evidence: The Mariners’ front office, led at the time by general manager Woody Woodward, was skeptical of how Ichiro’s skill set would translate to the U.S. But Colborn knew that the outfielder was special. During one season, Colborn remembers Ichiro swinging just 11 times over a four-game series, and barreling the ball on every swing. "It was stuff like that that I could pass on to help convince them," Colborn says of the Seattle execs. [...] Throughout the summer, the Mariners also took advantage of their geographic location, catering to Japanese fans with weekend ticket packages and accommodations. For many, Ichiro wasn’t just a baseball player; he was a transcendent figure who demanded to be seen in person. "The tourist industry experienced this huge boom because people would fly there and stay in a hotel and take in two or three Mariners games and then come back. It was the thing to do," Whiting says. "There was an arrogance there, like going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower."