Ichiro HOF thread

[Big_Maple]

Hey all - I can’t believe there isn’t a thread in this already, but let’s take a moment to acknowledge something that’s a pretty big deal - Ichiro Suzuki (my favorite Mariner ever) is being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame! He's only the third Mariner in history to receive this prestigious honor, and it's truly a moment to celebrate his incredible career.

Ichiro's impact on the game and our team was profound. His unique blend of talent, precision, and unwavering effort made him a captivating player to watch.

I'll post his full induction speech below, but a few things really stood out. He consistently displayed humility, even referring to himself as a "rookie" again at this peak moment. His speech underscored his deep professionalism and sense of responsibility to the fans, always giving his "complete attention each and every game." He also spoke about the importance of "consistently do[ing] the little things," emphasizing that discipline and attention to detail were foundational to his success. His insights on the difference between a "dream" and a "goal" highlight his strategic and determined approach to his career.

Please share your favorite Ichiro memories and what he meant to you as a Mariners fan! This is a well-deserved recognition for one of the greats.

Induction speech:

Today, I am feeling something I thought I would never know again. For the third time, I am a rookie. 

First in 1992 after the Orix Blue Wave drafted me out of high school. Then in 2001 I became a rookie again at 27 when the Seattle Mariners signed me. As I look over here now and see men like Rod Carew, George Brett and Tony La Russa, I realize I’m a rookie again. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly into your great team. 

I hope I can uphold the values of the Hall of Fame. But please, I am 51 years old now, so easy on the hazing. I don’t need to wear a Hooters uniform again.
The first two times, it was easier to manage my emotions  because my goal was always clear: to play professionally at the highest level. This time is so different, because I could never imagine as a kid in Japan that my play would lead me to a sacred baseball land that I didn’t even know was here. People often measure me by my records: 3,000 hits, 10 gold gloves, 10 seasons of 200 hits. Not bad, eh?

But the truth is, without baseball, you would say this guy is such a dumbass. I have bad teammates, right, Bob Costas?
Baseball is so much more than just hitting, throwing and running. Baseball taught me to make valuable decisions about what is important. It helped shape my view of life and the world. As a kid, I thought I could play baseball forever. The older I got, I realized the only way to keep playing the game I love until 45 at the highest level, was to dedicate myself to it completely. 

When fans use their precious time to come watch you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them, whether we are winning by 10 or losing by 10, I felt my duty was to motivate the same from opening day through game 162. I never started packing my equipment or taping boxes until after the season’s final out. I felt it was my professional duty to give fans my complete attention each and every game.

Fans deserve to be entertained whenever they choose to come. Baseball taught me what it means to be a professional, and I believe that is the main reason I am here today – not because my skills are better than others. 3,000 hits or 262 hits in one season are 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.

I could not have achieved the numbers the writers recognized me for without paying attention to the many small details every single day, consistently for all 19 seasons. I personally cared for my equipment each day because I never wanted to risk a feeling of error due to a loose string on my glove or slip on the base paths because I didn’t clean my spikes. Beyond the regular season, I had a serious routine in the off season, too. When I showed up at camp each spring, my arm was already in shape, waiting for Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs to say, “Holy smoke, laser beam (throw) from Ichiro!”

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. The first time I ran out on the field, I was in awe of the competition, but I knew if I stuck to my beliefs about preparation, I could overcome the doubts, even my own. 
I have been asked, What’s the best thing you can do for your team? My answer is: taking responsibility for yourself. Being responsible for yourself means answering to yourself. When you go home at night and wonder why you didn’t get a hit or didn’t make a catch, the honest answer is not because a great pitcher beat you or a tough sun was in your eyes, it’s because there was something you could have done better. By taking responsibility for yourself, you support your teammates and you don’t cheat the fans. 

As a kid, my dream was always to be a professional baseball player. I even wrote an essay about it when I was in grade six. If I could rewrite that essay today with what I know now, I would use the word “goal” instead of “dream.” Dreams are not always realistic, but goals can be possible if you think deeply about how to reach them. Dreaming is fun, but goals are difficult and challenging. It’s not enough to say I want to do something. If you are serious about it, you must think critically about what is necessary to achieve it. I wrote that daily practice and preparation were important to become a professional player. As I continued to set my goals, I also came to understand that consistency will be the foundation to achievement.

I encourage young players to dream and dream big, but also to understand the difference between a dream and a goal. In order to make your dream your goal, you must be honest in thinking about what is important to achieve it. In that essay, I wrote that I dreamed of playing for my hometown Chunichi Dragons. I knew nothing about American baseball then. I simply loved baseball and wanted to play it wherever I could at the highest level all the rest of my life. I achieved the first part of my goal when Orix drafted me. I won the batting title in my first full year, and each year after that when I played in Japan.

From the outside, it may have seemed like everything was smooth, and I should have no worries. However, inside, I was struggling to understand why I was making results. I was searching for something that I could not find. In the middle of my internal struggle, something historic happened. Hideo Nomo became the first major leaguer from Japan in my lifetime. His success inspired many, including me. Thanks to him, MLB was always in the news in Japan, and MLB games were broadcast on TV because of Hideo Nomo’s courage. My eyes suddenly opened to the idea of challenging myself by going somewhere I never imagined. 

(Thanks Nomo in Japanese)

I am grateful to the Orix Blue Wave for allowing me to challenge myself in MLB. I am also grateful to the Seattle Mariners for believing that I could become the first position player from Japan in American baseball. I have been in love with Seattle and the Mariners ever since, thank you, Seattle.

I am thrilled that this great honor reunites me with the general manager who signed me: Pat Gillick. Thank you to Pat and the owners and executives back then: Hiroshi Yamauchi, Howard Lincoln, Chuck Armstrong and the rest of the Mariners team, current executives John Stanton, Jerry Dipotto, Kevin Martinez and the rest. Thank you for bringing me back to the place I belong and allowing me to make Seattle my permanent home.
It’s an honor to be on a new team with Edgar (Martinez) and (Ken Griffey) Jr.and Randy (Johnson). Thank you guys for coming today.

Thank you to the New York Yankees. I know you guys are really here today for CC. But that’s okay. He deserves your love. I enjoyed my two and a half years in pinstripes, and I thank you for letting me experience the great leadership of Derek Jeter and your organization’s proud culture.

And to the Miami Marlins, I appreciate David Sampson and Mike Hill for coming today. Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015, I had never heard of your team. But I came to love my time in South Florida, even in my mid-40s, I grew as a player surrounded by all those young, talented teammates. The way they jumped out of the dugout in Colorado to celebrate My 3,000th hit is something I will never forget. Their happiness to share that moment with me was so genuine and sincere. Thank you for giving me the chance to reach (my) 3,000th hit as a Marlin and with those teammates.  

To my agents whose importance to me has been more than just business. Sadly, Tony Attanasio passed away before he could know of this moment. I thank him for getting me to America and for teaching me to love wine. And to and to John Boggs, who believed I could still play at 42 and has been passionate towards my career ever since. Thank you to my longtime interpreter, Allen Turner, and his family, for supporting me wherever I decided to play. Thank you also to Jane Josh Whitney and the entire hall of fame staff. And of course, to Jeff Idelson, without you, I would have never come to appreciate this incredible institution. Congratulations to CC (Sabathia), Billy (Wagner), Dave Parker, Dick Allen, Tom Hamilton and Thomas Boswell.

I think you can imagine there was much doubt when I decided to try becoming the first position player from Japan in MLB. 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. For 19 seasons in Seattle, New York and Miami, she made sure that our home was always happy and positive. I tried to be consistent as a player, but she’s the most consistent teammate I ever had.

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.
Going into America’s Baseball Hall of Fame was never my goal. I didn’t even know there was one until I visited Cooperstown for the first time in 2001. But being here today sure is like a fantastic dream.

[DavidGee24]

This needs to be said: if Ichiro had started his career in America he obliterates Pete Rose's hit record. He was as good in his rookie year in Japan at 20 as he was in his final season there seven years later. We're talking over 4,500 hits if he skips Japan altogether.

[Donn Beach]

and he was a rookie in 2001, we forget the doubts he faced. He was certainly going to need a grace period to adjust to MLB. I didn't expect much, maybe that's why I became such a fan. I was very dubious of the whole thing, just a sideshow. Probably similar to the general attitude of having blacks in MLB. They really aren't equipped to play at that level. It's not hatred, its more a lack of respect. He didn't face the hatred that Jackie did but I do put him in that sort of context. The egocentric quality we had for our games. Particularly with that being the juiced up peds era. We were so focused on juiced power hitters and here comes this 170 lb guy from japan that just body slams baseball

Look what he did in april of 2001, his first month in the majors 336 /.358/ .431/ .789 with two homeruns and 11 rbis. He picked up as if he was back in Japan. Has there been a more remarkable beginning to a ML career? That beginning was so sensational. And he went on to have a remarkable season and career as well. And how did he do it, preparation. Look up preparation in Websters and there's a picture of Ichiro.

[Donn Beach]

This needs to be said: if Ichiro had started his career in America he obliterates Pete Rose's hit record. He was as good in his rookie year in Japan at 20 as he was in his final season there seven years later. We're talking over 4,500 hits if he skips Japan altogether.

I don't know if Pete Rose belongs in the HOF or not but Ichiro sure does

[Sibelius Hindemith]

.757 career OPS.

[Donn Beach]

.757 career OPS.

Luis Aparicio has a career ops of .653

[Donn Beach]

and I've been meaning to bring this up for a long time so why not screw with an Ichiro thread, what's the deal with ops to begin with? I will give you obp, that's significant, in fact its been estimated to be as much as three times as significant as slugging. Is there anything more juvenile than slugging? A single gets a one, double gets a two, a triple gets a three? Seriously, a triple is three times more valuable than a single? The thing doesn't make sense, I will take 20 doubles over 15 triples any day

[D-train]

It would have been an amazing spectacular speech for someone with English as a first language but just incredible for someone that's ESL

He has a great sense of humor and he's a philosopher.

[Donn Beach]

It would have been an amazing spectacular speech for someone with English as a first language but just incredible for someone that's ESL

He has a great sense of humor and he's a philosopher.

He was the right guy at the right time which is pretty amazing in terms of history in general

[D-train]

and he was a rookie in 2001, we forget the doubts he faced. He was certainly going to need a grace period to adjust to MLB. I didn't expect much, maybe that's why I became such a fan. I was very dubious of the whole thing, just a sideshow. Probably similar to the general attitude of having blacks in MLB. They really aren't equipped to play at that level. It's not hatred, its more a lack of respect. He didn't face the hatred that Jackie did but I do put him in that sort of context. The egocentric quality we had for our games. Particularly with that being the juiced up peds era. We were so focused on juiced power hitters and here comes this 170 lb guy from japan that just body slams baseball

Look what he did in april of 2001, his first month in the majors 336 /.358/ .431/ .789 with two homeruns and 11 rbis. He picked up as if he was back in Japan. Has there been a more remarkable beginning to a ML career? That beginning was so sensational. And he went on to have a remarkable season and career as well. And how did he do it, preparation. Look up preparation in Websters and there's a picture of Ichiro.

We should always mention Larry Doby in the same breath as jackie. He entered the American League with all new cities just a few months later and faced everything that Jackie did for the first time.