Ichiro inducted into Mariners Hall of Fame on special weekend

Ichiro Suzuki takes his rightful place among the all time greats in Seattle Mariners history, as a prelude to his inevitable enshrinement into he Hall of Fame.

It doesn’t get much better than what happened on Saturday night. Ichiro Suzuki joined some exclusive company, as he was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame.

Everything about the way the event was organized and how it played out was perfect. Ichiro’s tribute video was beautifully done:

A variety of Mariners legends and baseball greats shared their thoughts about Ichiro. It was clear how much he means to the likes of Lou Pinella, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jay Buhner:

Ichiro was always finding different ways to impress and surprise people. He managed this yet again on Saturday night, by giving his entire induction speech in English:

Pinella, Griffey Jr., Buhner, Alvin Davis, Dave Niehaus, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson and Jamie Moyer are all special for different reasons. However, they has never been anyone quite like Ichiro.

In 2001, Suzuki became the first Japanese-born position player to be signed by an MLB club. What followed was something even the most creative mind would have struggled to come up with.

Critics believed Suzuki would be too frail to succeed in North America and endure a 162-game season. He proved them more than wrong during an unbelievable 2001 season.

Ichiro is the only player in major league history to win an MVP, Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove Award, Silver Slugger Award and start in the All-Star Game in the same season. He was an integral part of helping the Mariners equal the regular season wins record of 116, set way back in 1906.

A career full of records

You could pretty much talk all day about the various highlights, records, etc, Ichiro achieved during his 19-year Major League career. Here are just a few:

• The all-time single season hits record of 262
• One of just seven MLB players with 3,000+ hits and 500+ stolen bases
• The only MLB player to record 10 consecutive 200+ hit seasons
• One of just two Major League players to win a Gold Glove Award in each of his first 10 seasons
• One of 11 players to have at least 10 stolen bases in each of his first 16 seasons

Ichiro is still involved with the Mariners as a special advisor. Special is certainly an apt word when it comes to someone who also received the Mariners’ Franchise Achievement award after he retired.

While there is understandable regret about never winning a World Series as a player, Ichiro did everything possible to achieve this dream. And it’s why he’s headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which he’ll first be eligible for in 2025.

Always thinking about his beloved team, Ichiro shared an important message with the current players. He said:

“Your future has possibilities that you cannot imagine. So embrace it by giving your best without imposing limits on yourself. If a skinny guy from Japan can compete in this uniform, and then stand before you tonight to accept this honor, then there is no reason you cannot do it either.”

Let us add to the congratulations for Ichiro on a fantastic career and being inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame. It’s all been richly deserved for one of the most unique players in Major League history.

Were you fortunate enough to be at T-Mobile Park on Saturday night? Regardless, what is your top memory/highlight of Ichiro’s career with the Mariners? Let us know in the comments section below.