[ODDS and EVENS] Ichiro Suzuki Gets Lifetime Honor with Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame Induction

In his first year of eligibility, Ichiro Suzuki was selected for induction into the Japanese Baseball of Fame on Thursday, January 16.

It was a fitting tribute to Ichiro's legendary career in NPB (1992-2000) before he became the first Japanese non-pitcher (aka position player) to appear in a Major League Baseball game in 2001.

Ichiro is only the seventh player to be chosen for induction into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.

The others: Victor Starffin, Sadaharu Oh, Hideo Nomo, Kimiyasu Kudo, with Tomoaki Kanemoto and Hideki Matsui sharing the distinction most recently in 2018.

Indeed, this is the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese zodiac calendar. But this is also the Year of Ichiro in celebration of his one-of-a-kind career (1992-2019).

He was a magician with a bat in his hands, an incredible base runner and a remarkable defensive outfielder.

A Special Month for Ichiro Suzuki

In January 2025, Ichiro's confirmation as an inductee into a pair of Baseball Halls of Fame will happen. On Tuesday, January 21 (Wednesday JST), the Baseball Writers' Association of America will release the results of its members' 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame balloting. To be eligible for induction into the hallowed institution, an individual must appear on 75% of that year's ballots.

I expect Ichiro to be a unanimous selection.

This is the first year Ichiro's name appears on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. To be eligible in 2025, a player's last MLB appearance had to have been in 2019.

And who can ever forget his emotional two-game farewell in March 2019 playing for the Seattle Mariners at Tokyo Dome?

A Fitting Tribute to Ichiro Suzuki

Reacting to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame announcement, Oh paid tribute to Ichiro's incredible ability as a hitter.

"At long last Ichiro is in the Hall of Fame," Oh, chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "His genius at putting the bat on the ball was, I think, superhuman. His legacy in the game will never fade."

Oh is absolutely correct as Ichiro's legacy in baseball can never be wiped away.

Consider the fact that he amassed 4,367 combined hits in NPB and MLB (including 3,089 in the majors), more than any player over the course of his career in either league or both leagues. Pete Rose, who died in 2024, is MLB's all-time hit leader with 4,256.

In 2004, Ichiro set MLB's single-season hit record (262), breaking a mark that had stood since St Louis Browns star George Sisler smashed 257 hits in 1920.

A Change of Leadership Helped Ichiro Suzuki Thrive

Ichiro's rise to stardom began in 1994, his third NPB season, when he finally began to receive playing time on a daily basis with the Orix BlueWave. In his first two NPB seasons, Ichiro appeared in a combined 83 games for Orix while mostly being relegated to minor league duties.

Shozo Doi, who managed theBlueWave from 1991-93, will forever be remembered in the annals of Japanese baseball as the dugout boss who was opposed to Ichiro's unorthodox approach to batting, which was often noted for its pendulum leg swing.

Akira Ogi replaced Doi in the BlueWave dugout in 1994, and Ichiro blossomed with the freedom to swing his bat the way he wanted to.

In 1994, Ichiro became the first NPB player to get 200 or more hits (210) in a season. He also won the first of seven consecutive Pacific League batting titles (.385). And he helped lead Orix to a Japan Series title in 1996.

Incredible Batting Skills

That same year, The Washington Post reported on the Aichi Prefecture native's exceptional hand-eye coordination.

"Ichiro's shovel-trained swing is one of the fastest ever recorded," the newspaper reported. "He gets the bat around in .18 seconds, about twice as fast as the average batter, according to a study by the NHK network. That means he has more time to look over the pitch and figure out where it is headed."

The results back the perceived advantage that Ichiro developed as a youngster during painstakingly long workout sessions at batting cages with his father, Nobuyuki.

Ichiro batted .353 in his NPB career with 118 home runs, 529 RBIs and 199 stolen bases. He was named the PL MVP three times (1994-96). And he won seven consecutive Golden Gloves as an outfielder starting in 1994.

Ichiro Suzuki Followed His Own Path

Looking back on his career on the day in which he was selected for induction into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, Ichiro reflected on following his own path while sticking to his principles.

"I questioned what many people considered to be common sense, and have made the most important decisions on my own," Ichiro said, according to NHK, referring to his batting style. "A big factor behind my success has been trusting in my own intuition rather than the opinions of others."

An All-Star in each of his first 10 MLB seasons, Ichiro remains an active figure in baseball. He demonstrates his love of the game while coaching youth, participating in various tournaments as a player and speaking of his passion for the sport.

And he has no interest in stepping away from his active involvement in baseball.

"As long as I can move, I want to be involved in baseball and contribute to Japanese baseball," Ichiro Suzuki told reporters at the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductees' notification ceremony, NHK reported. 

Japanese media outlets announced on Thursday that Ichiro's name appeared on 323 of 349 ballots. How his name could be left off any of the ballots is beyond my comprehension. 

RELATED:

• [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Ichiro Suzuki is a Shoo-in for Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025
• [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] All-Time Great Ichiro Suzuki Enters Mariners Hall of Fame

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.