Ichiro Suzuki was known by one name throughout his MLB career, in which he was a Hall of Fame legend mainly for the Seattle Mariners.
This was Ichiro, through and through. He didn’t need any other nomenclature.
And as social media gets in a big argument over whether broadcasters should use first names or last names when referring to baseball players, Ichiro is the guy that at least makes the case for an alternative approach.
Broadcasters Using First Names Vs. Last Names
First, it’s best to revisit the post going viral on X, with more than 1.5 million views as of Tuesday, Sept. 1:
Note to broadcasters especially in MLB. Please call players by their last names and not their first. Its Rafaela not Cedanne. The trend started years ago and it isn’t a good one.
— Jon Meterparel (@meatstweets) August 30, 2026
Meterparel is a respected broadcaster who works in college sports, so he’s got a lot of experience at the craft.
He clearly was watching a Boston Red Sox broadcast in which the announcers referred to All-Star centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela by his first name and not his last name, and it bothered him enough to go on X (formerly Twitter) and complain about it.
Much of the interaction with the post has been to disagree with it. There’s obviously an argument to be made on both sides, but many fans and even media members are pointing out that regional sports network broadcasts are directed at one fanbase, and in that circumstance, a first name can often make the most sense.
The contrasting point is that throughout education to be a part of the media, it’s usually emphasized that last names should be used to show objectivity and professionalism, with first names running the risk of seeming too friendly to a particular player.
Ichiro, though, provides a counterpoint.
Ichiro Suzuki’s Name
Throughout his career, Ichiro was Ichiro:
Used to love watching Suzuki https://t.co/Pq95OYIFNq
— Anthony Castrovince (@castrovince) September 1, 2026
In Japan, he’d actually be known as Suzuki Ichiro, although that’s because Japanese naming convention puts the familial name first. Ichiro is still his personal name, whether written like that for Japanese custom or written as Ichiro Suzuki to Americanize it.
Ichiro, whose combined hit total in Japan’s NPB and the United States’ MLB tops that of any player in the history of the sport, didn’t need multiple names to identify him. He became one of those players, right from the outset, known by just his singular first name.
Much like a Brazilian soccer star, Ichiro’s name became commonplace, even if it wasn’t the standard last-name convention.
That’s not to say every player should be broadcast like that, but at least with Ichiro, it’s clear that there’s a case for doing it that way, too.
Mariners Legend Ichiro Suzuki Flies in Face of Viral Broadcaster Complaint