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In 2002 I visited with Ichiro in Spring Training at the Mariners "batting cages".

Edgar was tracking the 110 mph baseballs from the pitching machine. Ichiro was making successful contact. He has now retired from the game.

Please read his history of his relationship with his father.

http://www.espn.com/espn/featu...olve-internal-battle

Bob

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Indeed a sad story. Ichiro got rich and famous but doesn't seem to be very happy. A lot of people with super pushy parents report this, you just can't back those childhood years. Some learn to accept it but it will always be an issue.

I even heard some speculations he played so long because he doesn't want his father to see him getting inducted in the HOF because then he would at some level have "won". Ichiro was never able to break out of it (like andre agassi did in the phase he did drugs and quit playing temporarily) but maybe this is his form of protest.

 

I think what makes it even tougher is the japanese culture.

It would be tough in the US too but in the western country it is pretty accepted since the political changes of the 68 time that young adults revolt a little against their parents and challenge their beliefs.

In japan that is totally different, they still have a culture that even adult kids have to always respect their parents and not question them. Because of that it is much harder to break out of an oppressive environment, they always expect composure, performance and respect.

In some cases that has even lead to suicides of kids who couldn't bear the pressure anymore and didn't have the breakout opportunities of western kids.

I'm not totally condemning this. There is a reason that asians are the most successful american ethnic group ahead of white people but it can come at a high cost. 

The other extreme of many western parents of not expecting anything and allowing any kind of behaviour isn't great either and some expectations and pressure can be good but what they do in Japan and some other asian countries is just extremes.

 

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