If you did not vote for Ichiro Suzuki, please stand up.
The Japanese baseball superstar, who was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this week, sent a message to members of the Baseball Writers Association of America who did not vote. “Let's have a drink.”
Suzuki missed out on a unanimous vote because one longtime Mariners outfielder was excluded from the vote.
Although many baseball officials expressed surprise and anger at voters who unanimously rejected Suzuki's vote, the 2001 American League MVP spoke to reporters at an event in Cooperstown on Thursday. When it was more tolerant.
Ichiro said through an interpreter, “I'm grateful that we were able to receive so many votes from writers, but there was one writer who didn't get any votes.'' “I'd like to invite him to my house and have a drink with him and have a nice chat. I'm very grateful to be here, and thank you.”
The comment drew laughs from Suzuki's fellow 2025 inductees Billy Wagner and CC Sabathia.
The identity of the only BBWA voter who did not vote for Suzuki has not yet been revealed.
Suzuki was inducted into the Hall of Fame with 99.7 percent of the votes cast, becoming the second Cooperstown player to be unanimously inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The outfielder spent 19 years in the major leagues, 14 of them in Seattle.
In three years in the Bronx after being traded in 2012, Suzuki batted .281 with 84 RBIs and 49 stolen bases.
Suzuki, a 10-time All-Star, finished his in-state career with 3,089 hits.
