At 52, Ichiro Suzuki still has fuel in the tank! The Mariners' legend hit seven home runs in the alumni Home Run Derby.

The Seattle Mariners held an alumni Home Run Derby after their game against the Tampa Bay Rays today. The Mariners' legendary 52-year-old star, Ichiro Suzuki, hit seven home runs, scoring eight points, but unfortunately missed out on a spot in the finals by a single point.

The alumni Home Run Derby was held at T-Mobile Park after the game. The rules were: each home run in the first two minutes counted as one point, and during the final 30-second overtime, each home run counted as two points. The top two total scores advanced to the finals.

Ichiro Suzuki, now a special assistant to the Mariners' chairman and a coach, stepped up to the plate with three bats in hand, cheered by 39,468 fans. Just 10 seconds into his turn, he crushed a home run that hit the right-field foul pole. Within a minute, he had already hit five home runs, including a streak of four consecutive blasts, showing incredible form. In the first two minutes, Ichiro racked up six points.

When overtime began, Ichiro quickly launched another home run to right field. However, with only 10 seconds left, a fly ball hit the wall. The legendary Ichiro finished with eight points, narrowly missing the finals, falling to Stefen Romero and Austin Nola, who each scored nine points. Romero ultimately won the championship. Even so, the Mariners' legend received a rousing "Ichiro! Ichiro!" chant from the entire crowd.

After the game, Ichiro joked that he missed being a unanimous Hall of Fame inductee in 2025 by just one vote, and now he missed advancing by one point again. "I'm afraid people will think of me as 'the one who always falls short,'" he said with a smile. He expressed deep gratitude for once again feeling the fans' passionate cheers at home.

Ichiro Suzuki hit 117 home runs in his MLB career, 99 of which came during his time with the Mariners. He had three seasons with double-digit home runs, and his single-season high was 15 home runs in 2005.

According to reports, during his playing days, many fans and outsiders hoped Ichiro would participate in the Home Run Derby held the day before the All-Star Game. Even while he was with the Miami Marlins, there was a famous anecdote: slugger Giancarlo Stanton watched Ichiro's batting practice, became determined not to be outdone, and started swinging more seriously.