Ichiro Suzuki Sends Message to Hall of Fame Voter Who Snubbed Him

Ryan Phillips | Jul 27, 2025

Ichiro Suzuki had 3,089 career hits in the major leagues. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, and he has given up on trying to make up with the one voter who snubbed him.

When Ichiro was elected to the Hall in January, he missed unanimous induction by one vote. Yes, somehow a single voter didn't think one of the greatest hitters of all-time deserved to reach Cooperstown on the first ballot. There was immediate outrage when that happened.

A few days after his selection went public, Ichiro offered to meet with the voter who didn't pick him and have a drink. That won't happen now.

During his Hall of Fame induction speech on Sunday, Ichiro announced that his offer to meet with that writer has expired, and he has no interest in doing so.

"3000 hits or 262 hits in one season are achievements recognized by the writers, well, all but one of you"

Ichiro Suzuki pic.twitter.com/3JBzWGWKn2

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) July 27, 2025

Whoever that voter was had plenty of time to make themselves known and meet with Ichiro. They opted not to.

Ichiro was a 10-time MLB All-Star who won 10 Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, two batting titles and was named AL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001. He holds the MLB single-season record for hits (262), and ranks 24th on the league's all-time hits list (3,089). The crazy part about those numbers is that he didn't debut in the major leagues until he was 27 years old after already becoming a star in Japan.

It truly is incredible that anyone would leave him of their Hall of Fame ballot.

---

More MLB on Sports Illustrated

feed