Ichiro Suzuki played for 19 MLB seasons and had an impressive tally of 3,089 hits in the majors and 1,278 in Japan. All of that just to be one vote shy of unanimous induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Japanese legend has been one of the greatest hitters in the history of sports, yet it was all squared down to just one vote. However, MLB insider Jon Heyman was equally frustrated, just like each of us. He bluntly called out the unnamed voter on social media, urging them to step forward and adding a subtle explicit.
“Ichiro missed unanimity by 1 vote. Please step forward, you numbskull,” Heyman tweeted.
Ichiro missed unanimity by 1 vote. Please step forward, you numbskull
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 21, 2025
Former broadcaster Herb Lawrence and various pundits have rallied to Ichiro’s defense, expressing disbelief that anyone could overlook his monumental achievements. Crossing over 3,000 thousand in hitting numbers is a lot, and he also has multiple Gold Glove awards to his name.
At the end of the day, while Ichiro will take his deserved place in Cooperstown on July 27, the mystery surrounding his lone detractor will obviously ache. Not in a serious manner but mysteriously. Notably, Ichiro received an incredible 99.746 percent of the votes, falling just one short of unanimous selection.
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Ichiro Suzuki Is Now The first Japanese Player In Baseball’s Hall of Fame
Moving away from the aching one-miss vote, Ichiro Suzuki made history for his country. Ichiro became the first Japanese player elected to baseball’s esteemed Hall of Fame. The announcement came on a significant day, as he was honored alongside fellow stars CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.
HE'S IN‼️
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) January 21, 2025
Ichiro Suzuki becomes the first Japanese-born player to be elected into the @baseballhall 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/N300DPcfJr
Suzuki’s remarkable achievement was evident by his impressive voting tally. He garnered 393 out of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Throughout his illustrious career, Suzuki established himself as one of the premier hitters in baseball history. His accomplishments include winning both the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in the same season. Prior to him, Fred Lynn was the only player to achieve this feat.
With a career batting average of .311, along with 117 home runs, 780 RBIs, and an impressive 509 stolen bases, Suzuki’s versatility and consistency on the field earned him a well-deserved 10 All-Star selections and two AL batting championships. He will be formally inducted at Cooperstown on July 27, alongside other legends like Dave Parker and Dick Allen.
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