Even before his July 27 induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Ichiro plans to donate his ... [+]
Ichiro Suzuki fans who flock to Cooperstown for his July 27 Hall of Fame induction will see a lot more than the man.
His entire collection of inside-baseball artifacts and souvenirs will be on display in the venerable museum.
The former All-Star outfielder, who batted .311 and collected 3,089 hits during a 19-year career spent mostly in Seattle, plans to donate everything to the Central New York museum, according to former Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson.
Aaron’s Example
“It culminated with him wanting to follow in the footsteps of Hank Aaron and Tom Seaver,” Idelson said on the Refuse to Lose podcast when asked about Ichiro.
“After spending a day in the Hall of Fame, he said to me, ‘I will never not give you what you ask for again, because I see how the Hall of Fame treats equipment,’" Idelson recounted. "‘...You have my word going forward; anything you ever asked for, I will be honored to donate to the Hall of Fame.’ That held true all the way through his career.”
In addition to Ichiro items donated over the years, the Hall of Fame plans an unveil a simultaneous exhibit on baseball in Asia. Ichiro is the first Japanese native to be elected – within a week of his election to Japan’s version of the institution.
Ichiro received 99.7% of the vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America, placing him atop a five-man Class of 2025 along with fellow MVPs Dick Allen and Dave Parker plus former pitchers CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, a pair of left-handers.
For Ichiro, who hit left-handed, it didn’t matter whether he faced righties or lefties. He led the American League in hits seven times and collected 3,089 in the U.S. along with 509 stolen bases. He also was one of five outfielders to win 10 consecutive Gold Gloves (all but Andruw Jones are now in Cooperstown).
Aaron, the lifetime home run leader for 37 years, was the first person with a plaque in the Hall of Fame’s gallery to give his memorabilia to the museum. Seaver, an ardent Aaron admirer, followed suit when he heard about Aaron’s action.
“If it’s good enough for Hank Aaron, it’s good enough for me,” the late pitcher once said.
Seattle Mariners No. 51, worn by Ichiro, will be among the treasure trove of personal items he will ... [+]
Ichiro, who used only his first name as a player, was elected to the Hall of Fame in January, missing unanimous selection by just a single vote. He later joked that he’d like to discuss that omission over coffee with the writer who failed to list his name on the 10-member ballot.
Although he started his professional career in his native Japan, delaying his American debut until age 27, Ichiro played 19 years in the U.S. major leagues.
Double Honor
In 2001, the svelte outfielder joined Fred Lynn as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player trophies in the same season.
A 10-time All-Star in the United States, Ichiro hit the only inside-the-park home run in the history of the Midsummer Classic (in San Francisco in 2007). Thanks to his speed, he once stole 45 consecutive bases without getting caught – an American League record just five short of major-league leader Vince Coleman.
Ichiro’s many records also include most hits in a season (262 in 2004), breaking the 84-year-old record of Hall of Famer George Sisler. He had 4,367 hits between the U.S. and Japan.
Although he never played in the World Series, Ichiro led Team Japan to a pair of titles in the World Baseball Classic, an international series played every three years.
Record crowds are expected to come to Cooperstown for Ichiro’s induction. The existing attendance record is an estimated 87,500, who came to the 2007 inductions of Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn.
Sports Travel and Tours, official tour operator of the Baseball Hall of Fame, has hired several translators to assist dozens of Japanese-speaking passengers signed up to salute Ichiro, according to owner-operator Jay Smith.
In addition to the actual induction ceremonies, held outside Clark Sports Center a mile from town, Induction Weekend includes a jeep parade of stars, awards for writers and broadcasters, and an informal Monday roundtable with new inductees at ancient Doubleday Field.
With Main Street closed to vehicular traffic, former stars – many of them Hall of Famers – sell pictures, signatures, and memorabilia, and autographs while sitting at individual tables. Saturday is the best day to get autographs.
The entire production is a financial windfall for the tiny village, which sits beside Otsego Lake, called Glimmerglass Lake in James Fenimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans. The year-round population is under 2,000.
