Ichiro Suzuki made history during the weekend for becoming the first Japanese-born person to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Sabathia, Wagner, Parker, Allen.
Ichiro gave his speech in English despite his longtime tradition of giving interviews in Japanese with an interpreter.
He said, “For the third time, I am a rookie.” Suzuki’s speech revealed his rare playful side, which has been spoken of by his teammate.
Ichiro was one vote shy of becoming a unanimous selection for the Hall of Fame. Ichiro thanked all the writers who voted for him but one.
Related Posts
He said in a playful mood, “Three thousand hits or 262 hits in one season are two achievements recognized by the writers. Well, all but one.”
Ichiro added, “By the way, the offer for the writer to have dinner at my home has now expired.”
Suzuki was known for his commitment and hard work on the field, a trait that characterized his speech on Sunday.
He said, “If you consistently do the little things, there’s no limit to what you can achieve. Look at me. I’m 5-11 and 170 pounds. When I came to America, many people said I was too skinny to compete with bigger major leaguers.”
Ichiro continued: “Baseball is much more than just hitting, throwing and running. Baseball taught me to make valued decisions about what is important. It helped shape my view of life and the world. … The older I got, I realized the only way I could get to play the game I loved to the age of 45 at the highest level was to dedicate myself to it completely. When fans use their precious time to see you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them whether you are winning by 10 or losing by 10.
“Baseball taught me what it means to be a professional and I believe that is the main reason I am here today. I could not have achieved the numbers without paying attention to the small details every single day consistently for all 19 seasons.”
Suzuki has now proven his doubters wrong, one of whom said to him, “‘Don’t embarrass the nation.'”
“Going into America’s Baseball Hall of Fame was never my goal. I didn’t even know there was one. I visited Cooperstown for the first time in 2001, but being here today sure feels like a fantastic dream.”
“Going into America’s Baseball Hall of Fame was never my goal. I didn’t even know there was one. I visited Cooperstown for the first time in 2001, but being here today sure feels like a fantastic dream.”
If you are a fan of baseball, share your favorite Ichiro Suzuki moment with us in the comments.
