As the Mariners' retired Ichiro Suzuki's No. 51 jersey on Saturday, Randy Johnson was notably on the field in attendance for the ceremony.
When Suzuki joined the Mariners in 2001, three years after Johnson left Seattle, he wrote a letter to Johnson asking about wearing the No. 51, which he previously wore in Nippon Professional Baseball. Johnson accepted, and Suzuki represented their number well over his career, winning American League MVP and becoming a 10-time All-Star during his time with the Mariners.
