Ichiro in GQ Magazine

The evidence is starting to pile up. I'd be surprised if it takes long for OutSports to pick this up. A few weeks ago we had this gem from Ichiro regarding Daisuke Matsuzaka:

"I hope he arouses the fire that’s dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul."

Today I was taking my morning deuce and flipping through my favorite metrosexual periodical when I came across a photo spread featuring Ichiro entitled Hit Man. In one image he is shown lying, fully clothed, in a full bathtub. Another pic has him in a t-shirt with a hot pink skull. Very punk.

In a blurb that featured the most steamy baseball descriptives since Game of Shadows--where authors Fainaru-Wada and Williams repeatedly and painfully showered praise for Barry Bonds' early career "lithe marathoner's physique"--blurbologist Nate Penn had this to say of Ichi-Mania:

"It's true that whether he's in uniform or out, you simply can't take your eyes off him."

Regardless of intent, I cannot deny that this photo spread ignited a conflagration that has been dormant in my loins.