Team Japan manager visits Ichiro in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — A special guest greeted Ichiro Suzuki on Wednesday prior to the Marlins facing the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Hiroki Kokubo, manager of the Japanese National Team, spent some time talking with the iconic 42-year-old outfielder, who recently became the 30th player in MLB history to reach 3,000 hits.

They spoke in the Marlins’ clubhouse, and Kokubo watched batting practice.

“The most important thing was to congratulate him on 3,000 hits,” Kokubo said through an interpreter. “It’s a really impressive number in Japan, of course. It’s just an amazing accomplishment to think that he can come over here and do that. Japan was probably every bit as excited or perhaps even more excited than America over that.”

A subject that did not come up was whether Ichiro will participate in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. That’s a decision for a later day, and Kokubo noted the preliminary rosters are expected to be put together before the end of the calendar year.

“We had just a nice chat,” Ichiro said in Japanese. “It wasn’t anything about the WBC, at all.”

Still, Ichiro makes it clear he is a fan of the tournament and enjoys international competition in general.

“Obviously, I’m always …

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