 hits in 2001, Ichiro became only the second player in MLB history to win MVP and ROY in the same season. Though never anything close to a power hitter, Ichiro become known as a magician with the bat, batting at least .300 with 200 hits in each of his first ten seasons in the league. Like Payton, Ichiro was also an amazing defensive player, winning ten Gold Gloves. Throw in two batting titles, the single-season hits record, and three silver sluggers, Ichiro was one of the most accomplished players of his time.

Team Success
With Payton, Seattle never experienced a losing NBA season, though they probably would have if he hadn't been traded in 2003. Payton led the Sonics through the most successful time in team history, winning at least 60 games in 1994, 1996, and 1998. The peak of success came in 1996, when the Sonics made it to the NBA Finals, only to end up having to face the winningest team in NBA history in the 72-10 Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan.

In his first season with the Mariners, the team tied the record for most wins in a single season by winning 116 games. However, it would be all down hill from there during the Ichiro era. Though the Mariners would have four more winning seasons, they would make another playoff appearance, and would finish last their division seven times.

Popularity
Though one of the best point guards of the 1990s, Payton was never an overwhelmingly popular figure. Rarely ever dunking or preferring to avoid flash, Payton never drew as much attention as a Michael Jordan or a Dennis Rodman. Of his nine All-Star appearances, only twice was he voted in by the fans.

Without a doubt, Ichiro is the more popular of the two. Being the first major MLB hitter from Japan, Ichiro drew a huge international entourage the moment he began playing for the M's. Tourists visiting Seattle from Japan automatically had Safeco Field as a destination stop just to watch Ichiro, and Japanese reporters and journalists have moved to Seattle just to track Ichiro's career. In his first season in the MLB, Ichiro led all players in All-Star voting, and all but one off his All-Star appearances have come via the fan vote.

Personality
When someone thinks of Gary Payton and his personality, the first thing that comes to mind is trash-talk. Payton had one of the biggest mouths in league history, never hesitant to express what he thought. His words could get him into trouble, whether that be technicals from the refs or problems with teammates, but Seattle fans probably wouldn't have it otherwise.

Ichiro has developed a reputation throughout his career as being sort of a diva. Though never considered a great leader or a true team player, Ichiro always had himself prepared. He was known as being very respectful towards his equipment, and following a very strict routine, whether that be stretching, batting practice, or at the plate. As well, he was known as a pretty fascinating dresser.