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.

When Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he became the 22nd player born outside the United States (including Puerto Rico, which, though it is a U.

Former Seattle player Ichiro Suzuki acknowledges the crowd during a ceremony in which he was presented with the Mariners’ “Franchise Acheivement Award” before a 2019 game. Stephen Brashear/AP Share It wasn’t me.

The international significance of Ichiro Suzuki’s selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame shouldn’t get overlooked or downplayed. It will be a benchmark moment in baseball history this summer when he becomes the first Japanese player enshrined in Cooperstown,