Ichiro was just one vote shy of being unanimously inducted into the Hall of Fame.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — One of the best Mariners players in franchise history was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday in Cooperstown, New York.

Ichiro Suzuki began his U.S. professional career in Seattle with the Mariners and played a total of 14 seasons with the organization. Born in Japan, Ichiro played nine seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league before crossing the Pacific Ocean to join the Mariners.

“Today I am feeling something I thought I would never know again, for the third time, I am a rookie,” Suzuki began his speech on Sunday. “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.”

From the moment he debuted with the Mariners on April 2, 2001, Ichiro was an instant star. In his “rookie” year in Major League Baseball (MLB) after almost a decade playing in Japan, Ichiro became just the second player in league history to win both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in the same season.

In his speech, Suzuki recalled feeling the pressure of being the first position player to make the jump from the NPB to the MLB. A little shorter and a little skinnier than the other players, Suzuki said some people doubted that he could compete against the other athletes. He fell back on his work ethic each time. 

“If you consistently do the little things, there’s no limit to what you can achieve,” Suzuki said. “I knew if I stuck to my beliefs of preparation, I could overcome their doubts. Even my own.” 

Ichiro set the MLB single-season record with 262 hits during the 2004 season, and his 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons are also a league milestone. He managed to top 3,000 hits during his career in MLB, even after over 1,200 hits in Japan. His 4,367 hits across his professional career are the most of any baseball player.

A tremendous rightfielder in addition to his talents at the plate, Ichiro won 10 Gold Gloves during his career for his prowess on defense. 

While Ichiro worked tirelessly to perform at the highest level, he also felt a duty to his fans. 

“When fans use their precious time to come watch you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them,” Suzuki said, whether the team was ten runs ahead or behind. “I felt it was my professional duty to give fans my complete attention, each and every game.” 

All 10 of his All-Star and Gold Glove accolades were achieved during his first stint in Seattle. Ichiro was traded to the New York Yankees on July 23, 2012. He also spent a few seasons with the Miami Marlins before returning to Seattle to conclude his MLB career, retiring in 2019.

Ichiro continues to pop up at Mariners games and remains closely affiliated with the organization. In August, the team plans to use a home weekend series to celebrate Ichiro’s induction. Among the events will be the Mariners officially retiring his No. 51 jersey on Saturday, Aug. 9 at T-Mobile Park.

Suzuki extended a special shoutout to the 2001 management team that gave him his first shot at American baseball.

“I have been in love with Seattle, and the Mariners ever since,” Suzuki said. “Thank you, Seattle.” 

Tickets are still available for the Aug. 8-10 series against the Tampa Bay Rays, so fans who want to celebrate Ichiro in person can visit the team’s web page.