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Ichiro was puzzled by 2017 text from 'some guy named Tom Brady'

Jennifer Buchanan / USA TODAY Sports

For the better part of the last three decades, Ichiro Suzuki's singular focus has been baseball.

You'll forgive him, then, for not knowing the greatest quarterback of all time by name.

During spring training last year, according to Peter Gammons of The Athletic, Ichiro received a text message from a number he didn't recognize. The person on the other end, Ichiro told those milling about the Miami Marlins' coaching room, had gotten his number from Alex Rodriguez and was keen to come meet him and study his famous stretching routine. Ichiro then scrolled to the bottom of the text.

"What's the guy's name?" asked one of the coaches.

"Some guy named Tom Brady," replied Ichiro. "Who the f--- is Tom Brady?"

Brady, of course, is the ageless and venerable quarterback who's led the New England Patriots to five Super Bowl championships throughout his illustrious career since debuting with the club in 2000.

It's unclear whether Brady - whose discipline and routines, like Ichiro, is also the stuff of legend - ever got to meet the Seattle Mariners icon and get those stretching pointers.

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