Before Tuesday night's Seattle Mariners game, word began to spread about a fake Ichiro, sitting along the right field line. No big deal, right? Some happy-go-lucky fan just wanted to show his appreciation for the Mariners left field by showing up to the game as a look-alike. And it wasn't a problem, at least until fake Ichiro got involved in a play.
Dustin Ackley sent a shot down the right field line. It should have been a triple, with Ackley on his horse and thinking three all the way. That's when fake Ichiro made a diving stop, halting the play and limiting Ackley to a groundrule double.
This was completely surreal. Fake Ichiro actually wasn't bad, and had the real Ichiro's mannerisms and expressions down. But he didn't quite understand the rules of baseball sacrificing his body for a souvenir that was actually a ball in play. Security came to visit fake Ichiro, but contrary to initial reports he was not removed from the game.
In a game that featured an infield triple, this may have been the weirdest play. That's saying something.