Ichiro makes Hall of Fame but falls 1 vote short of being unanimous

It was always a foregone conclusion Ichiro was going to be voted into the Hall of Fame, but there was still some drama with the announcement.

It’s official — Ichiro Suzuki is going to join Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez as players enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame as Seattle Mariners. The confirmation came on Tuesday afternoon, in an announcement by Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch.

As you’d expect, Ichiro was his usual humble and gracious self, as he discussed what it meant to be headed to Cooperstown. As per Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com, he said through an interpreter:

“There was a time I didn’t even know if I’d get the chance to play in MLB. So what an honor it is for me to be here and to be a Hall of Famer. It’s a special day.”

However, even in this truly special moment for anyone connected with the Mariners, it’s tough to disregard the fact that Ichiro came exactly one ballot short of becoming just the second ever player to be voted into the Hall of Fame unanimously. This puts him in the same company as the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, who’s former teammate Mariano Rivera remains the only player to ever be voted in unanimously.

Fellow Mariners Hall of Famers welcome Ichiro to the club

Not that we want to let this injustice ruin what is a great occasion for Ichiro and the Mariners. As per a press release by the club, Griffey Jr. was among those to share his congratulations, as he said:

“Ichiro, congratulations on being named to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is an unbelievable honor. Edgar and I couldn’t be more proud of you. We met in ’95 and we’ve been good friends ever since then. Just want to let you know that it is a privilege and an honor to share the Hall with you.”

Martinez also shared his thoughts on getting another Mariner to join him and Griffey Jr. in the Hall of Fame. He said:

“Congratulations, Ichiro, on your first-ballot election today. It’s great to see you every day at the ballpark, but I am really looking forward to seeing you in Cooperstown in July.”

A rousing success from day one

When Ichiro arrived in the Majors as the first position player from Japan, there was a perception that he would be too fragile to survive and succeed in North America over the course of a 162-game season. However, he went on to more than prove the critics wrong during a sensational 2001 season.

The 51-year-old was an integral part of helping the Mariners equal the regular season wins record of 116, originally set way back in 1906. He became 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 all in the same season.

What followed over the course of a 19-year career in the Majors was truly remarkable, as Ichiro left an indelible mark on the history books. Ichiro stands alone as the only MLB player to ever record 10 consecutive 200+ hit seasons, including the all-time single season hits record of 262, which he set in 2004.

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ichiro is also one of only two Major League players to win a Gold Glove Award in each of his first 10 seasons. In addition, he is one of just seven MLB players with 3,000+ hits and 500+ stolen bases, and keep in mind the former is despite not entering the Majors until he was 27. 

If you are still managing to digest all of this information, the 10-time MLB All-Star is one of only 11 players to have at least 10 stolen bases in each of his first 16 seasons. We could go on and on, but you get the point about what a phenomenal player he was and how fortunate the Mariners were to have him in the organisation.

Ichiro still very much entwined with the Mariners

Not that the love and appreciation is all one-way, with Ichiro still around the ball park on a regular basis during the year. In fact on home game days at T-Mobile Park, he can often be seeing keeping in shape and taking part in drills on the field.

Ichiro was one of three players elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, as part of the Class of 2025. However, he is unique in that he is also the first Asian-born player to be inducted, with the enshrinement scheduled to take place in Cooperstown on July 27 on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center.

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto summed up what made Ichiro such a generational player and important part of Major League history. He said:

“Ichiro is truly one of a kind. His commitment, legendary work ethic, physical endurance, mental toughness, attention to detail and passion for the game are all on a different level. His on-field accomplishments and career achievements put him among the all-time greats, but it’s his impact on the game from a global perspective that will forever set him apart.”

This caps off an eventful few days for Ichiro, who was also just the seventh ever player to be inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame on their first ballot. He was previously inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame back in 2022, and has now completed a trifecta with arguably the most important of them all.

What is your take on the circumstances surrounding Ichiro making it into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Are you able to just celebrate it, or has him falling one vote short ruined it in anyway for you? Let us know in the comments section below.