When Seattle Mariners superstar Ichiro Suzuki was traded to the New York Yankees, he came over to “Ichimeter” keeper Amy Franz to thank her for her support and autograph the device. Little did Franz know that months later, she would be receiving a package that would make her almost pass out in glee.
The “Ichimeter” was a device that Franz created in 2004 order to keep track of Suzuki’s goal of surpassing 257 hits in a single season, a record previously held by George Sisler. The “Ichimeter” became an icon on television as Suzuki broke that record with 262 hits that year. The original device was later placed in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown but Franz made sure that an “Ichimeter” would still be present in every game. When Suzuki bid farewell to the Mariners in July, it seemed that the story of the “Ichimeter” finally ended.
But last Tuesday, it seemed that there was still a final chapter left to be written when Franz received a gift: Ichiro’s Mariners’ spikes and bat with his autograph. The package also included a note that thanked Franz for being his inspiration through her unique and faithful support and asked her to keep a remembrance of his Mariners‘ years. So while Amy Franz has developed quite a following because of her “Ichimeter”, in the end, it turned out that her biggest fan might have actually been the man she had followed and cheered for throughout those years.
