Ichiro joins Sabathia, Wagner, Parker, Allen in Hall of Fame - ESPN

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player to be enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, one of five new members of baseball's hallowed institution.

After enduring the baseball tradition known as a rain delay, the five speeches went off without a hitch as the deluge subsided and the weather grew hot and humid. Joining Suzuki were pitchers CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, and sluggers Dick Allen and Dave Parker, who both were enshrined posthumously.

«For the third time, I am a rookie,» Suzuki said, delivering his comments in English despite his long preference for conducting his public appearances in Japanese with the aid of an interpreter.

For the American audience, this provided a rare glimpse into Suzuki's playful side. Teammates long spoke of his sense of humor behind the closed doors of the clubhouse, but the public rarely saw that side of him. It was on full display Sunday.

When Hall voting was announced, Suzuki fell one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection for the Hall. He thanked the writers for their support — with an exception.

«Three-thousand [career] hits or 262 hits in one season are achievements recognized by the writers,» Suzuki said. «Except, oh, one of you.»

After the laughter subsided, Suzuki mentioned the gracious comments he made when balloting results were announced, when he offered to invite the writer who didn't vote for him home for dinner to learn his reasoning. Turns out, it's too late.

«The offer to the one writer to have dinner at my home has now… expired!» Suzuki said.

Suzuki's attention to detail and unmatched work ethic have continued into the present day, more than five years since he played his last big league game. That was