During Mariners batting practice at the Skydome early in 2001, on Seattle’s first trip to town with prized rookie outfielder, Ichiro Suzuki, a curious Toronto Star columnist asked M’s GM Pat Gillick how many more Japanese players, who were active at the time, could come over and be successful in major-league baseball. The former Jays GM paused and requested time to think about it. Minutes later, the future Hall-of-Famer returned to the conversation suggest there might be, maybe, nine more who could follow in the ensuing few years … and that most of them were pitchers.