NAGOYA–Former Seattle Mariners superstar Ichiro Suzuki revelled in the spotlight on Aug. 31 here as he received a replica Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame plaque and also blew away a team of all-stars on the mound.
The plaque commemorates Suzuki’s induction into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year.
“It was such a warm atmosphere. I was truly moved,” the 51-year-old said in a heartfelt ceremony at Vantelin Dome Nagoya.
Suzuki made history this year as the first player to be inducted into both the Japanese and American baseball halls of fame.
In July, he delivered a moving and humorous speech at the U.S. ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, sharing his reflections on the game’s meaning in his life.
Before the Aug. 31 ceremony, Suzuki took the field with his amateur team “Kobe Chiben” in an exhibition game against a select team of high school female players.
As part of a broader program to support and promote women’s baseball, this marked the fifth edition of the event. Suzuki’s team won decisively, 8-0.
Taking the mound as the starting pitcher and batting leadoff, Suzuki delivered a masterclass performance–allowing only one hit and striking out 14 batters in a complete-game shutout.
In the third inning, former New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui, batting cleanup, sealed the game with a three-run home run down the right-field line.
Several other prominent former players joined the game, including pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and shortstop Kazuo Matsui, who also had successful careers in Japan and the United States. This was Kazuo Matsui’s first appearance in the event.
The high school stars, selected from across Japan, dazzled the crowd with their sharp defense and spirited play, earning loud applause from the more than 21,000 fans in attendance.