Any Major League Baseball teams that are searching for pitching this offseason might want to give former Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki a call. Despite retiring from MLB after the 2019 season, Suzuki is still playing baseball, and apparently overlooked a career on the mound.

“I wasn’t ready to give up the game I love,” Ichiro explained in a piece exploring his passion for baseball by The Athletic's Brad Lefton .

Of course, Suzuki isn't playing professionally anymore. Instead, he has put together his own All-Star team that faces off against amateur challengers. This week, Ichiro's All-Stars squared off against Japan’s national girls select high school baseball team. The longtime Mariners struck out nine batters in a complete game, 116-pitch shutout.

For good measure, Ichiro, who played right field for a majority of his career, also collected two hits in five at-bats, including a double.

Ichiro still giving back to the game

So why, at the age of 50, is Ichiro still playing baseball, against a team of elite high school girls no less? The legendary ballplayer simply loves the game too much to not be involved.

“The game brought a special joy to me as a kid and I craved to recapture that feeling. Don’t get me wrong, I had a completely fulfilling career. But let’s face it, the world of professional baseball is not enjoyable in the same way. It’s filled with pressure and responsibility.”

In particular, Ichiro spoke about “a love for the game that inspired you from a young age to get there. I gave my best for 28 years as a pro. Now I want to go back and rediscover the purity of the joy this wonderful game can provide.”

A fan favorite throughout his MLB career, Ichiro Suzuki is still finding ways to give back to the game he loves, while promoting girls high school baseball in the process. Talk about an ambassador for the game.