Ichiro Suzuki: 5 facts you didn't know about the Seattle Mariners legend 

After making his MLB debut in 2001, Ichiro Suzuki quickly became one of the best players of his generation. The Japanese superstar, who made the jump to the majors at age 27, managed to record more than 3000 hits in his MLB career.

The Seattle Mariners legend finished his career with 3,089 hits. if you include his hit totals in Japan, Ichiro has the most hits in professional baseball history. Between the MLB and NPB, Suzuki recorded 4,367 hits. That's nearly 100 more than MLB's all-time leader, Pete Rose, who hit 4,256.

"If Ichiro had started his career in MLB, what’s the probability he’d have broken Pete Rose’s hits record? 30%? 40%? Higher?" - The Fan's Place

During his MLB career, Ichiro won the American League MVP, the 2001 Rookie of the Year, and 10 Gold Glove awards. He also made 10 All-Star appearances. Suzuki will be a lock for the National Baseball Hall of Fame when he's first eligible. He was one of the best players of his generation.

While his Hall of Fame resume is well-known, here are five fun facts that casual baseball fans might not know about him.

#1 Ichiro Suzuki's bilingual trash talk

According to a 2014 report, the Japanese outfielder learned a few choice words in Spanish so he could trash-talk his opponents. According to the Wall Street Journal, Ichiro once said: "What the hell are you looking at?" in Spanish to Carlos Pena during a game. He also told Victor Martinez in a sarcastic tone that he was "very dangerous," and said something NSFW to Miguel Cabrera.

#2 Switch-hitting Suzuki

Though a left-handed batter in games, the superstar would warm up by taking at-bats from the opposite side of the plate. It's hard to know whether it helped his hitting, but it clearly didn't hurt.

#3 He was the only player to hit an inside-the-park home run in the All-Star Game

While he was a 10-time All-Star, his most notable All-Star appearance came in 2007. The Japanese sensation became the first and only player to hit an inside-the-park home run in an All-Star Game. He was named the 2007 MLB All-Star MVP.

"Fun Fact: Seattle #Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki hit the first and only inside-the-park HR in a Major League All-Star Game during the 2007 Midsummer Classic in San Francisco! #MLB #Baseball #History" - Baseball by BSmile

#4 His career batting average only fell below .300 once

Only once in his MLB tenure did he have a career batting average below .300. That came after he went 0-for-4 in his second career game, which dropped his batting average to .222. He never dropped below .300 after that. His career batting average remained above .300 for his next 2,651 games. Suzuki retired with a .311 batting average.

#5 His groundbreaking 2001 season has never been touched

In 2001, Suzuki won the American League batting title, the AL Rookie of the Year Award, and the AL MVP Award. He remains the only player in MLB history to win all three awards in their rookie season.