any other baseball player on the planet saw his batting average fall to .272 for the season after hitting nearly .330 for his entire 10-year career, there would be maybe only a slight cause for concern.

But Seattle Mariners' right fielder Ichiro Suzuki is no ordinary ball player. Thus, there are some major issues to address regarding the future production of the Mariners’ superstar.

Can he rebound from an un-Ichiro-like 2011 season, one in which he batted .272 with an abysmal .645 OPS? Or was last year the signal of an eminent decline for the 38-year-old?

If Ichiro played in a larger media market, this would be a huge story. But being tucked in the damp and cozy confines of the Pacific Northwest, the prognostication of Ichiro is only slightly on the radar of MLB’s hottest topics.

Last week it was announced by ESPN.com, that Seattle manager Eric Wedge is seriously considering moving Ichiro out of his famed leadoff spot. There ...

Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - MLB By nathaniel jue