SEATTLE -- Ichiro Suzuki paused at times to collect his thoughts and placed his hand on his heart as he spoke thoughtfully about what it meant to have his No. 51 retired by the Seattle Mariners .

Suzuki met with reporters before Seattle's game Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays , the morning after his jersey was retired by the team.

Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last month, Suzuki was touched by praise from Mariners manager Dan Wilson, a former teammate, and team chairman John Stanton, who announced that Suzuki will have his own statue at T-Mobile Park, joining broadcaster Dave Niehaus, Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.

He said he never imagined his number would be enshrined at the ballpark.

"It's something that you couldn't even dream or think about, and it actually hap

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