Expected to be the first Japanese player elected to the Cooperstown on Tuesday, Ichiro is a wellspring of national pride and his fame across the Pacific when he joined MLB was therapeutic for his

It’s tempting to say Ichiro Suzuki, with his detached sense of cool, record-breaking hitting prowess and 28 seasons of excellence on both sides of the globe, was made for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Probably more accurate to say the Hall of Fame was made for him.

The baseball world was left delighted on Ichiro's induction into Cooperstown. But who opted to keep him off their ballot and deny him the glory of being a unanimous choice?

“It’s a little sweeter seeing Ichiro join CC in the same Hall of Fame class. Ichiro’s impact on baseball globally cannot be understated. He was one of the most uniquely skilled and talented players to ever play this sport, and I feel incredibly fortunate that his career path landed him in pinstripes.

Ichiro Suzuki, whose outstanding play in Japanese baseball led him to international stardom in the major leagues, was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball, but he’s much more than that in Japan. Back home, he’s a wellspring of national pride, much like Shohei Ohtani now. His triumphs across the Pacific buoyed the nation as Japan’s economy sputtered through the so-called lost decades of the 1990s and into the 2000s.

Longtime Japanese baseball reporter Jim Allen, writing on jballallen.com, noted that Suzuki became the seventh player ever inducted to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inducted on the first try.

Congratulations are in order for Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki, who earned election to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame on Thursday. The Mariners posted the news on social media.

Left-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo preceded him, and Hideki Matsui came ... the Orix BlueWave. Suzuki is a very common family name, and manager Akira Ohgi wanted to single out Ichiro for attention.

TOKYO (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball ... Left-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo preceded him, and Hideki Matsui came just after, both boosting the country's confidence in a period of ...

TOKYO (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball ... Left-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo preceded him, and Hideki Matsui came just after, both boosting the country’s confidence in a period of ...