Oct. 6, 2010
TOKYO — Former Georgia Tech standout Matt Murton (2001-03) broke Ichiro Suzuki’s record for the most hits in a single season in Japanese Professional Baseball on Tuesday.
Murton got his 211th hit of the season with a two-run single to center in the second inning for the Hanshin Tigers against the Yakult Swallows.
Suzuki set the previous record of 210 in 1994 for the Orix BlueWave.
When Suzuki set the record, the regular season consisted of 130 games. Since then, the season has been extended by 14 games and Murton was playing in his 142nd game of the season.
“1994 and 2010 are two different seasons,” Murton said. “He did it in 130 games. It is what it is, it’s a great honor. In terms of Ichiro, this doesn’t change anything. He’s one of the best players in baseball.”
Murton played at Georgia Tech from 2001-2003, batting .338 with 30 home runs, 149 RBI and 42 stolen bases during his three-year career on the Flats. He was a second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2002 and 2003, and helped the Yellow Jackets reach the College World Series in 2002.
A first-round selection of the Boston Red Sox in 2003, Murton was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2005 and had brief stints with Oakland and Colorado before coming to Japan this season.
Murton added two more hits in the game to lift his total to 213. He finished the night 3 for 5 with three RBIs. The Tigers routed the Swallows 17-4.
Some information for this story was taken from the Associated Press
