On Sunday, Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. The first Asian-born player elected to the hall, he always spoke to reporters through an interpreter during his career, yet gave his speech in Cooperstown in English. Speaking for just under 20 minutes, the Japanese superstar delivered several memorable lines, including a cheeky dig at the one writer who didn’t vote for him.
Ichiro Jokingly Withdraws Dinner Offer
The man who’s usually referred to mononymously by his first name fell just shy of unanimous selection, earning 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. “Three thousand hits or 262 hits in one season are two achievements recognized by the writers. Well, all but one. And by the way, the offer for that writer to have dinner at my home has now expired,” joked the former Seattle Mariners outfielder.
Ichiro is, of course, referring to a lighthearted offer he made in January after news of his induction was announced. “I was able to receive many votes from the writers, and [I’m] grateful for them, but there’s one writer that I wasn’t able to get a vote from,” he said. “I would like to invite him over to my house, and we’ll have a drink together, and we’ll have a good chat.”
Along with Ichiro, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were also inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Dave Parker and Dick Allen were both enshrined posthumously. They were represented at the event by their families. An hour’s delay due to rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, which was estimated to be around 30,000. With several Japanese flags and number 51 jerseys on display, it seemed like the majority were there to see Ichiro.
Humorous and Heartfelt Speech by Ichiro
His speech was humorous and heartfelt. He thanked various people, including pitcher Hideo Nomo for helping to open doors in the States for Japanese players, and his former agent Tony Attanasio, who sadly passed away last year. There were also shoutouts to all the teams he played for, though he joked that he’d “never heard of” the Miami Marlins before signing for them. At the end, Ichiro started to get emotional as he spoke about his biggest supporter.
“I think you can imagine there was much doubt when I decided to try becoming the first position player from Japan in MLB,” said Ichiro. “But it was more than just doubt. There was criticism and negativity. Someone even said to me, ‘Don’t embarrass the nation.’ The person who supported me the most was my wife, Yumiko. It would only be natural if she had doubts too, but she never made me feel them. All of her energy was focused on supporting and encouraging me.”
He continued, “Shortly after I retired, Yumiko and I had a date night. We did something we had never been able to do while I was a player — we sat in the stands and enjoyed a Mariners game together. We did it the American way by eating hot dogs. Of all the experiences baseball has given me, enjoying a hot dog at a game with a person most responsible for helping me reach this moment is the most special.”
