Does Ichiro Suzuki Speak English in 2012? New Yankee Shy w/ Press

Ichiro Suzuki Was Traded to the New York Yankees on July 23, 2012. He Spoke to the Press in Japanese. Does Ichiro Speak English?

In the biggest baseball trade in a while, Ichiro was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the New York Yankees on July 23, 2012.

Ichiro met with the press after being traded to the Yankees and spoke in Japanese which was translated into English. 

No doubt, some people wondered: doesn't Ichiro speak English? After all, he has been living and working in the US for more than a decade.

The answer is: yes, Ichiro does speak English but chooses to speak to the press in his native Japanese. 

A story from a Seattle newspaper seems to suggest that Ichiro chooses not to speak to the media because he is something of a perfectionist.

Photos

at bat; ichiro suzuki

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uploaded by oh jepp.