Ichiro Suzuki

Suzuki wears #51 and plays right field for baseball's Seattle Mariners. Long a superstar in Japan, where he played for the Orix Blue Wave, Suzuki moved to the American major leagues for the 2001 season. That made Suzuki and New York Mets outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo the first non-pitching Japanese to play in the American major leagues since the 1960s, sparking intense interest in both the U.S. and Japan. One of the best hitters in the game and a seven-time All-Star, Suzuki's fame is such that he is often called by a single name, Ichiro. He extended his contract with Seattle in 2007 for a reported $90 million and will play with the Mariners through 2012.

Extra credit: On the Mariners Suzuki was teamed with another Japanese national, pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki.