Editing Ichiro Suzuki (section)

==International career==
===2006: Inaugural World Baseball Classic===
[[File:WBC2006 Ichiro Suzuki 1.jpg|alt=|thumb|Suzuki at the [[2006 World Baseball Classic]]]]
Suzuki played for the [[Japan national baseball team]] in the inaugural [[2006 World Baseball Classic|World Baseball Classic]] in March 2006. During the 15 March Japan-Korea game, Suzuki was booed by some spectators during every at-bat, reportedly in response to a previous statement that he wanted to "beat South Korea so badly that the South Koreans won't want to play Japan for another 30 years."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.seattlepi.com/baseball/263231_japan16.html?source=mypi | title=Ichiro forced to eat words |publisher=Seattle P-I| last=D'Hippolito | first=Joseph | date=16 March 2006 | access-date = 23 August 2009}}</ref> That, however, was an incorrect translation mostly spread to the public through ESPN. Suzuki was variously quoted as saying "I want to win in a way that the opponent would think, 'we cannot catch up with Japan for the coming 30 years'. We should not merely win the games."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/wbc06/news/20060302ie29.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060626140243/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/wbc06/news/20060302ie29.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 June 2006 |title=イチロー「ただ勝つだけじゃ、つまらない」 |work=[[Yomiuri Shimbun]] |date=2 March 2006 }}</ref> Japan would later beat Korea in the playoffs and win the tournament after defeating Cuba 10–6 in the finals.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ww2.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/news/recap.jsp?ymd=20060305&content_id=1334986&gameid=2006_03_05_korint_jpnint_1 | archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120216071730/http://ww2.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/news/recap.jsp?ymd=20060305&content_id=1334986&gameid=2006_03_05_korint_jpnint_1 | url-status=dead | archive-date=16 February 2012 | title=Korea upsets Japan in showdown | work=[[MLB.com]] | last=Street | first=Jim | date=5 March 2006 | access-date=23 August 2009 }}</ref> For the tournament, Suzuki had twelve hits including a home run, seven runs, and four stolen bases.

===2009: Second WBC championship===
Despite struggling uncharacteristically during most of the tournament, Suzuki provided the game-winning hit in the Championship game against South Korea. With two outs in the top of the tenth inning, he broke a 3–3 tie with a two-run single off a ball in the dirt. This would prove to be the margin of victory in Japan's 5–3 defeat of South Korea.<ref name="i193">{{cite web | title=Baseball: Japan beat South Korea to retain World Baseball Classic title | website=The Guardian | date=2009-03-24 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/mar/24/japan-south-korea-world-baseball-classic-ichiro-suzuki | access-date=2024-09-17}}</ref> Suzuki ended the night 4-for-6, bringing his total to 6-for-10 in WBC championship games.