{"product_id":"baseball-is-just-baseball-the-understated-ichiro-9780399164101","title":"Baseball Is Just Baseball: The Understated Ichiro","description":"\u003cb\u003eA perspective-shifting and deeply pleasurable collection of wisdom from Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ichiro Suzuki\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"[Reveals] a person who values Zen qualities such as simplicity and harmony and who revels in challenge, not achievement.\"--ESPN online\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen Ichiro Suzuki, already a superstar in Japan, debuted in Major League Baseball, his singular performance on the field introduced Americans to one of the greatest and most unique talents to ever play the game. But his unusually candid off-the-field comments captivated fans in equal measure, revealing a startling and provocative mind. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCurated by acclaimed nonfiction author David Shields, this little prize of a book collects some of Ichiro's greatest hits, showcasing his dry wit and penchant for distilling simple but profound ideas into unforgettable observations: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I have no idea what it's going to be like playing in the majors this year. I can only imagine what it might be like, so I'll just have to experience it.\" \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Please don't think about the streak too hard. Someday it's going to be over and today's the day it's over.\" \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"If I ever saw myself saying I'm excited going to Cleveland, I'd punch myself in the face, because I'm lying.\" \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Even if there are things that become somewhat stressful, I think they're interesting. Isn't it because of those things that I am able to be struck by the significance of being alive?\" \u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOriginally published in 2001 and updated in 2012 with a new introduction by David Shields, \u003ci\u003eBaseball Is Just Baseball \u003c\/i\u003eis a document of not only a popular athlete but an impressively thoughtful human being.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDavid Shields\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of twelve books, including \u003ci\u003eReality Hunger: A Manifesto \u003c\/i\u003e(named one of the best books of 2010 by more than thirty publications), \u003ci\u003eThe Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead \u003c\/i\u003e(a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestseller), and \u003ci\u003eBlack Planet: Facing Race During an NBA Season \u003c\/i\u003e(a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist). His stories and essays have appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Magazine, Harper's, The Village Voice, Salon, Slate, McSweeney's, Believer, \u003c\/i\u003eand dozens of other publications.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51603092078866,"sku":"9780399164101","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_d5af3e6c-9f1d-4b3e-94ed-a2cd8f905c1b.jpg?v=1757423584","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/baseball-is-just-baseball-the-understated-ichiro-9780399164101","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}