Best Player Ever?

I'm afraid that the question isn't so much "bland" as it is unanswerable. You need to provide parameters under which the definition of "best" can be applied. For example, Ichiro would be up there for best hitter, but you'll find that many feel that Harimoto was even better.

The best lifetime batting average is held by Leron Lee at .3200 followed by Tsutomu Wakamatsu (.31918), Harimoto (.31915), and the still active Ogasawara (.318). That's for players with at least 4,000 at bats. Ichiro ranks #1 if you cut back the line to between 2,000 and 4,000 at bats, hitting .353, a huge margin over the still active Aoki's .338.

Ichiro holds the numbers 2 and 3 slots on season batting average with a .387 in 2000 and .385 in 1994 behind Randy Bass' .389 in 1986.

These kinds of comparisons, though, all depend on the definition of "best." Best what?

When we think of the best basketball player, we think of Michael Jordan. When we think of the best golf player, we think of Tiger Woods. And when we think of the best baseball player, do we think of Ichiro-san?

^_^'

[...] but you'll find that many feel that Harimoto was even better.

The definition of Japanese is also needed if you want to talk about Jang Hun (aka Harimoto).

I can't imagine any other answer than Sadaharu Oh.
*Maybe* Nomura

How do you judge the "best ever"? Ichiro can't pitch and can't catch. He doesn't hit a lot of home runs.

You can certainly make a very good argument to include him in the list of the best ever Japanese players, but whether he could be described as the best ever is rather problematic.

A lot of people who aren't familiar with the Japanese side of baseball usually point out Sadaharu Oh and leave it at that, but there are a lot of good players that come to mind.

In terms of complete sluggers (which usually concern the best players ever in many arguments), Oh and his contemporary, Shigeo Nagashima, come to mind. More sluggers would include the recently retired Kazuhiro Kiyohara, new SoftBank manager Koji Akiyama (both members of the 400-home run club), and current Eagles manager Katsuya Nomura.

Since the question is from a fan just getting into baseball, I'll answer this way -- Ichiro is the most successful major leaguer to ever come out of Japan.

There are dozens of other great NPB ballplayers from Japan and other countries that I hope you'll look forward to learning about.

My own attempt at ranking the best of Japanese players occurred some years ago now, but it's available online here [Baseball Guru].

Ichiro would move up some since then, likely into the teens, maybe even the top 10. However, his comparative lack of power and less than sterling willingness to draw a walk will forever leave him behind Oh, Nomura, Harimoto, and Nagshima as far as I'm concerned.

Ichiro is definitely in the top 5 Japanese players of all time. He can hit with power if he wants to. Just look at him taking batting practice. His game is to get on base as a lead-off hitter. He does not draw many walks because he is one of the best out of the strike zone hitters in the Major Leagues.

[This post is half-joking]

Takuro Ishii is obviously the best Japanese baseball player right now... nobody else since Tetsuharu Kawakami has actually gotten a win as a pitcher AND also gotten 2,000 hits in their career as a batter. Nor has anyone since Isao Harimoto gotten more than 150 hits in 9 seasons of their career.

I agree with Deanna 100% on this.