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| Hit king Ichiro Suzuki has become the first Japanese player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Kazuhiro NOGI) |
Global baseball's hit king Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player elected to Major League baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday, just one vote shy of unanimous selection.
The Seattle Mariners star headlines the 2025 Hall of Fame class to be enshrined at Cooperstown, New York, which also includes pitcher CC Sabathia and relief pitcher Billy Wagner.
In his first year of eligibility, the 51-year-old Ichiro was chosen in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America -- but Yankees pitching great Mariano Rivera remains the only unanimously elected Hall of Famer.
At a press conference at the Mariners' ballpark, Ichiro said he was still absorbing the news after getting the official Hall of Fame call.
"Happiness and all the joy will probably come later," he said. "At that time, it was just a relief."
The call to Cooperstown was something he hadn't imagined even as he rose to stardom in his homeland.
"There was a time that I didn't even know if I'd get the chance to play in the MLB. So what an honor it is for me to be here and to be a Hall of Famer. It's a special day."
The Mariners made it even more special, announcing they would retire his No. 51 jersey next August.
"Ichiro is a superstar who has inspired the hopes and dreams of many," Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.
Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh called it a "very happy moment."
"Now I hope Ohtani will continue to work hard and close the gap between Japan and the US," Oh said in comments carried by public broadcaster NHK, referring to current top MLB star Shohei Ohtani.
- More hits than Rose -
Ichiro was 27 when he made his debut with the Mariners in 2001, becoming the first Japanese position player, as opposed to a pitcher, to play in the US major leagues.
He won both American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year honors that year, going on to earn 10 All-Star nods, 10 Gold Glove awards and three Silver Slugger Awards.
The player finished his career with 3,089 hits in MLB -- on top of 1,278 he piled up in nine years in Japan.
His 4,367 hits as a professional are the most of any player in baseball history, surpassing MLB's all-time leader Pete Rose (4,256).
Ichiro amassed two batting titles, 1,420 runs and 509 stolen bases in 19 Major League seasons while expanding the horizons for Japanese players aiming to make the move stateside when some doubted that their skills would translate to MLB.
In 2004 Ichiro won his second batting title and broke George Sisler's 84-year-old record with 262 hits -- part of a stretch of 10 straight seasons with at least 200 hits.
He had brief stints with the Yankees and Marlins before finishing his career with the Mariners, retiring in 2019 and remaining with the club as a special assistant to the chairman.
- 'One of a kind' -
"Ichiro is truly one of a kind," Mariners president Jerry Dipoto said.
"His commitment, legendary work ethic, physical endurance, mental toughness, attention to detail and passion for the game are all on a different level."
Sabathia, a left-handed starting pitcher who won a World Series with the New York Yankees, was also elected in his first year of eligibility while Wagner, an imposing closing pitcher, was elected in his 10th and final appearance on the writers' ballot.
Sabathia pitched more than 3,577 innings and piled up 251 wins. With 3,093 strikeouts he's one of only 15 pitchers, and one of just three left-handers, with at least 3,000 strikeouts and 250 wins.
He won the American League Cy Young Award with Cleveland in 2007 and helped the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title in the first of his 11 seasons in the Bronx.
Wagner is the ninth closing pitcher to be elected to the Hall of Fame. In 16 seasons with the Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves he compiled 422 saves with 1,196 strikeouts, earning All-Star honors seven times.
- AFP
