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Mariners RF Suzuki seeks hit No. 3,000 vs. Rangers

Jul 29, 2008 - 12:23 PM Seattle (40-65) at Texas (54-52) 8:05 pm. EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Ichiro Suzuki is tired of questions about his quest for 3,000 hits.

The eight-time All-Star hopes to put an end to the questions and become the 29th player in professional baseball to reach that milestone when the Seattle Mariners continue a three-game series with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old belted a triple in four at-bats in Monday's 7-5 win - giving him 2,999 hits - and is looking to become the second-youngest player to join the 3,000 hit club. Only Hall of Famer Ty Cobb was younger.

"It's a big goal. To get there, it will only be natural for me to relax," Suzuki said. "Everyday the media comes and bothers me. I'm looking forward to that disappearing after I get the hit."

Suzuki is unique though, as he will be the first player to achieve the feat in two different professional leagues.

He accrued the first 1,278 hits of his career in 11 seasons with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan before joining the Mariners in 2001. Reaching the milestone will be a rare highlight in a down season for the star right fielder.

A career .330 hitter, Suzuki has failed to meet his lofty standards this season. The eight-year veteran is hitting just .227 (10-for-44) since the All-Star break and is batting .297 overall - running the risk of batting under .300 with the Mariners for the first time.

He will try and enter the record books against Luis Mendoza (2-4, 7.16 ERA), who was pounded for six runs and nine hits in four innings of a 10-2 loss to Chicago last Tuesday.

Seattle counters with failed free agent signee Carlos Silva (4-12, 5.62). Silva signed a four-year, $48 million deal in the offseason, one of the worst moves made by former general manager Bill Bavasi. Silva has lost three straight starts since snapping a personal seven-game skid on June 28.