1.   Beyond Ichiro, the Mariners have two other former batting champions in first baseman John Olerud and designated hitter Edgar Martinez.

2.   A seven-time batting champion in Japan, he becomes the first Japanese position player to start for a major league team.

3.   A two-time batting champion, an All-Star, and a player who once finished second in MVP voting?

4.   Defending batting champion Edgar Martinez is, as always, Edgar Martinez.

5.   Fourteen games into this season, Olerud is looking more like a batting champion than someone fighting for a job.

6.   Ichiro Suzuki, the batting champion from Japan who signed a fat free agent deal with the Mariners.

7.   Including a seven-time batting champion.

8.   Instead, he remains as obscure as a five-time batting champion headed for the Hall of Fame can get.

9.   It has been eight seasons since the AL had a back-to-back batting champion and even longer since the same pitcher won two straight Cy Young Awards.

10.   Ironically, the fact that one such batting champion is struggling will boost hopes of a triple crown in the National League.