Limited Edition Ichiro Suzuki Record-Breaking 258th Hit Bat to Score for Charity; Hampster Direct Goal is to Raise $100,000 For Leukemia and Lymphoma Research.

CHICAGO -- Ichiro Suzuki fans have been waiting for the celebration to begin. On October 1, 2004, the Seattle Mariners slugger got the party started. Suzuki broke the 84-year old single season hit record set by baseball Hall of Famer, George Sisler.

Now, Suzuki fans can share in his great accomplishment while supporting another winning cause. Louisville Slugger, the official bat of Major League Baseball and Hampster Direct, a bat distributor, have teamed up to offer a special commemorative Ichiro Suzuki 258th Hit bat. Ten percent of each bat's sale will be donated to the Leukemia Research Foundation. The Suzuki bat is part of a larger commemorative bat program for charity that is on track to hit or exceed $100,000 in 2004.

Just 5,000 of these bats will be made and each will weigh 34 ounces and be 35" in length. The barrel of each bat will feature the official Louisville Slugger logo and a photo montage of images from Suzuki's career, including an image from his 258th hit game. Each Louisville Slugger bat, crafted at the historic Louisville Kentucky facility, will include a numbered certificate.

"Our bats commemorating a milestone event always sell out," says John Obie, of Hampster Direct. "I think people enjoy holding history in their hands and the fact that buying the bat is something they can feel good about because of the charitable aspect of the purchase."

"We are thrilled to be the recipients of the charity bat program partnership between Louisville Slugger and Hampster Direct," says Kathleen McCarty, Development Director for the Leukemia Research Foundation. "It's efforts such as these that allow us to work toward a cure and that's certainly something everyone can cheer about."

The 258th hit Ichiro Suzuki bat can be ordered by going to www.hampsterdirect.com. The bats cost $129.95, plus $30 shipping (to Japan).