Ichiro shows funny side, joins CC, Wagner in HOF

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Ichiro Suzuki became the archetypal Japanese-born subordinate to beryllium enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame connected Sunday, 1 of 5 caller members of baseball's hallowed institution.

After enduring the shot contented known arsenic a rainfall delay, the 5 speeches went disconnected without a hitch arsenic the deluge subsided and the upwind grew blistery and humid. Joining Suzuki were pitchers CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, and sluggers Dick Allen and Dave Parker, who some were enshrined posthumously.

"For the 3rd time, I americium a rookie," Suzuki said, delivering his comments successful English contempt his agelong penchant for conducting his nationalist appearances successful Japanese with the assistance of an interpreter.

For the American audience, this provided a uncommon glimpse into Suzuki's playful side. Teammates agelong spoke of his consciousness of wit down the closed doors of the clubhouse, but the nationalist seldom saw that broadside of him. It was connected afloat show Sunday.

When Hall voting was announced, Suzuki fell 1 ballot shy of becoming the 2nd unanimous enactment for the Hall. He thanked the writers for their enactment -- with an exception.

"Three-thousand [career] hits oregon 262 hits successful 1 play are achievements recognized by the writers," Suzuki said. "Except, oh, 1 of you."

After the laughter subsided, Suzuki mentioned the gracious comments helium made erstwhile balloting results were announced, erstwhile helium offered to invitation the writer who didn't ballot for him location for meal to larn his reasoning. Turns out, it's excessively late.

"The connection to the 1 writer to person meal astatine my location has present ... expired!" Suzuki said.

Suzuki's attraction to item and unmatched enactment ethic person continued into the contiguous day, much than 5 years since helium played his past large league game. That was cardinal to his connection connected Sunday, astatine slightest erstwhile helium wasn't landing a joke.

"If you consistently bash the small things, there's nary bounds to what you tin achieve," Suzuki said. "Look astatine me. I'm 5-11 and 170 pounds. When I came to America, galore radical said I was excessively skinny to vie with bigger large leaguers."

After becoming 1 of the biggest stars successful Japanese baseball, hitting .353 implicit 9 seasons for the Orix BlueWave, Suzuki exploded connected the country arsenic a 27-year-old rookie for the Seattle Mariners, batting .350 and winning the AL Rookie of the Year and MVP honors.

Chants of "Ichiro!" that erstwhile were omnipresent astatine Seattle Mariners games erupted from the assemblage sprawled crossed the grounds of the analyzable portion the all-time single-season hits person (262 successful 2004) posed with his plaque alongside commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame president Jane Forbes Clark.

Despite his precocious commencement successful MLB, Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits successful America and 4,367 including his clip successful Japan. Suzuki listed immoderate of his feats, specified arsenic the deed total, and his 10 Gold Gloves.

"Not bad," helium said.

Sabathia's play got disconnected to a mildly unsmooth commencement erstwhile his wife's car broke down soon aft the household caravan departed for Cooperstown. They arrived successful plentifulness of clip though, and Sabathia was greeted warmly by galore Yankees fans who made the travel up from New York.

After breaking successful with Cleveland astatine property 20, Sabathia rocketed to stardom with a 17-5 rookie campaign. Alas, that came successful 2001, the aforesaid twelvemonth that Suzuki landed successful the American League.

"Thank you astir of each to the large players sitting down me," Sabathia said. "I americium truthful arrogant and humbled to articulation you arsenic a Hall of Famer, adjacent Ichiro, who stole my Rookie of the Year grant successful 2001."

Sabathia focused the bulk of his comments connected the enactment helium has received implicit the years from his friends and family, and particularly his wife, Amber.

"The archetypal clip we met was astatine a location enactment erstwhile I was a inferior successful precocious school," Sabathia said. "We spent the full nighttime talking, and that speech has been going connected for 29 years."

Parker, 74, died from complications of Parkinson's illness connected June 28, little than a period earlier the induction ceremony. Representing him astatine the dais was his son, Dave Parker II, and portion the infinitesimal was bittersweet, it was hardly somber.

Parker II finished the code with a moving poem written by his begetter that, for a fewer minutes, made the subordinate nicknamed "The Cobra" consciousness arsenic if helium were present.

"Thanks for staying by my side," Parker's poem concluded. "I told y'all Cooperstown would beryllium my past rap, truthful the prima of Dave volition beryllium successful the entity tonight. Watch it glow. But I didn't prevarication successful my documentary -- I told you I wouldn't show."

Parker finished with 2,712 hits and 339 homers, won 2 Gold Gloves connected the spot of his legendary right-field limb and was named NL MVP successful 1978. He spent his archetypal 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and entered the Hall representing the Bucs.

Wagner, whose 422 vocation saves ranks eighth connected the all-time list, delivered an affectional but humorous code astir a small-town feline with a small-for-a-pitcher 5-10 stature who made it big.

"I consciousness similar my shot beingness has travel afloat circle," Wagner said. "I was a instrumentality earlier I could play. Back erstwhile shot wasn't truthful disposable connected TV, each Saturday greeting I watched Johnny Bench and truthful galore of the different greats connected a amusement 'The Baseball Bunch.'"

In 1 of the moments of shot serendipity that lone Cooperstown tin provide, the telecast flashed to Bench, sitting a fewer feet distant from wherever Wagner was speaking.

Allen's widow, Willa, delivered a touching tribute to her precocious husband, who died successful 2020 aft years of feeling overlooked for his outstanding career. The 1964 NL Rookie of the Year for the Phillies, Allen won the 1972 AL MVP for the Chicago White Sox.

"Baseball was his archetypal love," Willa said. "He utilized to say, 'I'd person played for nothing,' and I judge helium meant it. But of course, if you comparison today's salary, helium played astir for nothing."

Willa focused connected the softer broadside of a subordinate who successful his clip was possibly unfairly characterized for a contentious narration with the media.

"He was devoted to people, not conscionable fans, but particularly his teammates," Willa said. "If helium heard idiosyncratic was sick oregon going done a pugnacious time, he'll crook to maine and say, 'Willa, they person to perceive from us.'"