Yeah, it's pretty apparent that the writer is a big fan, although I bet he has plenty of company. I didn't see too much in the way of minimalizing others accomplishments in any debate about how to rank players greatness you need to use comparative statistics to some degree. I don't think anyone can argue he is one of the premier impact players in recent history.
My son has worn 51 a;s his # for the last 5 years, and still uses it in his email adress. His favorite team is the Yankees, but fav player by far is Ichy. As a smaller guy he emulates him, and i can't argue with his choices. My oldest was a big McGuire fan, hopefully there won't be any tarnish when all is said and done with Ichiros career.
His history is an interesting read as well - talk about an involved dad!