New York Yankees outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who played professionally in both Japan and North America, made his 4000th career hit byy by slicing one of Toronto pitcher R.A. Dickey’s knuckleballs past a diving third baseman Brett Lawrie and into left field in his first at-bat of the Major League Baseball contest.

As soon as 39 year old Suzuki stopped at first base after his hit, the New York players came out of the dugout to celebrate with him. The crowd stood and cheered and Suzuki acknowledged their applause with a modest bow.

“It was supposed to be a number that was special to me, but what happened tonight, I wasn’t expecting,” said Suzuki.

“When my teammates came out to first base, that was very special. The fans, I wasn’t expecting so much joy and happiness from them. That’s what made it very special tonight; not just the number, but all the things that came with it were very special.”

The 10-time all-star joins some elite company, with Pete Rose (4,256) and Hall of Famer Ty Cobb (4,189) the only two players to reach that elusive mark. Cobb and Rose achieved their marks while playing their entire careers in American baseball.